On the 5th of October, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day with the theme “the transformation of education begins with the teachers”. A fair intention, but eventually, in the USA there is a poll, a human research survey of public opinion from a particular sample, asking parents the question: “Would you like your child to become a teacher?”  In 2018, the majority of parents do not want their children to become public school teachers since they first asked that question in 1969. 54% of the parents were reluctant to support a future for their children as educators in public schools. In 2022, this number has increased and 62% of the parents affirmed that teaching is not a good profession for young people. This number is the highest in the poll’s history.

62% of the parents affirmed that teaching is not a good profession for young people

There are few discussions about the American teacher shortage, and many people worry that a significant factor in the mass exodus is a lack of incoming teachers. The older generations of teachers are retiring from education but there is not a renewal of these professionals in the educational sector. This recent survey reveals that the majority of parents do not want their children to become teachers when they grow up highlighting one potential aspect at play in this. The director of the publication, Teresa Preston, said the survey shows a big concern regarding the future of education in America. She affirms although the parents have a positive outlook on their kids’ local schools, they are still feeling this future is not for their children.

The reason the parents do not want their kids to become a teacher is there is too much chaos in public schools and it is also dangerous to be a teacher. Thus, few benefits, job demands, dealing with student behaviour, and lack of respect were on the list of major concerns for parents. However, little pay was the leading cause. The survey shows that 30% of parents claimed that the low salary is the main reason for their feeling this way.  It is important to highlight that surveys do not say that parents do not like teachers, it is the opposite they have total confidence in teachers but think they should have a good salary and better working conditions.

30% of parents claimed that the low salary is the main reason for their feeling this way

Because of those reasons, public schools, already plagued by problems, will continue to experience shortages as few new applicants enter the new field, which may only get worse over the next years. States are launching programs to recruit new teachers and address the teacher shortage, but it is still unclear if these efforts will be successful in the long run and influence parents' opinions.

References

PDKPoll, (2022). The 54th Annual PDK Poll. Local Public School Ratings Rise, Even as the Teaching Profession Loses Ground. https://pdkpoll.org/2022-pdk-poll-results/