A new survey of Tennessee teachers reveals what is driving their decisions to leave or keep their jobs, their salaries, how they feel about evaluations and more.
The annual Tennessee Educator Survey, a joint effort between the Tennessee Department of Education and the Tennessee Education Research Alliance, was released Aug. 8. It reflects feedback from roughly 40,000 teachers and 2,100 school leaders. That accounts for about half of teachers and leaders statewide. The respondents represent 121 districts and 1,056 schools.
This year's survey offers insights into math curriculum and supports, evaluations, early-career teachers, retention, student discipline, career and technical education, cell phones and artificial intelligence.
Here are a few highlights from the 2025 survey results.
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Pay, culture, leadership: What drives Tennessee teachers to leave, stay
Teacher pay has been at the forefront of Tennessee education discussions in recent years. The state enacted a law in 2023 to raise minimum salaries for all teachers to $50,000 by 2026. The previous minimum was set at $35,000.
Only one-third of teachers said they were satisfied with their salary, according to the survey. Additionally, the survey showed around 28% of teachers planned to leave their jobs next year. However, only 17% of those who planned to leave listed salary as a top factor in their decision.
"While raising teacher pay continues to be a priority in Tennessee, these results also underscore the importance of other factors that influence retention, such as building capacity for leadership and improving school culture," the survey report said.
Among those who said they planned to leave, here are the top five factors that influenced their decision:
Personal or other reasons
Their leaders
The climate and culture among their fellow teachers and staff members
Their workload
Their salary
A total of 82% of teachers who responded said they plan to continue their roles next year. Here are the top five factors they said influenced their decision to stay:
The climate and culture among their fellow teachers and staff members
The types of students with whom they work
Their leaders
Their commute
Their facilities and working conditions
Tennessee teachers weigh in on evaluations
For the last 14 years, Tennessee had used a statewide system to evaluate educators. The comprehensive evaluation hinges largely on student outcomes.
The survey showed that 81% of teachers said it helps them improve their teaching. In general, the survey showed high rates of satisfaction with the evaluation system, with the majority of teachers saying it was fair and helped them identify areas for growth.
How cell phones affect Tennessee teachers
As schools scramble to adapt to the rapidly changing technological landscape, Tennessee laws now require schools to set firm rules for things like artificial intelligence and cell phone use among students.
For the first time ever, the survey included questions for teachers about how cell phones affect their students.
In particular, it showed high school teachers were largely critical of student cell phone use in schools, with 83% agreeing or strongly agreeing it disrupts academic achievement. Additionally, 73% said cell phone use drives cheating on tests, and 50% said they think cell phones should be banned.
"Teachers in middle schools, where cell phone use was less likely to be allowed during school hours, were less likely to agree with these statements," the survey report said.
Learn more about the 2025 Tennessee Educator Survey
More information on the Tennessee Educator Survey, including the full 2025 report, can be found at TNEdResearch.org/tennessee-educator-survey.
Rachel Wegner covers education and children's issues for The Tennessean. Got a story you think she should hear? Reach her via email at [email protected]. You can also find her on X or Bluesky under the handle RachelAnnWegner.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How pay, culture, leadership affect Tennessee teachers
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