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Educator Well-Being

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Report
All Work and No Pay: Teachers' Perceptions of Their Pay and Hours Worked
Since the pandemic, there have been some positive improvements in teacher well-being. However, teachers in some states are still leaving their jobs at rates higher than before COVID-19 hit. How might salary and work hours affect their decisions to leave?
Sep 12, 2023
Commentary
Five Charts That Tell Us About the State of Public Education Right Now
To monitor education trends, RAND fields more than a dozen surveys per year to teachers, principals, and superintendents. Five charts highlight findings across different areas—staff turnover, teacher well-being, guns in schools, quality of instruction, and politics in schools—that say a lot about the state of American public education.
Aug 28, 2023

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Blog
Teacher Pay, the Costs of Insomnia, Wildfire Prevention: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on teachers' dissatisfaction with their pay and work hours, the staggering costs of insomnia, connections between wildfires and food insecurity., and more.
Sep 15, 2023
News Release
U.S. Teachers Are Less Satisfied with Their Pay Than Most Working Adults
Sixty-six percent of U.S. teachers who responded to a new, nationally representative survey said their base salary was inadequate, compared with 39 percent of U.S. working adults. These teachers want a $17,000 increase in base pay, on average, to feel that their pay is adequate.
Sep 12, 2023
Blog
The War in Ukraine, Income Share Agreements, the Tech 'Cold War': RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on why Ukraine isn’t like World War I, an alternative to student loans, the tech “Cold War
Aug 25, 2023
Blog
Maui Wildires, Regulating AI, Ukraine's Civilian Resistance: RAND Weekly Recaps
This weekly recap focuses on the invisible damage of Maui’s wildfires, making the artificial intelligence supply chain safer, how Ukrainian civilians resist Russia, and more.
Aug 18, 2023
Commentary
Partnerships with Parents Are Key to Solving Political Polarization in Schools
Parental involvement has become a flashpoint in the public debate over what instructional content is appropriate for school settings. School system leaders should develop a two-pronged approach on how to respond when educators encounter conflicts with parents and families: a proactive strategy to build trust and engage parents and a reactive strategy to manage conflicts when they arise.
Aug 15, 2023
Report
What Do Teachers of Color Think Contributes to a Sense of Belonging?
When asked how their school cultivates a sense of belonging, a majority of teachers of color described efforts to recognize and celebrate race or educate the school community about race and culture. They also cited school climate and demographics, and relationships with colleagues.
Aug 15, 2023
Blog
Russia's Frontlines, India's 'Power' Moves, Food Security: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on dysfunction on Russia’s front lines, India’s regional diplomacy, stopping mass shooters who seek fame, and more.
Jul 21, 2023
Blog
NATO Summit, Russia's Failures in Ukraine, Vietnam Bans 'Barbie': RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the NATO summit in Vilnius, Russia’s repeated missteps in Ukraine, why America's superintendents are so stressed, and more.
Jul 14, 2023
Report
The Top Reason School Superintendents Are Stressed? Politics.
Nearly 80 percent of superintendents reported that their jobs were “often” or “always” stressful. And they most commonly cited the intrusion of political issues or opinions into schooling as a source of that stress.
Jul 12, 2023
Blog
Teacher Well-Being, Russian PMCs, AI Conspiracy Theories: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how America's teachers are doing, the proliferation of Russian private military companies, preparing for conspiracy theories about artificial intelligence, and more.
Jun 23, 2023
Report
American Teacher Well-Being and Intentions to Leave
Teachers reported better well-being in January 2023 than in 2021 and 2022, and rates of job-related stress have returned to pre-pandemic levels. But teachers continue to report worse well-being than other working adults. Twenty-three percent said that they were likely to leave their jobs.
Jun 21, 2023
Report
State of the American Teacher Survey: 2023 Technical Documentation and Survey Results
This technical report presents detail about the data, samples, and methodology for the 2023 State of the American Teacher survey and American Life Panel companion survey, including survey results.
Jun 21, 2023
Blog
Extremist Beliefs Among Veterans, Space Traffic, Teacher Well-Being: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on whether extremist beliefs are more prevalent among veterans, why it's time to manage traffic in outer space, crises facing the Russian military, and more.
Jun 9, 2023
Report
Which Working Conditions Could Restore Teacher Well-Being?
Teachers' self-reported well-being and access to a variety of working conditions varied across five states. Relational factors—positive relationships with other teachers and administrators—were more strongly linked to well-being than organizational factors. And a schoolwide focus on social and emotional learning was linked to positive well-being.
Jun 1, 2023
Report
Teachers' Perceptions of Coherence in K–12 English Language Arts and Mathematics Instructional Systems
RAND researchers interviewed a sample of members of the American Teacher Panel who responded to the spring 2022 Coherent Instructional Systems Survey to examine how teachers perceive and navigate coherence within their instructional systems.
Apr 25, 2023
Q&A
Amplifying Teachers' Voices: Q&A with Ashley Woo
Ashley Woo, an assistant policy researcher at RAND and a Ph.D. candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, aims to bring teachers' perspectives into policymaking. In this interview, she discusses her research on teachers' responses to state restrictions on how they can address topics related to race and gender in the classroom.
Mar 16, 2023
Report
What Teachers Think of State Policies Limiting Their Instruction
The restrictions placed on how teachers can address race- or gender-related topics in the classroom may be leading to consequences for teachers' working conditions and for student learning. Teachers report that the limitations make it more difficult to engage students in learning, to support critical thinking skills, and to build empathy.
Jan 24, 2023
Commentary
Keeping Teachers of Color in the Classroom Will Take More Than a Pay Raise
All students—but particularly Black and Latinx students—benefit academically and socially from having teachers who are people of color. Policymakers and education leaders can help these teachers stay in the profession by making teaching more financially sustainable and fostering collegial relationships within school communities.
Dec 1, 2022

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Research conducted by

RAND Education and Labor

Researcher Spotlight

Srikant Kumar Sahoo

M.Phil. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND

Srikant Sahoo (he/him) is an assistant policy researcher at RAND and an M.Phil. student at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. With over eight years of experience in the development sector, he has focused on social and education policy, impact assessments, consulting, K-12 education, AI in…
Allyson D. Gittens

Policy Analyst

Allyson Gittens (she/her) is a policy analyst at the RAND Corporation. Her research focuses on the social determinants of health, health equity, the health care workforce, teacher workforce and education equity. Gittens has served as project manager and task lead on a number of complex projects…

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