Presence Is Power: What Memphis Teachers Are Telling Us About Leadership
When leaders show up in classrooms, teachers feel it, and the numbers prove it. Here's what 1,137 Memphis educators want you to know.
This past year, 1,137 educators across 47 Memphis schools shared their voices in the 2025 Teach901 Educator Survey. Over the last few weeks, we've been digging into what they said. And now we’re exploring what teachers actually experience when leaders walk through the classroom door.
First, some national context
We're in the middle of a teacher shortage that's reshaping schools across the country. Enrollment in teacher prep programs has dropped by more than 30% over the last decade. Rural and high-poverty schools are hit hardest. According to the U.S. Department of Education, nearly 9 in 10 public schools reported challenges hiring and retaining staff over the past two years.
This isn't just a Memphis problem. But we believe Memphis can lead the way forward.
What Memphis teachers told us
One of the clearest insights from this year's survey: teachers rate their school leaders significantly higher when those leaders are present in their classrooms. Not just a little higher, significantly higher.
Same leaders. Wildly different experience for teachers.
Because when a leader steps into a classroom, they're not just observing. They're communicating: I'm with you in this. That changes trust, morale, and the shared sense of mission across a school.
Why this survey matters
Since 2014, the Teach901 Educator Survey has captured honest, anonymous feedback from Memphis teachers on everything from school culture to job satisfaction to professional growth. Originally developed in collaboration with Vanderbilt professors, it's a tool built for action.
Each participating school receives a personalized, confidential report with comparisons to citywide trends. It's a free resource, offered with no strings attached, helping schools build environments where teachers and students can thrive.
“Every student deserves access to a high-quality educator in every classroom, in every school, every year — and the Teach901 Educator Survey is a significant tool to help us get there.”
What this means for all of us
If leadership presence makes that kind of difference for teachers, then the question for all of us, school leaders, community organizations, businesses, neighbors, is simple: How are you showing up?
Teachers need more than encouragement from the sidelines. They need leaders in their corner, people who can walk alongside them with professional development, certification support, classroom resources, and long-term tools to help them thrive.
This is the kind of work your generosity fuels. Become a monthly donor and support Teach901 and Choose901 Alumni all year long.
