Findings
  • Finding 1→
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    Finding 1

    Teachers and parents believe that media coverage affects teachers.
  • Finding 2→
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    Finding 2

    Newspapers rarely discussed teachers in depth or included teachers’ voices.
  • Finding 3→
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    Finding 3

    Newspapers covered non-academic factors that affect learning more than any other topic.
  • Finding 4→
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    Finding 4

    National newspapers started covering evaluation less and quoting teachers more around 2015.
  • Finding 5→
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    Finding 5

    Both local and national newspapers most often portrayed teachers engaged in the work of teaching. National newspapers more often portrayed teachers being evaluated than local newspapers did.
  • Finding 6→
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    Finding 6

    Depictions of teachers being evaluated in national newspapers began declining after 2015, while depictions of professional development and compensation began increasing.
  • Finding 7→
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    Finding 7

    In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, depictions of teachers changed more in national newspapers than in local newspapers.
  • Finding 8→
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    Finding 8

    From 2009 to 2020, newspapers rarely depicted teacher shortages, lack of classroom resources, or lack of diversity in the profession.
  • Finding 9→
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    Finding 9

    Depictions of teachers involved in illegal activity were rare, but spiked modestly in certain years.
  • Finding 10→
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    Finding 10

    Teachers believe it is important for the news media to cover student poverty, lack of classroom resources, and teacher shortages.
Summary of Findings→
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Summary of

FINDINGS

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FINDINGS

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Finding 6

Depictions of teachers being evaluated in national newspapers began declining after 2015, while depictions of professional development and compensation began increasing.

From 2010 to 2015, national newspaper articles that mentioned teachers frequently portrayed them as being evaluated. But starting in 2016, national portrayals of teacher evaluation declined.

By 2017, very few national newspaper articles mentioning teachers depicted them being evaluated, while more showed them engaged in professional development or training. Depictions of teachers participating in labor actions and needing or negotiating for higher salaries were more common in 2018, during strikes and walkouts in several states.

From 2009 to 2020, depictions of teachers fluctuated less in local newspapers than in national newspapers. Local newspaper articles that mentioned teachers consistently depicted them engaged in professional development or training more often than being evaluated.

How did newspapers’ portrayals of teachers change?

Tooltip

Changes in four portrayals of teachers in news articles about K-12 education in the U.S. that mention teachers twice or more, 2009 to 2020. Portrayals are not mutually exclusive.

Teachers and Journalists Respond

Hear how other teachers and journalists respond to these findings.

Youtube Video

Events in K-12 Education, 2009 to 2020

2009-titn-timeline-obama-appoints-arne-duncan

2009

Barack Obama is inaugurated as president of the United States. He appoints Arne Duncan as U.S. Secretary of Education. Upon his appointment, Duncan says that he intends to reward schools and districts that demonstrate success at raising student achievement.

Photo: Jim Young / Alamy Stock Photo
2009-titn-timeline-obama-signs-arra

2009

President Obama signs the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It includes the Race to the Top initiative, designed to award federal funds to states that improve student achievement, prompting states to develop plans to institute performance-based evaluations for teachers. 

Photo: Brian Kersey / Alamy Stock Photo
2009-titn-timeline-common-core-initiative

2009

The National Governors’ Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers launch the Common Core State Standards Initiative to create standards in English language arts and mathematics.

Photo: Pacific Press Media Production Corp. / Alamy Stock Photo
2010-titn-timeline-la-times

2010

The Los Angeles Times publishes the names and “value added” ratings of Los Angeles Unified School District teachers and schools, sparking controversy.

Photo: NetPhotos / Alamy Stock Photo
2010-titn-timeline-waiting-for-superman

2010

The documentary Waiting for Superman is both praised and criticized for its portrayals of charter schools, traditional public schools, and teachers’ unions.

Photo: Jim Ruymen / Alamy Stock Photo
2011-titn-timeline-gov-scott-walker

2011

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker introduces a budget that includes substantial cuts to school funding, prompting teacher protests.

Photo: Brian Kersey / Alamy Stock Photo
2011-titn-timeline-obama-gives-states-flexibility-nclba

2011

The Obama administration announces plans to give states flexibility in implementing the No Child Left Behind Act, provided that they implement teacher evaluations that incorporate student outcomes.

