The district had about a 91% response rate — about the same rate as in 2022. The survey included many new questions on school and teacher leadership and student conduct, as well as familiar questions from past surveys, like those about prep time and employee retention.
For NHCS, teachers were less likely to say they had adequate time to plan and prepare; from 2020 to 2024, the percentage of NHCS teachers who said they had enough non-instructional time decreased 11 percentage points from 57% to 46%.
Regarding teacher retention, NHCS ranked lower than the state averages on every question. For example, the lowest rating was whether teachers agreed with the statement, “I wouldn’t want to work in any other school.” 63% of district teachers agreed, compared to 68% of teachers statewide.
NHCS scored lower than the state averages on school and teacher leadership questions.
For example, 67% of NHCS believe leadership “knows what’s going on in my classroom.” About 77% of teachers across the state agreed; 67% of NHCS also believed that leadership “creates a culture of trust in the building,” compared to the 75% state average.
NHCS averages were also lower for agreement with the statement “I feel comfortable raising issues and concerns that are important to me” (NHCS — 76% agree; state — 81%) and “School leadership looks out for the well-being of the faculty members” (NHCS — 72% agree; state — 80% agree).
The top three topics for district teachers' professional development needs are focused on multi-language learners (MLLs) (44%), special populations like exceptional children (42%), and content areas (34%).
Regarding equity, 67% of NHCS teachers say they have adequate support for special populations (students with disabilities, academically and intellectually gifted students, and MLLs), and only 63% say the district recruits and retains a diverse teaching staff. The state averages were higher, at 75% and 76% respectively.
This year’s state survey no longer asks questions about the Central Office. In 2022, only 33% of the district’s principals said there was an atmosphere of “trust and mutual respect.”
However, this year’s school board survey will include questions about Central Office, the school board's leadership, and the curriculum.
The 30-question anonymous survey went out to classified and certified NHCS staff on May 14 and will close on May 31.
Board member Stephanie Walker is the point of contact for the survey and the one who secured UNCW’s Watson College of Education to administer the survey and analyze its results.
The emailed message with the survey said, “NHCS is deeply committed to understanding the perspectives and experiences of our staff. It's designed with the explicit goal of amplifying teachers' voices and ensuring that your experiences are heard and understood.”
The results will be presented to the board later this summer.
Resources
- Explore New Hanover County Schools 2024 results here.
- WHQR report on the 2022 NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey results
