Listening to teachers

Earlier this month, the Center on Education Policy released a report that detailed the results of a national survey we administered to public school teachers late last year. The survey contained a broad set of questions, designed to draw out the views and voices of teachers on timely and important issues in education. The goal was to produce an actionable report that reflected teacher voices, hence the title, Listen to Us: Teacher Views and Voices.

Truth be told, conducting a national teacher survey can be tricky business. Like many issues in education, commentaries and analyses on teachers are often loaded with bias and judgment. Some feel that teachers’ complaining about their work is de rigueur and simply not worth paying attention to. Others believe the problems facing teachers are too complex and impossible to resolve. And no matter how well intentioned the inquiry into teacher practice is, the ensuing conversation about how best to use the results rarely generates concrete action.

Although Listen to Us elicited some fairly predictable answers about teaching (most come to the profession with altruistic intent; some are dissatisfied and would seek other employment if possible; the demands of teaching have become more complex and demanding), the survey also revealed how politics and the challenges of implementing reforms in a large, locally controlled system can create chaos for teachers and students.