New CEA survey finds ongoing crises in teacher shortages, pay, and student behavior
Teachers and students are back in the classroom beginning a new school year, and a new CEA Back-to-School survey reveals persistent and worsening challenges plaguing educators, students, and public education that can’t be ignored.
The survey results paint a clear picture of widespread dissatisfaction among educators related to teacher shortages, low and uncompetitive pay, overwhelming stress and burnout, and a lack of respect for the work they do. At the same time, student mental health needs and behavioral challenges are growing, leaving educators with fewer resources to meet them.
“The problems in our schools are growing more severe, and teachers’ calls for action are being ignored, leaving students to pay the price,” said CEA President Kate Dias. “Our educators are underpaid, disrespected, and stretched beyond their limits—and many are being driven out of the profession in search of careers that value their work, pay them fairly, and treat them with dignity—leaving many classrooms without certified educators to teach our children.”
More than two-thirds of educators (69%) expressed dissatisfaction with conditions in their schools, and 64% say things have gotten worse over the past two years. Special education teachers and those in urban districts are particularly affected, with 72% and 89% respectively expressing dissatisfaction and 66% of special education teachers and 76% of urban educators saying things have gotten worse.
Key findings from the survey of nearly 1,000 educators highlight the depth and urgency of the crisis.
Top concerns:
- Stress and burnout (98%)
- Problems with student behavior (90%)
- Student mental health issues (89%)
- Too little time for prep, collaboration, and planning (89%)
- Towns continue cutting school budgets (87%)
- Shortage of teachers and staff (86%)
- Lack of respect: educators not treated as professionals (87%)
- Low educator salaries (85%). That number jumps up to 90% in urban districts.
The teacher exodus
According to the survey, the educator shortage is being driven by unmanageable stress, escalating student behavioral challenges, and salaries that fail to reflect the demands of the job. These issues are pushing dedicated teachers out of the profession and discouraging students from entering it.
“Almost all of our educators (98%) say stress and burnout is their top issue, up from 97% last year, yet nothing is being done to address the crisis and keep our dedicated educators in the classroom,” said Dias. “Growing demands, constant changes, lack of meaningful support, and compensation that is not competitive with the level of education and skill required for the profession have made the job unsustainable. We have a high level of commitment in our profession, and educators love and believe in the work that they do, but if we want to retain them and attract the next generation into the classroom, our leaders and school districts must stop ignoring the problem and start collaborating on real, lasting solutions.”
The shortage crisis continues to impact on schools across the state, causing overcrowded classrooms and leaving many students without a classroom teacher.
- Nearly half of all teachers surveyed (45%) and 47% of special ed and urban teachers are considering early retirement or leaving the profession.
- 60% of all teachers surveyed said they would not recommend that a family member or friend pursue a career in education, and 42% of educators surveyed would not choose teaching as a career if given the chance to start over.
Addressing the root cause
When asked what should be done to address stress and burnout, top responses were
- Higher salaries (98%)
- Allow more planning, uninterrupted prep, and collaboration time (98%)
- Enable more decision-making autonomy to teachers (98%)
- Hire more teachers, school counselors, social workers, and paraeducators (97%)
- Implement proactive approaches to address student behavior (97%)
- Allow self-directed professional development to support professional goals (96%)
- Provide additional mental health and behavioral supports for students (94%)
Other responses included providing just cause protections from arbitrary terminations (89%), less standardized testing (89%), and providing financial incentives to recruit and retain educators (87%).
When asked what would attract more young people to the profession and keep current teachers in the classroom, educators pointed to
- Higher salaries (81%)
- Better working conditions (65%)
- More time for prep/planning/collaboration (64%)
- More support (63%)
The majority (69%) of teachers overall and 86% in urban districts say their current salary is not commensurate with their level of education. Forty-two percent report having second jobs, and the reasons cited include the need to cover living expenses (63%, up from 28% last year), manage parental expenses that include children’s college tuition, sports, and other activities (43%, up from 20% last year), save money, which is not possible given their current salary (46%, up from 24% last year), and pay off their own student loans (23%, up from 11% last year).
Student mental health
Teachers continue seeing increased behavioral challenges in their students. As children born during COVID enter kindergarten this year, the issue has risen to the forefront.
Nearly three-quarters of educators (74%) say student behaviors and socialization skills are worse than for those who reached school age before the pandemic. Among students entering sixth grade and above, 63% of teachers say their students’ behaviors, attitudes, and socialization skills are diminishing.
When asked what kinds of behavioral changes teachers are seeing in their students, they said
- Increased stress/anxiety (85%)
- Less concentration (82%)
- Increased aggression or dysregulation (81%)
- More distracted (80%)
Despite the growing need for mental health supports for students, 67% of all educators and 74% in urban districts say there are not enough resources to meet students’ mental health needs in their school buildings. More than three-quarters of teachers (77%) say they are not equipped to handle the growing mental health needs of their students.
Student behavior and safety
More than three-quarters of teachers (79%) are concerned about their personal safety and the safety of their students. That number rises to 80% for special education teachers and 86% for urban educators.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of teachers have been forced to evacuate classrooms due to threatening situations that jeopardize student safety. The number jumps to 90% for special education teachers, and 74% for teachers in urban districts.
Many educators report aggressive student behavior, including threats and harm directed at them. The proportion of educators who report being harmed by students rises dramatically among special education teachers and those working in urban districts.
- 39% of all educators responding say they have been harmed by a student
- Among special education teachers, 74% report being harmed by a student
- In urban districts, 57% of teachers report being harmed by a student
- 75% of all educators responding know of colleagues who have been harmed by a student
- Among special education teachers, 77% know of a colleague being harmed
- In urban districts, 70% of educators said they know of colleagues harmed by a student
Barriers to learning
Teachers say the biggest issues facing their students are
- Mental health issues, including anxiety, stress, suicide ideation, and more (identified by 70% of respondents)
- Family disruption or dysfunction (60%)
- Negative impacts from social media (49%)
- Lack of resources, including not enough teachers, counselors, staff, or supplies (48%)
More than half of educators (57%) say cell phone usage during the school day is a major disruption in the classroom, leading to distractions from instruction (81%), loss of instruction time (56%), and a host of other issues.
The best policy to address the problem, according to 59% of teachers, is for districts to prohibit cell phone use during the entire school day, leaving phones in secure pouches, with exceptions for medical or assistive technology needs.
Teachers foot the bill
Every year, teachers dig into their own pockets to purchase supplies for their students. More than half (54%) say they are not provided with all the materials they need for their classroom. That number jumps to 71% for special education teachers and 76% for teachers in urban districts. Educators report spending hundreds of dollars to purchase their own supplies, with 56% spending between $101 and $500, and 21% spending over $500. About a quarter (24%) of special education teachers and nearly a third (32%) of urban educators spend over $500 for their students. Seven percent of all teachers, 12% of special education teachers, and 20% of urban educators report spending upwards of $1,000 per year.
“The generosity of our dedicated educators cannot continue to cover systemic failures,” said Dias. “With districts continuing to cut education budgets, teachers are stretched thinner than ever, juggling the financial burden on top of mounting stress, burnout, low pay, behavior issues, and a lack of mental health resources for students. Without bold action from leaders and school systems, we will continue losing dedicated educators and undermining the very future of public education, jeopardizing the future of our children and our state.”
Nearly 1,000 educators responded to the survey, which was conducted August 6 -17, 2025, and has a 3% margin of error at the 95% confidence level.
