70% of Texas teachers on the verge of quitting, survey finds

More than half of Texas teachers say they are on the verge of quitting their jobs, according to a survey by the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA). 

The survey found that 70% of the teachers said they were considering leaving their teaching careers, the highest number recorded in the survey’s 40-year history.

This year’s figures are a considerable increase from 2018’s numbers when 53% of teachers said they were considering leaving the profession.  

“Lingering stress from the pandemic is a factor, but it isn’t the only one. Inadequate pay, political attacks on educators, and the failure of state leaders to protect the health and safety of students and school employees also have combined to drive down the morale of teachers to the lowest level in recent memory and endanger our public school system,” TSTA President Ovidia Molina said.

Around 94% of the teachers surveyed said that the pandemic had increased the stress on their professional lives, while 84% said their workload and planning requirements increased. 

“Many of these teachers will be missing from our classrooms this fall, and for others, it is only a matter of time,” Molina said.

When it comes to earnings as a motivating factor for quitting, the survey found that 41% of teachers surveyed had to take extra jobs during the school year to meet their family’s financial needs. 

The respondents’ average salary ranged around $59,000 a year, almost $7,000 below the national average. Among the teachers surveyed that are working extra jobs, they said they would need at least an additional $12,000 to quit their second job. 

Teachers also reported having spent an average of $846 out of their own pockets on classroom supplies throughout the school year. 

TSTA’s most recent survey was conducted in the late spring and early summer. It surveyed the 688 members of the association. 

TSTA’s survey is conducted every two years. However, due to the pandemic, it was not conducted in 2020. The project surveys teachers from all grade levels that represent urban, suburban, and rural school districts.