AFT Survey Shows Teachers Are Stressed, Working Second Jobs and Still Paying Hundreds for Classroom Supplies

WASHINGTON—The AFT today released a new national survey that reveals a teaching profession in crisis, with educators stressed out, working second jobs, battling rising costs and forking out hundreds of dollars from their own pockets for classroom supplies and food for students, as they head back to school for another year.

The troubling snapshot of more than 2,000 AFT K-12 members, taken in August, found that nearly two-thirds rate their weekly stress at 7 or higher on a scale of 1 to 10, while 31 percent say they’re likely to leave teaching in the next year. Just 36 percent said they’d recommend their job to their own kids.

“Teachers are at a breaking point,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “Many work more than one job to make ends meet, and they still dig into their pockets each year for basic classroom supplies, from books to art materials and even food for their students. They are battling education funding cuts, out-of-control Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, limitations on what they can say, much less teach, and an affordability crisis that’s making it even harder for working families to get by, let alone get ahead. No wonder they’re stressed and talking about leaving the profession. All of this is taking its toll.”

Teachers who are likely to leave highlighted stress and a lack of support as top reasons. “The heaviness of teaching and the weight of it is not sustainable,” one member remarked. Teachers also cited low pay that doesn’t match their education, workload, or the rising cost of living. One said her rent is more than half her income, forcing her into credit card debt. Another said she can make more money in her second job as a pet sitter.

More than 40 percent of respondents said they’re working a side job, with higher percentages for Black (58 percent) and Latino (42 percent) educators than for white educators (39 percent).

Echoing last year’s AFT survey responses, half said they expect to purchase food and snacks for hungry students. Nearly half of those surveyed said they expect to spend up to $300, and a combined 76 percent—up slightly from last year—anticipated spending up to $600, on classroom supplies. That includes everything from pencils to art supplies and instructional materials at a time when the cost of school supplies, one study showed, is up nearly 8 percent year on year.

Members pointed to school funding cuts that shift costs onto teachers and rising supply costs as predominant problems. “Rising costs of everything will make it more expensive even if I was buying the exact same things,” one member said.

The extra spending comes as the cost of groceries, gas and other staples skyrocket—an affordability crisis that nearly half of respondents specifically pinned on President Donald Trump’s and Republicans’ policies, with 28 percent naming government policies and leadership in general. More than 80 percent said gas prices, up nearly 40 percent since the war on Iran, have made their commute more expensive.

At a time of declining inflation-adjusted wages for public school teachers, 34 percent of respondents reported household income between $50,000 and $99,000, while 29 percent reported more than $100,000. Last year, nearly 47 percent reported a household income of $100,000 and above.

The survey, conducted by Grow Progress, was completed by 2,112 AFT members between Aug. 13 and 24. Respondents were mostly (56 percent) between the ages of 35 and 54; 76 percent were women; and the majority (73 percent) were white, 11 percent were Latino and 8 percent were Black. Nearly a third reported they are parents or guardians of children under the age of 18.

More than half (54 percent) described themselves as Democrats, while 34 percent said they were independents and 12 percent said they were Republicans. Seventy-six percent said they turned out to vote in the 2022 midterm election.

The survey revealed a strong negative perception of Trump’s policies, with 61 percent describing the administration’s impact as “very negative” and 16 percent describing it as somewhat negative—a combined 77 percent, which is a slight uptick from last year’s combined 71 percent. Leading concerns among those citing negative impacts were:

• The weakening of their schools from funding cuts and pressure to privatize education—35 percent.
• ICE activity that traumatizes students and families and drops attendance—30 percent. “ICE has taken away families, and those still here are afraid to leave their homes,” one member said.
• The broader cost-of-living squeeze on their households and families—20 percent. “Morale is low, hope for the future is low,” another member said.

One English teacher responded that she has no books except for textbooks in her classroom because of book bans. Another teacher said book bans are hindering learning, while yet another said there has been a chilling effect on teaching about inclusion and honest history.

“The survey shows educators want politicians to not just care about their work and the students they teach, but to strengthen, not abandon, our nation’s public schools,” Weingarten said.

Additional concerns for some AFT members include the challenges posed by artificial intelligence, which 28 percent said is weakening critical thinking and social skills, and 15 percent cited cheating as a concern. Another 15 percent said schools lack clear AI policies or training. And 22 percent said AI isn’t a pressing concern for them just yet.

Survey respondents hailed from states across the country, with the largest percentages from New York (21 percent), Florida (11 percent) and Minnesota (10 percent).

The results are weighted to K-12 AFT teachers. The margin of error is plus-or-minus 1.79 percent at a 90 percent confidence level and plus-or-minus 2.13 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.

The survey memo with toplines can be viewed here.