Tennessee teachers are content with the state of their profession, but not as content as teachers in other states, according to a new report released by Education Week. There are a few things they love and a few things they'd love to improve.
Tennessee scored +10 on a scale of -100 to +100, slightly below the national average of +13.
Volunteer State teachers say their job benefits are a contributing factor to their satisfaction, but look to smaller class sizes and parent support as ways to increase morale in the coming years.
Just like any survey, it reflects the thoughts of a sample group during one moment in time. The score for each state is a range − for Tennessee, that means the score is between +4 and +16. State results over the years cannot
be compared, EdWeek says.
Nearly 6,000 educators were surveyed by the national K-12 news outlet last fall to understand how teachers are feeling about the profession, said Holly Kurtz, the director of EdWeek Research Center.
"This is really about teacher voice, really trying to bring to life the daily challenges, concerns, victories, issues that teachers face in the classroom," Kurtz told Knox News. "This is an effort to take the pulse of the teaching profession in the United States to the extent that that's even possible."
Kurtz recognized educational systems can vary within each state, and especially so across the country. To try to establish a standard, EdWeek asks teachers if their morale has improved since last year, how their morale is now and if they expect it to improve or worsen next year.
How do Tennessee teachers feel about teaching?
Tennessee has some promising figures in the EdWeek survey.
Over 81% of teachers say their benefits are as good or are better than family and friends, compared to 67.5% nationally. Nearly 14% of teachers say they may move into higher education as an alternative career path, compared to 17% nationally.
Teachers also are optimistic about their morale moving forward. Nearly 90% of teachers believe their morale will be the same or better in the next year. This is slightly higher than the 85% of teachers nationally who said the same.
Tennessee also scored better than some of its Southern counterparts in 2026. Alabama teachers averaged a +12 morale score, while Mississippi scored +16. The lowest in the region were Louisiana at +9 and North Carolina at +8.
Kurtz said the South generally has a higher teacher morale than other U.S. regions. EdWeek has found white teachers typically have lower morale than teachers of color. About 76% of teachers in Tennessee where white in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Southern Regional Education Board.
"I just don't know why that would be the case. We're still trying to wrap our heads around that," Kurtz said.
How can morale improve for teachers?
Smaller class sizes, mental health days and improved student behavior were all reasons teachers gave for improving their own morale come next year.
Fifty-one percent of Tennessee teachers say smaller class sizes − ideally with 18 students or less, they reported − would greatly improve their morale. Over 61% reported this would improve student behavior in the classroom. Mental health days would improve their outlook, too, over 36% of teachers said.
Teachers want parents to stop undermining classroom consequences. Fifty-five percent of teachers responding to the survey said this would improve their outlook on teaching, while nearly 59% said giving instructions to parents on child behavior would benefit their morale.
Student discipline emerged as a nationwide trend affecting teachers, Kurtz said. There's not one culprit, either: the youth mental health crisis, lack of socialization from COVID-19 and a transition to restorative justice may all be factors in dissatisfaction among teachers.
"It's always an issue, but it is a bit more of an issue than it has been in the recent past," Kurtz said.
Teacher morale across the United States
Here's how each state scored on the 2026 teacher morale index (on a scale of -100 to +100). The score for each state is a range − for Tennessee, that means the score is between +4 and +16.
Caitlyn Meisner is the K-12 education reporter for Knox News. Email tips and story ideas to caitlyn.meisner@knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: This is what Tennessee teachers love and hate about their jobs
