The "Teaching for Tomorrow" study, based on three surveys of over 6,200 K-12 public school teachers conducted between October 2024 and May 2025, found that 77% of teachers who have adequate materials and equipment report satisfaction with their workplace, compared to just 44% of those who lack necessary resources.
The findings illuminate systemic challenges across American public education, with significant implications for teacher retention. Teachers who rate their professional development opportunities positively show similarly higher job satisfaction rates (80%) compared to those with inadequate development opportunities (53%).
The study reveals substantial gaps in the quality and relevance of professional development. Only 54% of teachers say their professional development is based on evidence of student learning, while similar percentages report that it enhances their pedagogical knowledge (54%) or subject matter expertise (50%).
More concerning, just 11% of teachers describe their professional development as "highly relevant" to their students' needs, with 57% rating it as only "moderately relevant."
Teachers identified collaborative planning meetings as the most valuable form of professional development, yet these opportunities remain underutilized. The research shows that weekly collaborative planning sessions provide greater benefits than less frequent meetings, but many teachers lack regular access to peer collaboration.
The perceived value of these sessions varies significantly based on leadership structure. Teachers report highest satisfaction with collaborative planning when sessions have no formal leader (71% find them valuable) or are led by fellow teachers (71%), compared to meetings led by administrators (61%) or instructional coaches (62%).
