As part of its annual National Teacher Day celebration, which took place this year on Tuesday, May 9, the National Education Association released a list of the top five trends in the teaching profession and outlined the main characteristics of a 21st century schoolteacher.
“Today, teachers are more educated and experienced than ever before,” said NEA President Reg Weaver.
According to NEA’s research and other sources, today’s teachers are primarily white, female, married, religious, and on average are 43 years old. More than half hold at least a master’s degree. Forty-five years ago, in 1961, only 23 percent held advanced degrees. Additionally, 21st century teachers:
* Spend an average of 50 hours per week on all teaching duties.
* Teach an average of 21 pupils (elementary). Secondary schoolteachers have an average class size of 28 pupils.
* Spend an average of $443 per year of their own money to meet the needs of their students. Teachers of color spend about $470 per year, more than the $434 spent by white teachers.
* Make an average starting salary of $31,704 per year, not including supplemental pay for extra duties.
* Nearly three out of four (73 percent) enter teaching because of their desire to work with young people. And nearly seven out of 10 teachers (68 percent) cite it as the reason for remaining in the profession.
NEA’s research points to five main trends that have emerged over the past five years.
Trend #1: America’s public schoolteachers are the most educated, most experienced ever.
Nearly half of all public schoolteachers (49%) have been in the classroom 15 years or longer; more than one-third (38%) have 20 or more years of classroom experience.
The majority of teachers hold one or more advanced degrees. More than half (57%) hold at least a master’s degree. The percentage of teachers with a master’s degree has more than doubled since 1961. Less than half (43%) of public schoolteachers hold only a bachelor’s degree—the smallest percentage in 40 years.
Nine out of 10 teachers (90%) say they spend no time teaching grades or subjects outside their licensed subject area.
Trend #2: The work of teachers is being transformed.
More than 75 percent of all teachers participate in professional development related to their grade or subject area, using technology in the classroom and curriculum development.
Thirty-five percent—an all-time high—say they participated in system-sponsored professional development during the summer.
Seventy-seven percent of all teachers participate in system-sponsored professional development during the school year, up from 59 percent in 1971.
Trend #3: The number of teachers leaving the profession is increasing.
Twenty percent of teachers say unsatisfactory working conditions keep them from wanting to stay in the profession. And 37 percent who do not plan to teach until retirement blame low pay for their decision to quit teaching. The percentages are even greater for minority teachers (50%), for male teachers (43%), and for teachers under 30 (47%).
Nationwide, more than 3.9 million teachers will be needed by 2014 because of teacher attrition, retirement and increased student enrollment.
Many new teachers leave after five years. Close to 50 percent of newcomers leave the profession during the first five years of teaching.
The greatest shortages of teachers are in bilingual and special education, mathematics, science, computer science, English as a second language and foreign languages.
Trend #4: The teaching corps in public schools does not reflect the diversity of the student population.
More teachers of color are needed. Nearly four out of every 10 students is a minority (40.5%), yet the teaching profession is overwhelmingly white (90%). Some 40 percent of all public schools have no minority teachers on staff. Additionally, fewer than half of teachers participate in professional development related to managing diversity in the classroom.
The percentage of African-American teachers is the lowest since 1971 (6%). Only five percent of the nation’s teachers are Hispanics, Asians or are from other ethnic groups.
Some research suggests students of color perform better—academically, personally and socially—when taught by teachers from their own ethnic groups.
Trend #5: Male teachers are a dwindling breed.
Just 24.9 percent of the nation’s 3 million teachers are men. The percentage of male elementary teachers (9%) and male secondary teachers (35%) has fallen gradually since 1961 and now is at the lowest level in four decades.
States with higher teacher salaries tend to have the most male teachers. Michigan ranks first in the percentage of male teachers (37%), and ranks in the top five nationally in teacher pay. Mississippi ranks 50th in the percentage of male teachers (18%), and ranks 49th in teacher pay.
In a recent survey, NEA member-teachers cited “working to increase funding for public schools” as the top priority for their state and local association. Parental and family involvement, building community support for teachers, and increasing funding for up-to-date textbooks, technology and classrooms are also listed by member-teachers as very important to the quality of public education. More than half of all elementary, middle and secondary school teachers belong to a union—mainly the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and/or NEA.
“Teachers touch all of our lives,” said Weaver. “But we must face the fact that although our current teachers are the most educated and most experienced ever, there are still too many teachers leaving the profession too early, not enough people becoming teachers and not enough diversity in the profession.”