Posted on October 8, 2003

Education

A survey conducted by the National Education Association finds that, despite the long hours and low pay, 60 percent of teachers would choose their profession if they had it to do over again. As it has every five years since 1961, the report, Status of the American Public School Teacher (384 pages, PDF), offers an in-depth look into the professional and personal lives of teachers and presents key findings. Among them, the number of teachers who have less than a bachelor's degree has fallen significantly over the last forty years, from 15 percent in 1961 to less than 1 percent in 2001. In fact, 56 percent of teachers in the U.S. hold a master's degree or six-year diploma, while 77 percent participate in professional development activities during the school year. The report, which includes dozens of figures and tables and two appendices (including a sample questionnaire), can be downloaded in its entirety or in highlight form.