New Survey Shows Teachers Want Change. Their Contracts Could Help Make It Happen

An inherently contradictory challenge about my time as a sixth-grade teacher in the Bronx still sticks with me and feels particularly poignant as Teacher Appreciation Month comes to a close: Teachers have been asked to do far too much with far too little while not being supported to maximize their unique talents. This has been the status quo for far too long. Now, educators find themselves in a profession in dire need not only of change, but complete reimagination.

The stress, burnout and strains on teachers have compounded so significantly that students, families and educators themselves face an undeniable crisis. Educators for Excellence’s seventh annual Voices from the Classroom teacher survey shows that just 19% of teachers say the profession is sustainable and only 16% would recommend it to others. Simply put, America’s education system is failing teachers and students.

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