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In the Know

In the Know, August 2024

Why teachers self-censor, corporal punishment, salaries, are your students reading enough non-fiction and more.
young girl sitting on the floor of a bookstore reading a book

Are Your Students Reading Enough Non-Fiction?

Every year, new fiction books hit the market with a rainbow of diverse and engaging characters for young readers. But there are just as many terrific new titles in nonfiction.

One isn’t better than the other, and educators should offer and teach both, says the National Council of Teachers of English.

To learn more about nonfiction trends and how to help students connect with these books, NEA Today spoke with Melissa Stewart, who has authored more than 200 nonfiction children’s books.

Is nonfiction making a resurgence, or has it always been popular with teachers and students?

Melissa Stewart: Nonfiction has always been popular. But teachers often don’t realize that many students prefer nonfiction. We need to do a better job of making teachers aware of the wide variety of titles.

What is different about nonfiction now?

MS: We are really in a golden age of nonfiction. Twenty years ago, there was only one kind of children’s nonfiction, with traditional, survey-style writing. Now we have five distinct forms that also include browsable nonfiction, expository literature, narrative nonfiction, and active nonfiction—such as how-to and activity books.

The genre is blossoming with titles that are beautiful and dynamic, with a range of formats and text structures. They feature rich, engaging language that excites and inspires young readers.

There is so much to offer students that can be used for instruction, read- alouds, book talks, book clubs, and author studies.

Why do you think many young readers prefer nonfiction?

MS: Why wouldn’t they? If adults enjoy it—60 percent of adult books sold are nonfiction—it follows that children would, too. But kids don’t buy their own books, and only 24 percent of children’s books sold are nonfiction. We need to get more great nonfiction books into the hands of children.

The goal is to help kids fall in love with reading and books. For some children, nonfiction is the gateway to literacy. I recommend that educators and parents offer children both fiction and nonfiction and watch closely to understand each child’s preferences.

How can teachers find quality nonfiction titles to offer?

MS: Ask a librarian! The librarian’s job is to help teachers connect a book to a student or lesson. The library is the heart of the school, and the librarian is what makes it beat.


Stewart is developing a nonfiction-focused personal learning community to help educators build students' awareness of and access to nonfiction. Visit melissa-stewart.com

NEA Report: Teacher Salaries and School Funding by State

Every year, NEA releases Rankings and Estimates—a comprehensive report that provides comparative state data and national averages for key K–12 public education benchmarks—including average teacher salaries and per- student expenditures. Check out highlights from this year’s report, which covers the 2022 – 2023 school year:
Icon of money sign and clock
The national average public school teacher salary was $69,544, an increase of 4.1 percent over the previous year. Average teacher salaries were highest in California ($95,160), New York ($92,696), and Massachusetts ($92,307), and lowest in West Virginia ($52,870), Florida ($53,098), and South Dakota ($53,153).
Icon of hand pushing bag of money
U.S. public schools employed 3,222,170 teachers. Texas (371,802), California (292,378), and New York (215,761) employed the most teachers, while Alaska (7,030), Wyoming (7,277), and the District of Columbia (8,052) employed the fewest.
icon respresenting economy
In fall 2022, U.S. public schools enrolled 49,033,092 students, an increase of 0.3 percent from fall 2021. The largest increases occurred in Arizona (3.5%), the District of Columbia (2.4%), and Texas (1.7%). The greatest declines were in Hawaii (−1.7%), Illinois (−0.8%), and Rhode Island (−0.8%).
bonus salary icon
The national average per-student expenditure was $16,281—up from $15,808 in 2021 – 2022. The states with the highest per-student expenditures were New York ($30,867), the District of Columbia ($26,766), and Vermont ($26,749). The states with the lowest were Idaho ($9,599), Utah ($10,282), and Oklahoma ($11,089).

Mental Health Care for LGBTQ+ Youth

84% of LGBTQ+ youth wanted mental health care in 2023.

Only 50 percent of those who wanted the care were able to access it. Top barriers cited were fear of speaking about mental health concerns with someone else, lack of affordability, and students not wanting to get parent or caregiver permission.

Why Teachers Self-Censor

Since January 2021, 18 states have passed laws that restrict how so-called “divisive” subjects, such as racism and LGBTQ+ people, can be addressed in the classroom. These laws impose gag orders on classroom teachers. Even in states where no law has been enacted, some school or district leaders have directed local school systems to adopt restrictive new policies.

But these regulations, and the “culture war” politics that produced them, have far greater reach. 

Chart of teachers who self censor

Many educators, fearful over reprisals from community members and a lack of support from school leaders, are deciding to limit instruction in their classroom, or self-censor. According to a RAND Corporation survey released in February, two-thirds of U.S. public school teachers are choosing on their own to limit what they teach.

Furthermore, 55 percent of teachers who do not work under any state or local regulation have chosen to limit instruction. In addition to concerns about upsetting parents, fear of losing their teaching job or license was a top reason for why these teachers decided to take this step.

“We expected that a large number of teachers are taking this step in those states that enacted restrictions,” says Ashley Woo, RAND researcher and lead author of the report. “But when you look at the teachers deciding to do this on their own with no state or local restrictions—and where community support is high—the numbers are surprisingly very high.”

16 States Still Allow Corporal Punishment

The vast majority of schools in the United States—roughly 90 percent—prohibit corporal punishment, but the practice remains legal in 16 states. Major public health organizations oppose its use.

The World Health Organization classifies corporal punishment as a “violation of children’s rights to respect for physical integrity and human dignity, health, development, education and freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

Map of 16 states that allow corporal punishment
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights

Proponents of corporal punishment argue that inflicting some level of physical pain upon a child deters misbehavior and helps instill discipline. However, extensive research dem- onstrates that the practice has potentially long- lasting negative effects on student’s overall well-being.

Studies show that schools that have used corporal punishment have not been as successful at correcting unwanted behavior as schools that do not use the practice. Students who have been exposed to paddling or other forms of corporal punishment are more likely to exhibit aggression, anxiety, and depression.

In 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics called for a ban on corporal punishment in school settings and for it to be replaced with practices that better support student behavior.

That same year, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona penned a letter to administrators and policymakers calling for the ban of corporal punishment in education settings.

“Unfortunately, some schools continue to put the mental and physical well-being of students at risk by implementing the practice of corporal punishment,” said Cardona. “Corporal punishment can lead to serious physical pain and injury. It is also associated with higher rates of mental health issues.”

Fear of School Shootings Grows

Twenty-five years after the mass shooting at Colorado’s Columbine High School—and countless more school shootings since—the majority of U.S. teachers (59 percent) are worried about the possibility of a shooting happening at their school, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. Thirty-one percent of teachers say they are not too worried, and only 7 percent say they are not at all worried.

chart showing school shooting fears have grown

Source: Survey of U.S. public K-12 teachers conducted October 17-November 14, 2023

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The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.