According to a new study, most Americans believe that teachers in Texas are the most overworked in the U.S.

What You Need To Know

  • A new study by Twinkl shows that most people think Texas teachers are overworked compared to teachers in any other state

  • Teachers in Texas work approximately 54.7 hours per week. Survey respondents think that number should be closer to 40.2. That’s a 14.5 hour gap, the largest gap among any state mentioned in the survey

  • On a national scale, 89% of respondents think teachers in the U.S. are underpaid, while 83% think they are overworked based on their pay

  • This comes after news that 65% of Texas State Teachers Association members considered quitting their jobs last spring, and 33% of those surveyed said they picked up summer jobs to make ends meet

The study was conducted by Twinkl, a website that offers resources to teachers around the world.

The gap between how much teachers in Texas actually work per week and how much survey respondents think they should work is significant, especially when compared to respondents’ views on other states.

On average, teachers in Texas work 54.7 hours per week, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Survey respondents think that number should be closer to 40.2. That’s a 14.5-hour gap, the largest gap among any state mentioned in the survey.

“The data clearly shows that teachers work significantly more hours than the public perceives as reasonable,” said Jude Schroeder, U.S. country manager at Twinkl.

On a national scale, 89% of respondents think teachers in the U.S. are underpaid, while 83% think they are overworked based on their pay.

“We believe in the importance of valuing our educators, both in terms of fair compensation and manageable workloads. The findings from our survey highlight a crucial issue: teachers consistently work longer hours and earn less than what is perceived as fair,” Schroeder said.

According to a recent survey from the Texas State Teachers Association, 65% of its members considered quitting their jobs last spring. Approximately 33% of those surveyed said they picked up summer jobs to make ends meet.

Education funding in Texas is a hot topic as Gov. Greg Abbott continues to push for private school vouchers in the state.