Checking in with America's Teachers: 2026 Survey Results
Jun 8, 2026
The State of the American Teacher and the American Principal
Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages
Teachers and principals drive student learning. Yet, their jobs are increasingly stressful and complex. This stress takes a toll and can have implications for student learning, educators’ physical and mental health, engagement, and intentions to stay in their jobs. To better understand the state of educator well-being, RAND has launched two projects—the State of the American Teacher and the State of the American Principal.
These projects leverage nationally representative surveys of K–12 public school teachers and principals to gather information on educators’ working conditions and job-related stressors.
Current projects investigate teachers’ and principals’ well-being, working conditions, intentions to leave their jobs, how educators respond to political events, and the diversity of the K–12 public school teacher workforce. This research focuses on the experiences of teachers and principals of color, so school systems can continue to better support a diverse workforce.
Research from the 2026 State of the Teacher Project
Key Findings
- In 2026, teachers were more likely than similar working adults to report experiencing poor well-being on every indicator—a consistent pattern since 2021.
- Since 2021, female teachers have been consistently more likely to report experiencing frequent job-related stress than male teachers and male or female similar working adults.
- The share of teachers who intended to leave their jobs was 18 percent in 2026. About one in four teachers plan to stay in teaching as long as they are able.
- Thirty percent of teachers reported holding a job outside their school systems. These teachers reported spending 13 hours per week, on average, working at this job.
Additional Documentation
Research from the 2025 State of the Teacher Project
Additional Reports and Documentation
Research from the 2024 State of the Teacher Project
Additional Reports and Documentation
Research from the 2023 State of the Teacher Project
Infographic
Technical Documentation and Survey Results
Research from the 2022 State of the Teacher Project
Technical Documentation and Survey Results
Research from the 2021 State of the Teacher Project
Team Members
Through the State of the American Teacher and Principal surveys, RAND is documenting the well-being of U.S. teachers and principals, their perceptions of working conditions, and their experiences with timely education events and topics. The State of the Teacher and Principal surveys are intended to examine the relationships between educators’ working conditions, current events in education, and their well-being.
Related Content
Project Funding
The 2023 State of the American Teacher survey was supported by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers.
Funding for the 2022 State of the American Teacher survey was provided by the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and gifts from RAND supporters and income from operations. Funding for the teacher interviews was provided by the National Education Association and gifts from RAND supporters and income from operations. Funding for the State of the American Principal survey was provided by The Wallace Foundation. Funding for the American Life Panel survey was provided by the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.
The 2021 State of the American Teacher survey was supported by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers.