Who we are, why we teach

NEA Today, Sep 2003 by O'Neil, John

A portrait of the American teacher

ON HER BEDROOM WALL, middle school teacher Cindy North has hung a pastel portrait of herself, drawn by the mother of one of her first students.

This student, John, had a twin. "The other son was gifted, but John was learning disabled. Their family was poor in money but rich in the things families need," recalls North, who teaches special ed at Maryland's Parkville Middle School. "The last day of school, John presented me with this framed portrait and a note from his mom that said, 'We know that there will be other Johns for Ms. North. We're glad there was a Ms. North for John.'"

That highlighted the end of North's second year of teaching. This year, she ?returns for her 30th.

Why? With all the talk of shortages and burnout, budget cuts and a never-ending litany of demands-extra duties, prescribed curriculums, higher test scores-what attracts educators like Cindy North to the profession? And what makes them stay?

NEA Today set out to find some answers. This fall, NEA will release Status of the American Public School Teacher 2000-2001, a statistical profile based on a representative sampling of more than 1,400 teachers-both NEA members and nonmembers. NEA Today also has interviewed teachers and paraprofessionals around the country to learn more about their challenges-and what keeps them energized about teaching.

Together, these form a portrait of teachers who face escalating demands but thrive on the teachable moments and the accomplishments of their students-from minor to miraculous.

The scoop on vital stats

WORKING HARDER THAN EVER. Teachers spend over 50 hours each week on all teaching duties. That's the highest since NEA began keeping track in 1961. Remember, too, it's just an average. Fifteen percent of teachers spend 60 hours or more each week on teaching duties-prepping lessons, grading assignments, and contacting parents in addition to their time at the head of the classroom.

The excess number of students in educators' grade books adds to the workload. NEA's study found that teachers in departmentalized settings see an average of 86 students in a day-too many to give the optimum specialized attention kids need. Forty-two percent of teachers see 100 students or more a day. In self-contained settings, class sizes average about 21 students, but 27 percent of teachers report having 25 or more students in their classes. Only about one-third of teachers, meanwhile, say they have the help of a teacher aide to better serve students.

"I wish every teacher had a cap on the number of kids in the classroom," says Adam Hampton, who teaches English Language Development (formerly ESL) at Las Palmas Junior High in Covina, California. "Twenty is fantastic. Once you start going above 25, there's a factory-type mentality, where you're just trying to get through the material. Is it teaching if the kid isn't learning it?"

EXPERIENCED AND HIGHLY QUALIFIED. The average teacher has 15 and a half years of classroom experience, and more hold a master's degree (50%) as their highest degree than a bachelor's (43%). The percentage of teachers with a master's degree has more than doubled since 1961. Five percent of teachers have been certified by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, and another 4 percent are working on their board certification.

Only about 3 percent of respondents reported that they were first-year teachers, about one-third the level of newbies reported in the mid-1960s.

What about paraeducators? A separate NEA survey found that three-fourths of paras have at least some college training; 17 percent have a bachelor's degree, and 4 percent have a master's.

PURSUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. Whether it's being required by law, district policy, or personal choice, most teachers are retooling their skills through college coursework and professional development activities. Three out of four get professional development training during the school year, attending an average of six and a half days of professional development to improve instruction. (For more on how teachers and education support professionals are gaining, some say, in making professional development more useful, see "More Than a Workshop," p. 33.)

Increased training-as well as greater access to computers at school and at home-probably accounts for the fact that more and more teachers are pumping up their lessons with technology. Of teachers who have school access to computers and the Web, 73 percent say they use the computer regularly for instructional purposes, and 59 percent use the Web to enrich their teaching. That's up sharply from the last NEA survey in 1996.

STILL UNDERPAID. Do the additional credentials and skills add up to higher salaries? Don't count on it. The average teacher earns $44,683-way below other professions requiring similar credentials. (According to the U.S. Department of Labor, for example, accountants average $50,690, architects $59,590, and electrical engineers $68,630.) About 13 percent of teachers make less than $30,000. Despite all this, teachers open their wallets when budgets fall short: teachers on average pay $443 of their own money to meet students' needs, and 8 percent pay more than $1,000 annually out of pocket.