Policymakers Should Pay Attention to an Important Alliance
Every year during Teacher Appreciation Week, we pause to celebrate the work of educators across the country. We thank them for their dedication, resilience, and impact on students’ lives. But this year, appreciation must go beyond words. It must include action—and that starts with listening.
At EdChoice, we recently conducted our fourth annual national survey of K–12 teachers, in partnership with Morning Consult. What we found wasn’t just encouraging—it was clarifying. Teachers are not only feeling more hopeful about their profession and students, but they’re increasingly aligned with parents on the policies that should define the future of education.
This is an opportunity for policymakers—and they would be wise not to miss it.
Let’s start with the good news. After years of pandemic disruption, low morale, and rising classroom challenges, teacher sentiment appears to have positive momentum. More than half of teachers say their local district is headed in the right direction—the highest level of optimism we've recorded in two years. Nearly two-thirds of teachers report feeling hopeful about the future. Over half say they feel happy or satisfied. These are important signals of recovery in a profession that has faced more than its share of strain.
But perhaps the most noteworthy finding has less to do with feelings and more to do with priorities. When asked about education policy, an overwhelming 74% of teachers said they support Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)—programs that allow families to use public funds for a range of educational expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring, and more. Over half of teachers (54%) support school vouchers as well. Furthermore, the proportion of teachers who say they strongly support both ESAs and vouchers has climbed since last spring.
And like parents, most teachers want these options to be available to all families—not just those who meet certain income thresholds. Nearly 7 in 10 teachers said ESAs should be universal. This mirrors the sentiment we’ve seen from parents in our national polling, where 75% also support universal access.
That’s a powerful alignment. It suggests that the people closest to students—parents and teachers—are more united on educational freedom than some political narratives would have us believe.
Of course, teachers still face real challenges. One-third report frequent classroom disruptions, and many are still hesitant to recommend the profession to others. But even here, we see momentum: the share of teachers who would recommend teaching has grown by 12 points in the past year, with private school teachers showing the most significant increase.
Why is this alignment between teachers and parents so important?
Because too often, education debates are framed as a zero-sum game. Public vs. private. Preserving the status quo vs. giving all families a choice in their child’s education. But our data suggest something very different. Teachers aren't threatened by choice—they're embracing it. They understand that when families have options, it creates a more responsive, flexible, and innovative education system. And in many cases, teachers themselves benefit from those options—whether by working in different school models or choosing alternative pathways for their own children.
This Teacher Appreciation Week, we have a chance to shift the conversation. We can appreciate teachers not just with recognition, but with responsiveness. That means building policies that reflect what teachers and parents are asking for: education systems that put students first, funding models that are sustainable and fair, and learning environments that offer flexibility to meet every child's needs.
At EdChoice, we believe that transformation starts with trust. And right now, parents and teachers are telling us—together—what they need. Policymakers would do well to follow their lead.
Let’s show real appreciation by acting on what educators are telling us. That’s how we support teachers—not just this week, but every week.
