An unsettling report on teachers and other education professionals in Texas was just published by the Texas State Teachers Association. It happens at a time when there is a critical shortage of educators throughout the nation. The study found that the majority of teachers in Texas — 70 percent — were giving serious consideration to leaving their jobs as teachers in 2022.
That’s the highest proportion ever recorded in the study that’s been keeping tabs on Texas teachers’ worries for more than four decades. When this study was last taken in 2018, 53 percent of teachers said they were thinking about leaving the profession. There were 688 educators polled in all.
According to the poll, a 16-year teaching veteran in Texas can expect to make $59,000 a year, which is $7,000 less than the national average. They say that stress associated with the pandemic, political pressure from state politicians, reduced support from parents, and financial constraints have all contributed to many educators’ feelings of burnout.