55% of High School Students in Poll Don’t Want to Teach

A new poll indicates that 55% of high school students surveyed have little or no interest in teaching as a career, according to the Milken Family Foundation, which sponsored the study.

But 42% of Americans at or near retirement age said they would consider a teaching career if certain certification and training barriers were lifted.

The nationwide poll, conducted by telephone in May by the Peter D. Hart Research Associates, surveyed 501 American high school students, including 85 sophomores, 252 juniors and 164 seniors. The 681 older Americans surveyed were between the ages of 50 and 70 and included 343 non-retired Americans and 338 retirees.

Among both the teenagers and the older Americans, the main factor discouraging them from the teaching profession was concern over school safety in the wake of campus shootings in Colorado and Georgia. About 70% of high school students and 76% of older Americans cited the safety issue as the main drawback.

The high school students also cited the poor image of and lack of respect for teachers as a deterrent. Low pay was a concern for 63% of the high school respondents.

One of the main draws for older Americans to the profession was the opportunity to teach subjects in which they have special expertise, as well as flexible work hours, the survey said.

The poll of teenagers had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points; that of the older Americans carried a margin of error of plus or minus 5.4 percentage points.