A teacher strike is a work stoppage involving school staff. Teachers often go on strike to demand higher pay and better working conditions for themselves and their students. They may also be seeking to address other concerns that directly impact student learning, such as affordable housing and immigration policy.

Teachers may also be fighting for the rights of their students to have access to education services that can help them achieve success despite their social or economic challenges. In many cases, schools remain open during a teacher strike, with administrators and substitutes covering classrooms. However, some districts make it mandatory that teachers not cross the picket line. In New York, for example, striking teachers can be fined two days of pay for every day they miss work.

Research shows that strikes have a positive effect on wages, benefits, and working conditions for teachers. The average salary increases by 8 percent, and the student-teacher ratio decreases by an average of 0.5 students per class. Additionally, the average salary of noninstructional support staff, like school nurses and counselors, rises by 7 percent during a strike. The researchers found that these improvements to teacher compensation and working conditions come from new money into the districts, not from cuts in other areas or a reallocation of existing district funds.

The research also suggests that the conditions teachers face at their schools affect their ability to teach effectively. For example, teachers in low-income districts tend to have lower per-student funding and larger classes than those in richer communities. These factors, along with socioeconomic challenges facing some of their students, can contribute to teacher dissatisfaction and desire to seek change through a strike.