Recognizing the importance of teacher quality in transforming underperforming schools, Education Secretary Arne Duncan has made retaining and rewarding effective teachers a cornerstone of his school reform agenda. But a recent report that suggests 40 percent of U.S. teachers are disheartened with their profession indicates how difficult these challenges will be.

The report is based on a nationwide study, "Teaching for a Living: How Teachers See the Profession Today," and was conducted by Public Agenda, a New York City-based nonprofit research organization, and by Learning Point Associates, a nonprofit education research and consulting organization based in Chicago, Ill., in partnership with Education Week.

Underwritten by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Joyce Foundation, the study is based on a nationally representative phone and online survey of about 900 teachers throughout the United States between April 16 and June 22, preceded by six focus groups. The survey was intended to provide a comprehensive look at how teachers view their profession, why they entered teaching, the atmosphere and leadership in their schools, the problems they face, and their ideas for reform.

"This snapshot of America's four million K-12 teachers comes as economic stimulus dollars ... are focused on dramatically improving student learning and ensuring that effective teachers are more equitably distributed among all schools," said Sabrina Laine, chief program officer of Learning Point Associates. "Additionally, as Congress considers reauthorization of [the No Child Left Behind Act], it is even more critical to have a better understanding of what motivates teachers to excel in the classroom and what support they need to sustain high levels of effectiveness with all students."

What the survey found was disheartening in itself: 40 percent of teachers reportedly are disheartened, 37 percent are merely content, and only 23 percent of teachers are idealists.

The survey said it divided teachers into these three categories based on their common responses.

Disheartened teachers are more likely to give their principals poor ratings for supporting them as teachers, and they express concerns about working conditions, bad student behavior, and poorly focused testing. These teachers are twice as likely as other teachers to agree strongly with the view that teaching is "so demanding, it's a wonder that more people don't burn out." More than half teach in low-income schools, and 61 percent cite lack of support from administrators as a major drawback to teaching. Eighty-seven percent of these teachers are 33 or older.

Contented teachers are more likely to report excellent working conditions, be experienced in their profession, work in middle or higher-income schools, and believe their students' test scores have increased a lot because of their teaching. These teachers are more likely to say that their schools are "orderly, safe, and respectful." Also, a majority of these teachers hold a graduate degree. Sixty-three percent strongly agree with the statement, "teaching is exactly what I wanted," which is supported by the fact that 94 percent have been teaching for more than 10 years.