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The Rise and Fall of the Teaching Profession: Prestige, Interest, Preparation, and Satisfaction over the Last Half Century

Matthew A. Kraft,
Melissa Arnold Lyon

We examine the state of the U.S. K-12 teaching profession over the last half century by compiling nationally representative time-series data on four interrelated constructs: occupational prestige, interest among students, the number of individuals preparing for entry, and on-the-job satisfaction. We find a consistent and dynamic pattern across every measure: a rapid decline in the 1970s, a swift rise in the 1980s extending into the mid 1990s, relative stability, and then a sustained decline beginning around 2010. The current state of the teaching profession is at or near its lowest levels in 50 years. We identify and explore a range of hypotheses that might explain these historical patterns including economic and sociopolitical factors, education policies, and school environments.

Keywords
Teacher Labor Markets, Teacher Prestige, Teacher Status, Teacher Satisfaction, Working Conditions
Education level
K-12 Education
Topics
Staffing, Finance, and Operations
Tags
Teacher well-being,
Teacher hiring and retention,
Educator perceptions
Download 04/2024
Document Object Identifier (DOI)
10.26300/7b1a-vk92
EdWorkingPaper suggested citation:
Kraft, Matthew A., and Melissa Arnold Lyon. (). The Rise and Fall of the Teaching Profession: Prestige, Interest, Preparation, and Satisfaction over the Last Half Century. (EdWorkingPaper: -679). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://doi.org/10.26300/7b1a-vk92

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