During the past decade there have been considerable efforts to reform the American public school system. This survey, based on 15-minute telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,011 public school teachers in the United States, duplicates the sampling and interviewing process used in a similar study in 1984 and 1985. In addition to an analysis of this year s findings, the survey looks at how teachers views and experiences have changed in the past decade. The topics addressed in five chapters include: (1) American teachers' job satisfaction; (2) quality of public schools; (3) strengthening the profession; (4) reasons for teachers considering leaving teaching; (5) reasons why teachers stay; and (6) a demographic profile of the American teacher. Findings reveal many significant changes in the teaching profession in the past ten years. Although many teachers still believe they lack support from parents and community members, their outlook has changed considerably with regard to personal satisfaction with their career choice, and their pay has steadily improved. However, teachers are still confronted with many of the same societal problems they faced a decade ago, such as inadequate public funding and a lack of parental and community support. Additional problems identified include overcrowded classrooms, alcohol consumption among teens, and the level of violence in and around public schools. Findings also suggest that teachers opinions and experiences are not uniform. Teachers in suburban and rural areas have generally seen improvements in their work environments and the recognition they receive, improved public and parental support, and a decline in the number of students lacking basic skills, teenage suicides, and student absenteeism. Urban teachers have seen their conditions worsen, and are less likely to say they feel respected and recognized for good performance, and are also less positive in their assessment of the curriculum in their schools, academic standards, and the level of funding their schools receive. Data are presented in data tables. A detailed survey methodology is provided in Appendix A; the questionnaire showing marginal frequencies for all questions appears in Appendix B. (ND)