Insights provided by a new survey show that public charter school teachers are happier at their jobs than teachers at public district schools.
According to the preview of a national survey, commissioned by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and conducted by The Harris Poll from May 10–30, 2023, teachers at public charter schools are more satisfied with their jobs than their counterparts at district public schools.
The survey—conducted online with over 1,200 public school teachers—explored teachers’ experiences and their opinions to gain insight into their motivations for entering, remaining in, or leaving the education field. The survey also asked teachers about the challenges they are faced with in America’s public education system.
District public schools are run by the local district, funded by public tax dollars, and must adhere to state and federal election laws.
Charter schools are independent, funded by both public tax dollars and private donors, and they generally have more freedom to operate under their own guidelines and with their own curriculum. While both school types are free to attend, a key difference between charter and district schools is that students must apply and be accepted to attend a charter school, often due to limited enrollment capacity.
Job Satisfaction
Of the 1,211 teachers who participated in the survey, nearly all of them, 97 percent, say they are satisfied in their job as a teacher, a significantly higher proportion than the 83 percent of district teachers who said they feel the same way.Charter school teachers are also more inclined than their district colleagues to agree that being a teacher is the most rewarding job in the world, 90 percent to 74 percent, respectively. In addition, 92 percent of charter school teachers are also more apt to agree they are fulfilling their true purpose in life by being a teacher, compared to 84 percent of district school teachers who feel the same.
While 79 percent of charter school teachers say they feel more motivated at their job than when they initially entered the profession, only 34 percent of district teachers share that sentiment. Sixty-six percent of district teachers say they feel less motivated the longer they remain at their job, while only 20 percent of charter teachers report feeling less motivated now than when they entered the field.
Teachers Feel Valued
Charter school teachers are also far more likely to feel valued by their school’s administration than their district counterparts—90 percent to 68 percent—and 87 percent of charter school teachers said the administrators at charter schools are receptive to feedback or ideas that come from their teachers, compared to 67 percent of district teachers.Additionally, 82 percent of charter school teachers say their school ensures that they receive the tools they need to meet the needs of their students, compared to just 69 percent of district teachers who feel the same.
“It looks like there is something interesting happening in charter schools and it’s helping to create conditions for happier teachers who can keep their motivation high, even in tough times,” Debbie Veney, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and author of the report, said in a statement. “These findings suggest there might be practices in charter schools that could be replicated to better support teachers in other kinds of schools.”
‘Teachers Are Aligned’
One surprising revelation that comes from the survey is that, while politics matters to both district and charter public school teachers, Veney says the majority of them support school choice and want to keep politics out of their classrooms.An overwhelming 94 percent of teachers, both charter and district, say they just want to teach, and 91 percent say they feel like they’ve been “caught in the crossfire of a culture war.” Still more, 97 percent, overwhelmingly agree that politicians and decision-makers should dictate less and listen more to students, families, and teachers.
Though school choice is believed to be a polarizing topic among educators, 87 percent of charter school teachers and 78 percent of district school teachers actually support public school choice.
“Across the board, whether a teacher is from a district public school or a charter public school, there’s a lot of support for school choice. About two-thirds of all teachers say they believe there should be more options in public education,” Veney told The Epoch Times.
Teachers Union Against Charters
In stark contrast, the National Education Association says that while “educators originally supported charter schools as a place to experiment with educational ideas within the school system,” they say “political cynics and billionaire hobbyists have turned charter schools into a separate, overlapping set of schools that play by their own rules.”Asked about the contradiction, Veney said the opinions of the NEA don’t reflect the sentiments shared by teachers.
“There is no trade association or special interest group that speaks for everyone in the profession,“ Veney explained. ”Teachers are a thoughtful, smart bunch who can speak for themselves. When we cut through the gatekeepers and listen directly to what they have to say, it might be surprising to learn that they are not ideologically rigid about charter schools. It’s just their spokespersons who might be. Teachers want what’s best for kids—regardless of the public school setting.”
“Teachers stand together in support of other teachers,” Veney said. “There is greater solidarity in the teaching profession than there is polarization around politics.”
Veney said the full report will be released in late summer.
