A survey of over 2,000 educators found: - 96% believed they were effective educators, though some noted areas for improvement. - 89% believed their colleagues were effective. - 52% believed the public education system is failing. - Only 11% believed parents are doing enough to help their children succeed in school.

1. State of Education Survey
January 2014
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT NETW ORK
January 27, 2014
STATE OF EDUCATION SURVEY

2. State of Education Survey
Methodology
•
Survey sent to educators in January 2014
•
2,188 responses
•
Responses include educators from all 50 states
January 2014

3. State of Education Survey
Survey Results
January 2014

4. State of Education Survey
January 2014
96% of educators believe they are effective.
"Do you believe you are an effective
educator?"
•
Comments:
•
96%
100%
•
•
4%
0%
No
Yes
“I believe I am an effective educator to some
extent. I need to be more efficient and more
prepared. It seems there is not enough time to
learn all that needs to be learned to teach. I try
to do better.”
“While I do feel I am an effective teacher, I
know there are areas I can and need to
improve on. At the same time, I can only do so
much; the students need to work harder to do
better.”
“I wish I could do more in terms of being
effective, and I want to be effective, but as a
whole, education is so resistant to change.”

5. State of Education Survey
January 2014
89% of educators believe their colleagues are
effective.
Comments:
"Do you think your
colleagues are effective
educators?"
No, they are not effective.
•
•
“Not all educators are
effective, just like not every
doctor has a good bedside
manner. The better discussion
is how do we make the
profession such that good
teachers want to get
better?”
“They are doing what they
know, and they don’t know
enough to be as supportive
as needed.”
100%
Comments:
Yes, they are effective.
•
89%
•
11%
0%
No
Yes
“Teachers as a group are
among the most caring and
dedicated professionals we
have. They are grossly
underappreciated.”
“I think that most teachers
are effective
teachers, however, the
students have changed a lot
in the last ten years and
don’t seem to have the same
drive to do their best.”

6. State of Education Survey
January 2014
52% of educators believe the public education system
is failing.
Comments:
The public education
system is not failing.
•
•
“The system is suffering and
needs help, but it is not
failing. We are dedicated
and motivated, but it is very
easy to lose hope without
support from the public and
our legislators.”
“We need to take a step
back and really figure out
what other successful schools
within our country are doing
to be successful.”
"Do you believe the public
education system is failing?"
100%
Comments:
The public education
system is failing.
•
48%
52%
•
0%
No
Yes
“We have moved away from
teaching the child to
teaching to a set of
standards that kids today will
never fit into.”
“The only real problem in
public education is federal
and state interference by
people who have no clue
about education, only what
they think sounds good to
voters.”

7. State of Education Survey
January 2014
Only 11% of educators believe parents are doing
enough to help their children be successful in school.
"Do you believe parents are doing
enough to help their children be
successful in school?"
100%
•
Comments:
•
89%
•
•
11%
0%
No
Yes
“Teachers cannot teach everything. Parents
have to do their part. Too much is put on
teachers today and not enough accountability
on the parents.”
“The education system and the parents need to
do better with working together to help our
children succeed.”
“The government expects miracles from
educators, when parents play the most vital role
in a child’s life and they are failing their
children, our students.”

8. State of Education Survey
January 2014