Yesterday, the Pew Research Center released the results of a survey of teachers across the country asking them how well their students learn and how they behave. The result is:
- 48% of teachers say the academic performance of most students at their school is average or poor. A third said it was good, and only 17% said it was excellent or very good.
- 49% of teachers say student behavior at school is fair or poor. 35% said it was good, and 13% rated it excellent or very good.
Overall, 80% of U.S. teachers say the state of K-12 public education has been worse over the past five years than before and they expect it to get worse in the next five years. Only 20% of teachers think things will get better.
Last week the New York Times agreed:
“Today there is widespread recognition among many public health and education experts that extended school closures have not significantly prevented the spread of Covid and that the academic harm to children has been significant and long-lasting.”
Teachers see the worst academic achievement and behavior in middle school, but this applies across all grades. Additionally, the worst results in both areas were primarily among students from low-income households. “Most teachers in high-poverty schools say the academic achievement (73%) and behavior (64%) of most students in their schools are fair or poor. A much smaller percentage of teachers in low-poverty schools achieve the same results (27% for academic performance, 37% for behavior).”
Only 11% to 15% of teachers believe the pandemic has had no lasting impact on their students’ academic growth and behavior. 80% of teachers believe “the lasting impact of the pandemic on student behavior, academic performance, and emotional well-being has been very or somewhat negative.” When we asked teachers what causes these problems, they cited poverty, depression/anxiety, bullying and chronic absenteeism.
When it comes to discipline issues, a majority of teachers believe that state education agencies, local school boards, and parents have too much influence in the lack of sanctions for misbehavior. 67% said teachers do not have enough influence in deciding how best to control misbehaving students.
The Pew survey is national, and New Jersey is not an outlier. Lakewood Teachers Union President Kimberlee Shaw explained in an interview:
“Behavior problems now appear in all grades, even as early as pre-K. Students fought, and even our members were attacked by students. There have been reports of students throwing objects at staff, spitting, kicking, hitting, fighting, using foul language, and students threatening teachers, often in real time, with little or no consequences.”
The survey surveyed teachers about a variety of factors related to student behavior, academic achievement, and emotional well-being. They were asked to choose between ‘very good/very good’, ‘good’, ‘average/bad’, ‘somewhat negative’, and ‘very negative’. The results are as follows:
![](https://njedreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/unnamed-2-1024x506.jpg)