SweetSue92
Diamond Member
The abysmal decline in student behavior is a crisis. However much we talk about it, we don't talk about it enough. I read something stark on social media, but it's so true: in 2025, the very worst behavior in the classroom holds everyone else hostage.
This is slightly overstated, but only slightly: we MUST stop negotiating with terrorists in education. Because yes. When a child beats down others, spits, hits, kicks, throws things and destroys classrooms, they should not get a pass because they have trauma, "Big feelings", are dysregulated, or have "Special needs". They are terrorizing others. Felonies are felonies. And no, I'm not talking about what consequences are appropriate. I don't even care about consequences at this point. I just want us to acknowledge, as a society, that this is unacceptable, and it is harmful.
And it's not just me saying this. See below. I wonder all the time the stories kids will tell in 10, 15, 20 years, of how they saw the most violent behavior in school and no one did or said a thing. It will be blistering.
Student behavior has nearly overtaken pay as the top concern among educators—and it’s driving some out of the profession.
Today, 4 out of 5 teachers and education support professionals find student behavior to be a serious problem, according to an NEA nationwide poll of 2,889 educators on student mental health conducted last year. Some 81 percent of educators surveyed said students are acting out and misbehaving.
The result for educators? Stress, burnout, and persistent staffing shortages. In a 2024 survey by the RAND Corporation, funded in part by NEA, 44 percent of teachers cited student behavior as the top source of job-related stress.
In a study by Pew Research that same year, 80 percent of teachers reported they have to address students’ behavioral problems “at least a few times a week,” with 58 percent saying this happens every day.
www.nea.org
This is slightly overstated, but only slightly: we MUST stop negotiating with terrorists in education. Because yes. When a child beats down others, spits, hits, kicks, throws things and destroys classrooms, they should not get a pass because they have trauma, "Big feelings", are dysregulated, or have "Special needs". They are terrorizing others. Felonies are felonies. And no, I'm not talking about what consequences are appropriate. I don't even care about consequences at this point. I just want us to acknowledge, as a society, that this is unacceptable, and it is harmful.
And it's not just me saying this. See below. I wonder all the time the stories kids will tell in 10, 15, 20 years, of how they saw the most violent behavior in school and no one did or said a thing. It will be blistering.
Student behavior has nearly overtaken pay as the top concern among educators—and it’s driving some out of the profession.
Today, 4 out of 5 teachers and education support professionals find student behavior to be a serious problem, according to an NEA nationwide poll of 2,889 educators on student mental health conducted last year. Some 81 percent of educators surveyed said students are acting out and misbehaving.
The result for educators? Stress, burnout, and persistent staffing shortages. In a 2024 survey by the RAND Corporation, funded in part by NEA, 44 percent of teachers cited student behavior as the top source of job-related stress.
In a study by Pew Research that same year, 80 percent of teachers reported they have to address students’ behavioral problems “at least a few times a week,” with 58 percent saying this happens every day.
The Survey Says: ‘We’re at a Crisis Point’ | NEA
Educators seek comprehensive solutions to address student behavior problems.
www.nea.org
