Students line up to enter their respective classrooms during a kindergarten orientation at Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy in Alexandria, Virginia, on August 19, 2022. (Photo by Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
A new survey of Georgia teachers shows the state's educators are struggling with burnout and student loan debt.
The 2024 Workforce Survey was done by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) and includes nearly 3,700 educators from 169 of the state's 180 school districts.
According to the organization, while many educators feel supported by their school and fellow teachers and satisfied by their jobs, others feel overwhelmed and struggle in the classroom.
Nearly half of teachers - 48% - reported that they feel burned out, and about 36% of teachers and educators say they somewhat agree with feeling burned out. The survey found that the main causes of burnout were lack of support from administrators and difficulty covering living expenses.
Another factor the survey found in burnout was disruptions in the classroom. Around 60% of teachers who said disruptive behavior is a major concern reported feeling burned out - nearly twice as many as those who said the behavior was a minor problem.
Even among the teachers who weren't suffering from burnout, the survey found teachers in Georgia don't appear to recommend others join the profession.
Only 21% of teachers reported that they were very likely or likely to recommend education, and more than half - 53% - said they were unlikely or very unlikely to do so.
Teachers struggling with cost of living increases
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Why are teachers leaving the profession?
Lawmakers gathered experts in education to talk about the most pressing issues American school's are facing. Some say it boils down to a lack of pay for public school teachers.
The survey found that many educators have difficulty covering living expenses despite recent pay raises approved by Gov. Brian Kemp.
According to the respondents, nearly a quarter of all participating teachers say they have difficulty covering expenses. That number jumps to more than 40% for newer teachers with five or fewer years of experience.
Nearly 34% of teachers reported taking a second job and paid extracurricular assignments in the 2023-2024 school year.
"No matter how hard I work, I’ll never be able to afford a home of my own. Bills are paid, and then the worry gets heightened over the next 13 days hoping an unexpected expense doesn’t come along and wipe out what little remains until the next payday." one anonymous high school teacher wrote on their survey.
Housing costs were cited by many as a major factor in their economic uncertainty. Nearly 38% of teachers with five or fewer years of experience reported their housing is somewhat unaffordable or unaffordable.
On average, teachers reported having $31,000 in student loans - an amount that increases for students who graduated after 2010. Nearly 50% of teachers who had student loans reported difficulties covering living expenses.
Teachers concerned over student phone use
When asked about problems involving students, teachers pointed to disruptive behavior, absenteeism, and social media as being major problems for Georgia students.
In high schools, 85% of teachers who responded to the survey reported that cell phones and social media use was a high concern.
PAGE said in the written responses, many teachers said they've seen a rise in apathy, behavioral issues and lack of motivation since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Others described frustrations over lack of support from parents and school administrators.
"Parents and administrators not holding the student accountable, but rather expecting the teacher to either give the kid a ‘pass’ or ‘what are you (the teacher) going to do about it?’ I can’t
grade what students do not do, and I can’t teach students who are not there, are constantly on their phones, or who do not engage in class," one anonymous high school teacher wrote.
Teacher recommendations to improve Georgia education
After receiving the survey results, PAGE had four recommendations for Gov. Kemp and other Georgia leaders.
- Restore state funding for professional development and undertake a comprehensive review of professional development needs of principals and other educators to ensure the state’s Quality Basic Education formula reflects the cost of high-quality training for principals and all educators.
- Reduce the financial cost of becoming a teacher by restoring the Promise Scholarship, Teacher Scholarship, and Promise II Scholarship programs, financial aid programs for educators previously provided by the state.
- Develop and fund a multi-year plan to increase state funding for school counselors, social workers, and psychologists to the recommended best practice ratios.
- Increase funding for substitutes to ensure teacher planning time is protected.