RALEIGH — North Carolina’s 2026 Teacher Working Conditions Survey released during a State Board of Education work session last week showed that teachers across the state are highly committed to their schools and students, but student behavior is an issue.
More than 102,000 educators responded, and the 90.5% participation rate in this year’s survey was up five points from two years ago.
“The central message of the 2026 survey is clear: teachers are committed to their students and schools, but that commitment appears closely connected to whether working conditions are sustainable,” the report’s executive summary states.
Results show most teachers (91%) plan to keep teaching next year, and 84% intend to stay right where they are. They describe their schools as good places to work (93%), express pride in what they do (91%) and feel like valued members of the team (88%).
Overall, working conditions are viewed positively in most areas, especially instructional support, community involvement, safety and fairness. However, teachers say they spend about nine extra hours each week on schoolwork outside regular hours, and many feel they lack enough protected time for planning, collaborating and learning from one another.
Student behavior and classroom management remain daily challenges, especially in middle and high schools. School leadership also matters a great deal, and 84% said they have a positive view of leadership in their school.
The report highlights four practical areas for improvement: protect teachers’ planning time, build stronger trust and communication with leadership, create clearer and more consistent behavior expectations, and better coordinate help for students with extra needs. Teachers also reported wanting more opportunities for learning with peers.
In addition to the annual working conditions survey, 400 principals responded to a pilot survey. That survey showed 95.6% of principals agreed or strongly agreed that their school was a good place to work and learn.
Other key takeaways from the principal survey included that 75% reported working more than 51 hours a week on school-related items. Safety and school conduct were cited as where most time was devoted.
