A recent survey from the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) found that most teachers are facing financial and mental health strains, with only 21% saying that they would recommend pursuing a career in education.
The survey, conducted in May, “examined issues, both inside and outside of schools, that affect educator attitudes about their work experiences and views of their profession.”
It featured responses from nearly 3,700 Georgia educators from 169 of the state’s 180 school districts. Approximately 69% of those surveyed were classroom teachers, with the other participants serving students in a variety of school and district roles.
Topics included factors that often impact an educator’s livelihood, including standard of living, feelings of burnout and working environment.
Dollars and cents
Both newer and veteran teachers stated that covering their expenses can prove difficult. More than 40% of educators with five years or less experience and 17% of those who have been teaching for 20 years or more cited financial stress.
The group most impacted were paraprofessionals, whose average salary in Georgia is about $26,000.
One-third of all educators surveyed reported that they have taken on second jobs outside of their district, including tutoring and working as a ride-share driver. Some 29% of that group also have reported taking on “paid extracurricular or extended day assignments or other paid duties in their districts.”
This has also trickled down into housing costs, with 17% of educators stating that housing is unaffordable.
“I am having to live with family despite having a husband, who is also a teacher, and a child,” wrote an anonymous elementary school teacher in their survey. “We can’t afford a home with our student loan debt and our paycheck.”
“My wife and I are constantly stressed about money, and we aren’t always able to provide things for our kids that we would want. We spend $2,000 a month on housing, $2,400 a month on daycare, and $1,200 a month on food/formula/diapers,” said another surveyer.
“We both have advanced degrees and work hard and are living paycheck to paycheck.”
Mental recess
Approximately 42% of Georgia educators surveyed admitted to feeling burned out. The report noted that continued staffing shortages and lack of support from school leadership may have contributed to this.
Some 54% of teachers surveyed said that their workload is either sometimes or never manageable, with the percentage higher (74%) for teachers who reported that their school administrators are not supportive of staff.
In teachers’ feedback on staffing issues, 48% listed support staff shortages as a major issue, while 29% said the same for the arrival of new and inexperienced teachers.
“New teachers put a huge burden on veteran teachers, especially ones who are not certified,” wrote an anonymous surveyor. “I spend as much time mentoring as I do preparing for my lessons. I understand the situation, but it does contribute to burnout.”
Another source of burnout involves issues related to students.
Over half of the teachers cited disruptive behavior as a major issue, followed by chronic absenteeism (49%), poor academic performance (48%) and cell phone and social media use (47%).
“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?'” said a high school teacher who works in an urban district in Georgia. “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.”
Overall, over half of those surveyed would not recommend a career in education to others, with 53% stating they are either unlikely or very unlikely to do so.