Photo: Abaca Press / Alamy Stock Photo
2012-titn-timeline-chicago-teachers-strike

2012

Chicago teachers strike for the first time in 25 years. Among the issues in dispute are standardized testing and teacher assessments.

Photo: Pierre Barlier / Alamy Stock Photo
2012-titn-timeline-nine-students-sue-california

2012

Nine public school students sue the State of California in Vergara v. California, claiming that teacher tenure and other job protections are harmful to students.

Photo: Tony Tallec / Alamy Stock Photo
2012-titn-timeline-sandyhook

2012

Adam Lanza shoots and kills 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Photo: Mike Theiler / Alamy Stock Photo
2013-titn-timeline-chicago-boe-closes-50-schools

2013

The Chicago Board of Education votes to close 50 schools. Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and other cities also close large numbers of public schools. Opponents say the closures disproportionately affect low-income students and students of color.

Photo: Roger Bamber / Alamy Stock Photo
2014-titn-timeline-time-magaizne-rotten-apples

2014

A TIME Magazine cover refers to teachers as rotten apples who are difficult to fire. Several teachers’ unions demand an apology. 

2015-titn-timeline-every-student-succeds

2015

President Obama signs the Every Student Succeeds Act, which modifies federal standardized testing requirements and reduces punitive measures for states that perform poorly.

Photo: Jonathan Ernst / Alamy Stock Photo
2016-titn-timeline-students-opt-out-standardized-testing

2016

U.S. News & World Report reports that 1 in 5 students in New York state has opted out of standardized testing.

Photo: Martin Shields / Alamy Stock Photo
2017-titn-timeline-trump-appoints-betsy-devos

2017

Donald Trump is inaugurated as president of the United States. He nominates Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education. She is confirmed in February 2017 after Vice President Mike Pence breaks a tie vote in the Senate.

Photo: 2020 Images / Alamy Stock Photo
2017-titn-timeline-trump-signs-resolution-essa

2017

President Trump signs a resolution designed to repeal accountability rules that were included in the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Photo: White House Photo / Alamy Stock Photo
2017-titn-timeline-trump-limits-deductions-school-supplies

2017

President Trump signs a tax bill that limits the deductions teachers can take for school supplies and that expands the use of 529 savings plans for private school tuition.

Photo: David Tran / Alamy Stock Photo
2018-titn-timeline-teachers-financially-struggling

2018

A TIME Magazine cover story highlights teachers’ financial struggles, including a teacher who sells blood to make ends meet.

Photo: Rob Wilkinson / Alamy Stock Photo
2018-titn-timeline-marjory-stoneman-douglas-hs-shooting

2018

Nicolas Cruz kills 14 students and three adults at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Photo: denise felice / Alamy Stock Photo
2018-titn-timeline-teachers-strike

2018

Teachers in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona, Colorado, and North Carolina and other locations participate in strikes and labor actions.

Photo: Jim West / Alamy Stock Photo
2018-titn-timeline-supreme-court-rules-janus-v-afscme

2018

The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Janus v. AFSCME that public sector workers who choose not to join unions cannot be charged union membership dues.

Photo: Leah Millis / Alamy Stock Photo
2019-titn-timeline-teachers-strike

2019

Teachers in Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, Oakland, and other locations participate in strikes and labor actions, including teachers at several charter school networks.

Photo: Caryn Becker / Alamy Stock Photo
2020-titn-timeline-schools-begin-shutting-down-covid

2020

Schools begin shutting down due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo: Christoph Lischetzki / Alamy Stock Photo
2021-titn-timeline-biden-appoints-miguel-cardona

2021

Joe Biden is inaugurated as president of the United States. He appoints Miguel Cardona as U.S. Secretary of Education.

Photo: Caryn Becker / Alamy Stock Photo

By 2017, just 2 percent of national newspaper articles mentioning #teachers showed them being evaluated, while 20 percent showed them engaged in professional development or training, according to @publicagenda research.

By 2017, just 2 percent of national newspaper articles mentioning #teachers showed them being evaluated, while 20 percent showed them engaged in professional development or training, according to @publicagenda research. Click To Tweet Tweet This
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Photo credits

Photo Credits
First two photos on home page and photos on Findings 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 by Allison Shelley for EDUimages. Third photo on home page and photos on Findings 5, 8, 10 by Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages. Photo on Finding 9 by iStock.com/Goxy89. All other credits appear near photos.