Survey: 65 Percent of TSTA’s Teacher Members Considered Quitting as School Year 2023-24 Drew to an End
Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA) teacher members responding to the association’s biennial survey — during late spring and early summer this year — said they were seriously considering leaving the profession as the 2023-24 school year was coming to an end.
The percentage was lower than the record 70 percent who expressed similar sentiments two years earlier.
“I don’t know how many of these teachers actually quit or retired early because their responses were anonymous,” said TSTA President Ovidia Molina in releasing the survey results on Tuesday, adding: “But, I fear many of them have left the classroom or will be leaving the classroom soon if our state leaders don’t start supporting public education and educators — and stop making political attacks against schools.”
“Gov. Greg Abbott and his legislative allies have spent several years undermining the morale and reputations of teachers with inadequate school funding, proposed book bans, attacks on classroom diversity and laws imposing political restrictions on what teachers can teach,” Molina said.
Other Findings
Respondents to this latest TSTA teacher moonlighting and morale survey collectively reported that:
- Their average pay was $62,553, slightly more than the TEA reported average budgeted Texas SY 2023-24 teacher pay of $62,463. (The National Education Association estimates the national teacher salary at $71,699, as reported here.)
- A third (33 percent) of the surveyed teachers said they also took extra jobs during the school year to make financial ends meet for their families. Additional moonlighting related responses:
- They spent an average of 13.5 hours a week on their moonlighting jobs, while spending the same number of hours outside the classroom each week on school related work.
- Seventy-four percent of the teachers who moonlighted believed their extra jobs hurt the quality of their teaching, but that the extra income was necessary.
- Fifty-two percent of the teachers had summer jobs.
- They spent an average of 13.5 hours a week on their moonlighting jobs, while spending the same number of hours outside the classroom each week on school related work.
- Thirty-six percent of the surveyed teachers disagreed, and 51 percent strongly disagreed, with the suggestion that legislators and other state leaders have a positive opinion of them. Only four percent agreed or strongly agreed.
- Thirty-eight percent disagreed, and 19 percent strongly disagreed, that the public has a positive opinion of teachers. Twenty-two percent agreed or strongly agreed.
- Teachers spent an average of $856 out of pocket a year for school supplies and $405 a month on health insurance.
- Eighty percent of the teachers disagreed or strongly disagreed that a student examination should be a part of a teacher’s evaluation.
About the Survey
The online survey in which 840 TSTA teacher members responded is a part of a long term academic study begun at Sam Houston State University in 1980. The surveys have been taken every two years (except for 2020 due to Covid).
Teachers surveyed were from all grade levels and represented urban, suburban and rural school districts. Their average classroom experience is 16.7 years.
