Landscape Analysis of the Teaching Profession

The following report represents our attempt both to synthesize the current landscape of the teaching profession in the United States and to identify areas of research, policy, and practice which show promise in strengthening the profession. To guide our development of this landscape analysis, we conducted a robust review of existing research on the state of the teaching profession, as well as of state and federal policies and programs. Additionally, we organized a series of three convenings between March 2024 and January 2025 to learn from diverse stakeholders across the field engaged in working across schools, universities, non-profits, foundations, unions, and other organizations connected to the work of teaching and teacher education. In total, over 100 distinct education researchers, policymakers, practitioners, non-profit leaders, and foundation leaders attended these three convenings (Appendix A). Each of the individuals who participated in these convenings helped push our thinking and strengthen the findings and recommendations of this report.

The resulting report documents both the intense challenges faced by the teaching profession today, as well as the immense opportunities to strengthen the education system through investing in the teaching profession. In particular, we identify four primary areas of opportunity for policymakers, researchers, and foundations to help strengthen the teaching profession:

1. Developing and conducting research on state-level teacher career trajectories
2. Investing in statewide and federal data systems
3. Building regional, field-level, and cross-state capacity
4. Investing in competitive and equitable teacher compensation models

Although we are publishing this report during a moment of mounting political challenges to public education, we see timely investments in the K- 12 teaching profession as critical to protecting both our education system and democracy more broadly. As we detail in this report, doubling down on investments in the teaching profession today is critical to both ensuring that all students have access to high-quality teachers, and to safeguarding our democracy at large. We hope that the field approaches investments in the K-12 teaching profession with the urgency it requires.