According to the annual “State of Teaching” report by Education Week, a survey conducted among 5,802 teachers across the United States found that teachers’ morale nationwide has slightly declined this year after improving somewhat last year. The results show that nearly half of teachers in California plan to leave the profession within the next ten years, while about 35 percent of teachers nationwide say they plan to do the same.
Holly Kurtz, director of the EdWeek Research Center, said there is significant evidence showing that teacher morale has declined across the country and that in some measures it has reached one of the lowest levels in recent years.
In the survey, California teachers scored 16 points on the Teacher Morale Index, which is based on three questions from the Education Week survey. The index measures morale on a scale from -100 to +100, and the teachers’ overall morale score was recorded at 13.
The results are similar to another survey released in January by the California Teachers Association. That survey found that although most teachers said they were satisfied with their jobs, 40 percent were considering leaving the education field within the next few years. Nearly half of them cited financial reasons as the main factor.
Experts say teacher morale is becoming increasingly important as states continue to struggle with teacher shortages, especially in hard-to-fill positions such as special education, science, technology, mathematics, engineering, and bilingual education.
Teachers who participated in the 30-question survey also suggested several changes that could improve their attitude toward their jobs. They said that mental health days, smaller class sizes, more planning time, four-day workweeks, and improved student behavior would help them feel more positive about their work.
According to the survey, class sizes in California are among the largest in the country. The average class size in the state is about 29 students, compared with a national average of 25 students. Overall, teachers said the ideal number of students in a classroom would be around 19. California teachers indicated that class sizes should ideally range between 20 and 24 students.
The survey also showed that work schedules appear to be more important than salary for teacher morale. There was a 36-point difference in morale scores between teachers who believed they had a better work schedule than their family members and friends and those who did not.
According to the National Education Association, teacher salaries have been a key issue in contract negotiations in California this year, even though teachers in the state have the highest average salaries in the country. In 2025, the average starting salary for teachers in California was $58,409, while the average overall salary reached $101,084.
However, researchers found no direct correlation between salary levels and teacher morale. Kurtz said the more influential factor was how teachers perceived their salaries compared with those of people close to them. Those who believed their salaries were similar to or higher than those of their family members or friends tended to report higher morale.
