Only 11% of Teachers Would Recommend the Profession, but Most Agree on How Policymakers Can Improve Education

New survey of 2,032 public school teachers finds persistent challenges — but a clear path forward on where leaders should invest.

NEW YORK, NY—Teachers are pointing to clear solutions to strengthen their profession with large majorities calling for smarter pay and career structures, stronger support for instructional materials and AI, and funding that follows student need, according to new data released today by Educators for Excellence (E4E). 

Voices from the Classroom 2026, the ninth annual survey developed with E4E’s National Teacher Leader Council, reflects the perspectives of more than 2,000 educators who are calling on leaders to build a high-quality, diverse teaching workforce with the resources and conditions every student needs to thrive. 

While teachers are not fleeing in large numbers — 77% plan to stay — only 37% see meaningful opportunities to advance without leaving the classroom. When asked what would drive them out, pay, work-life balance, and inadequate support top the list. Teachers are also asking for compensation and staffing models that reflect the demands of today’s profession: 79% back financial rewards for teachers in hard-to-staff schools, and 64% support extra pay for teachers in hard-to-fill subjects. 

“I love teaching. But in my 30 years working in the field of education, I’ve seen too many great teachers leave because they don’t have leadership opportunities or are being asked to carry additional workload from understaffed classrooms. I’m asking leaders to build career and pay structures so the best teachers have every reason to stay,” said Dr. Winnie Williams-Hall, an elementary school teacher in Chicago, IL.

When it comes to instruction, an overwhelming majority (94%) of teachers support the use of evidence-based, high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), mirroring policymakers’ embrace of the science of reading, with at least 40 states passing science-of-reading laws in recent years. But only 47% say their own materials are adequate for helping all students master academic standards — and that drops even further for students with greater needs. But teachers’ confidence in their materials rises sharply when they report involvement in selecting materials and strong implementation support: 76% say materials are adequate when those conditions are met. The findings suggest that adopting a high-quality curriculum is only the first step — districts must also engage teachers in the process and invest in aligned professional learning, student interventions, and ongoing implementation support.   

Additionally, many see real potential with AI, but they flag a similar gap: 43% have received no training on how to help students use it, and only 24% describe the training they have received as adequate. Teachers want clear guidance and guardrails, not a blanket ban.

Teachers also want public schools to be fully and equitably funded: 86% support state funding formulas that direct resources to the students who need them most. However, only 21% believe their own state actually does this, and 60% say funding is not fairly distributed across their state’s districts. Teachers want resources spent wisely and targeted to the real needs of students and schools.

Across these findings, teachers describe a profession that asks more of them than it gives back — in pay, instructional support, and funding — and they want a seat at the table in decisions that shape it. E4E’s leadership says those are the gaps that must be closed first.

“Teachers show up for students every single day, and this profession still doesn’t show up for them,” said Evan Stone, CEO and Co-Founder of E4E. “That gap should alarm us. We owe teachers smarter pay, real investment in fully supporting the curriculum and AI tools we hand them, adequate resources and funding that meet student needs, and a real say in decisions that shape their classrooms. It’s time we showed up for them, too.”