Mattering Gap Among K–12 Educators Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation, in collaboration with The Mattering Institute, have released new research examining how K–12 educators experience mattering in their work—specifically, whether they feel valued,

Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation, in collaboration with The Mattering Institute, have released new findings on how K–12 educators experience mattering at work — whether they feel valued, purposeful, and connected within their school communities. The research underscores how everyday interactions with students, colleagues, and school leaders shape educators’ sense of being seen, appreciated, and able to make meaningful contributions.

The study also examines how mattering connects to critical professional outcomes, including burnout, emotional wellbeing, and educators’ long‑term commitment to staying in the field.

Key Findings

• 35% of K–12 educators say they matter a great deal at their school.
• 85% say helping a student through something difficult makes them feel they matter a great deal.
• 42% of educators who engage in creative production daily or weekly say they matter a great deal — compared with 22% who never do.

Educator Workforce Retention

The survey points to a growing retention challenge: one in four educators report they are likely to leave their current position within the next 12 months. Among educators who feel they matter little or not at all, fewer than half expect to remain in education long term.

The “Invested In” dimension — whether educators feel someone is actively supporting their growth — has the strongest connection to turnover.

• Educators with low investment scores report a 41% likelihood of leaving.
• That number drops to 12% among those who feel supported.

Yet only 19% of educators say someone in their building invests in their professional growth, and just 16% feel their school cares about their future.

This turnover risk is intensified by an emotional imbalance inside schools: two‑thirds of educators say they often give more to their school community than they receive. Burnout spikes to 57% among educators who feel their daily contributions go unreturned, compared with 13% among those who rarely or never experience that imbalance.

The Appreciation Deficit

Feeling appreciated is the strongest predictor of whether an educator feels they matter.

• Nearly three in four educators with high appreciation scores say they matter a great deal.
• Only 7% of those with low appreciation scores say the same.

While 42% feel appreciated by fellow teachers, just 24% believe their school prioritizes educator appreciation. Recognition from supervisors has an outsized impact — yet only one in four educators receive praise from a school leader weekly or more.

Students remain a powerful source of affirmation:

• 47% of educators receive regular appreciation from students.
• 85% say helping a student through a difficult challenge makes them feel they matter.
• 74% say seeing students perform well academically reinforces their sense of mattering.

As Romy Drucker, director of the Education Program at the Walton Family Foundation, notes:

“Behind every student who feels seen, supported and capable is an educator who helps make that possible.”

How Schools and Families Can Show Educators They Matter

The report identifies several actionable strategies to strengthen mattering in school communities:

• Make appreciation systemic. Build formal, routine recognition practices into school culture.
• Equip supervisors to recognize educators regularly. Supervisor praise is highly influential yet infrequent.
• Invest visibly in educators’ growth and futures. Career development should be proactive, not something educators must seek out alone.
• Balance expectations with support. Burnout rises sharply when educators give more than they receive.
• Create space for creative practice. Frequent “making” is associated with stronger mattering and can be integrated at low cost.

Sources:

Methodology

Findings are based on a Gallup Panel™ web survey conducted July 28–Aug. 14, 2026, with a nationally representative sample of 1,952 K–12 educators working in public schools across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The margin of sampling error is ±2.7 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

About the Partners

The Mattering Institute:
A mission‑driven social impact enterprise translating decades of psychological research into practical strategies that strengthen wellbeing, engagement, retention, and performance.

Walton Family Foundation:
A family‑led foundation working to expand access to opportunity through education, environmental stewardship, and regional investment.

Gallup:
A global leader in analytics and advisory services, bringing more than 80 years of expertise in understanding the attitudes and behaviors of employees, students, customers, and citizens.

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