by Ty Tagami | Sep 5, 2025 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA — Educators in Georgia’s public schools blame long work hours, low pay and misbehaving and even violent students for teacher shortages that undermine education, says the latest annual workforce survey from the largest teacher association in Georgia.
Two-thirds of the 3,400 school district employees surveyed online in May by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE), 70% of them classroom teachers, reported feeling burned out, with a quarter reporting a major teacher shortage at their school.
The survey, which includes responses from all but three of the state’s 180 school districts, is the latest in a string of grim reports from the organization, which is again calling on state government to increase funding.
Among the most ominous findings: 8% reported deliberate assaults by students, often requiring medical attention. The rate was double for special education teachers and paraprofessionals.
“There’s just a lot going on with kids that is challenging for educators to respond to,” said Margaret Ciccarelli, director of legislative services for PAGE.
The organization cannot say whether the number of assaults is growing worse because it did not ask about that in past surveys.
“We added the injury question this year because it just has started to become a constant refrain,” Ciccarelli said. “Our legal department is receiving so many more calls about teacher injuries and the legal implications of those from the injured educators.”
Disruptive student behavior was the most common concern among respondents, a problem that PAGE notes can drive teachers from the profession.
“In their comments on these issues, many educators reiterate the difficulty of disruptive behavior and flag student apathy as a problem,” the organization’s report on the survey said. “Responding educators also express frustration with a lack of support and accountability from parents and administrators in resolving these challenges.”
It is one reason why only one in four teachers reported recommending the profession although, in a potentially promising sign, that is a slight uptick from just over one in five in the last survey.
Salary increases, especially for teachers after the second decade when automatic state raises stop coming, would keep more in the classroom and reduce the financial hardship, the report said, with 29% of teachers saying they work a second job.
More financial aid in college would reduce the cost of becoming a teacher and bolster sagging ranks, says PAGE. Two-thirds of respondents reported unpaid college debt averaging $34,000.
More funding for substitutes would ease the burden on teachers, a quarter of whom reported unmanageable workloads, with more than two-thirds working at least an extra six hours a week — during evenings and weekends.
Student mental health grants could make the work a little easier, with 53% of teachers saying disruptive behavior is a major problem, followed closely by chronic absenteeism (51%) and cellphones and social media (48%).
Lawmakers and Gov. Brian Kemp are already doing something about cellphones, requiring all public elementary and middle schools to prohibit student cellphone use during the school day starting next fall.
Kemp has also consistently raised teacher pay. But PAGE contends more funding is needed to keep teachers in the classroom, arguing that money spent on retention is money saved in the long run given the thousands of dollars it costs to recruit and train new teachers.
“We are asking for more money, but we’re asking for more money in some targeted areas based on what the workforce is telling us. We are not guessing at what we think would make a difference,” Ciccarelli said. “We have seen that this governor and this legislature are open to spending money that makes sense on public education as long as there is accountability and transparency, and we feel that we need to help them continue to do that.”
