New survey of U.S. teachers carries a message: "It is getting harder and harder"

Over half of American teachers want the public to know that teaching is a hard job, according to a report from the Pew Research Center released Thursday.

Pew Research Center asked 2,531 public K-12 teachers in October and November what the one thing is that they'd want the public to know about their jobs.

The survey illustrates the extent to which the pandemic's unraveling of academic life still weighs heavily on the nation's public school teachers.

Fifty-one percent of respondents wanted it known that teaching is a difficult job and that teachers are hardworking, the Pew report said. These teachers noted that working hours that extended beyond their contracts, as well as classroom duties apart from teaching, had compounded the job's stress. 

"Teachers serve multiple roles other than being responsible for teaching curriculum," one elementary school teacher noted. "We are counselors, behavioral specialists and parents for students who need us to fill those roles."

"The amount of extra hours that teachers have to put in beyond the contractual time is ridiculous," a high school teacher said. "Arriving 30 minutes before and leaving an hour after is just the tip of the iceberg."

Another significant portion of respondents, 22%, wanted the public to know that they care about their students and persevere through the job's hardships so that their students succeed.

But 17% of respondents said they fel undervalued and disrespected despite being well-educated professionals. Those teachers wanted more support from the public. 

"The public attitudes toward teachers have been degrading, and it is making it impossible for well-qualified teachers to be found," a high school teacher said. "People are simply not wanting to go into the profession because of public sentiments."

Fifteen percent of teachers wanted the public to know that teachers are underpaid and that their salaries don't reflect the effort and care they put into students' education.

"Most teachers can't afford health insurance or eyeglasses," one elementary school teacher responded. "Do you know how many teachers NEED eyeglasses?!"

Pew also surveyed U.S. adults about their perceptions of American teachers. The center found that the majority of respondents already believed teaching at a public K-12 school is harder than most jobs, with 33% believing it's a lot harder. 

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Americans surveyed said teachers should be paid more than they currently are, with 39% saying they should be paid a lot more. 

Thirty-two percent of respondents felt the public looks up to teachers, while 30% felt the public looks down on teachers and 37% felt the public neither admired nor disapproved of them. 

The issue that most divided teachers and the public was the question of trust. Nearly half of teachers (47%) felt most Americans don't trust teachers, while 57% of U.S. adults said they do trust teachers to do their jobs well. 

The public's views differed considerably along party lines. Democrats and Democratic-leaning Independents were more likely than Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents to say they trusted teachers to do their jobs well (70% vs. 44%) and that teachers should be paid more (86% vs. 63%). 

"It is getting harder and harder. Teachers aren't paid enough and can hardly make a fair living," a high school teacher said to Pew.

"We love your kids and we want the best for them," an elementary school teacher wrote. "We spend more time with your kids than with our own kids, so just give us some trust to do right by them."

In:
• Education

S. Dev

S. Dev is a news editor for CBSNews.com.