ORLANDO, Fla. — Nearly half of Florida school professionals surveyed said they have considered leaving their jobs, according to a new workforce report from Soliant Health.
The 2026 School Workforce Trends Report surveyed 1,000 U.S. school employees, including instructional staff, therapists and school support professionals.
Nationally, 28.9% of respondents said they considered leaving their role in the past year.
In Florida, that number was significantly higher, with 49% of respondents saying they had considered leaving their positions.
The report found burnout is being driven by multiple factors, not one single issue.
In Florida, the top burnout factors included safety concerns, cited by 26.5% of respondents, and high workload, cited by 18.6%.
When asked what support they needed most, Florida respondents pointed to structural changes. The report found 18.6% wanted additional staff or support personnel to help reduce workloads, while 17.6% cited a need for stronger leadership support and 17.6% said they needed protected planning time.
Nationally, the report found only 12.8% of school professionals said they planned to stay in education until retirement.
The report also found educators are prioritizing work-life balance over pay. Nationally, 29.4% of respondents said work-life balance was most important, compared with 19.7% who cited compensation.
“School professionals are still showing up every day because they care deeply about their students. That hasn’t changed,” said Lesley Slaughter, senior vice president at Soliant. “What has changed is the weight of what they’re being asked to carry.”
Slaughter said burnout is coming from “everything at once,” including classroom support, student needs and broader system pressures.
The report was based on a survey conducted between March 13 and March 24.
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