School and Community Summer 2024

Sources of stress 69.3% Student Behavior

7.8% New and/or redundant technology programs "Because of state legislators' initiatives, teachers are finding it challenging to concentrate on actual teaching. Throughout the school day, our planning time is consumed by documenting interventions instead of planning how to assist students in their learning. Even after school hours, we are busy planning how to effectively teach our classes. It's becoming overwhelming to handle additional tasks just to prove our worth and eligibility for a paycheck. We urge for a reduction in these burdens, allowing us the time and freedom to focus on what truly matters – teaching." -Survey response 26.8% Lack of support from families or community "Student behaviors have changed significantly in the 20+ years that I have been a teacher. Parents often defend their students when the students act out instead of supporting the teachers." -Survey response 8.7% Safety Concerns "How would policy makers feel if their administrative assistants or someone they worked with or managed, yelled at them, called them names, disrupted their entire office--and then were expected to welcome the perpetrator back the next day as if nothing happened? On another note, I've been emailed a threatening email from a former student, and no discipline was assigned to that student. I believe the student was only told to not email me anymore. How is that ok?" -Survey response

17.4% Staffing Shortages "We are the lowest for teacher pay in our area. We are short staffed and don’t have enough subs. Why would a teacher work in our district and put up with staff shortages and lack of subs, when the pay isn’t even worth it?" -Survey response

"Students know that there is not a lot teachers can do to punish behavior. Students feel free to act and behave how they want without any recourse." -Survey response 52.1% Student Motivation "Apathy is at an unusual high in schools across the nation. I hope there is a way to get kids back to being fully engaged and motivated to succeed. A teacher can believe in these students until we are blue in the face, but they need to want it, too!" -Survey response 29.5% Implementation of new programs or initiatives "I still love working with my students. However, it is challenging to keep pace with ever changing state testing requirements and new initiatives." 16% Lack of support from supervisor "Public education should not be treated like a political hot-potato. It requires support from everyone to succeed. Schools are not the enemy of children and families. With the minimal pay Missouri teachers receive, the political parents and politics, it isn’t surprising experienced teachers are leaving, and there aren’t adequately trained or certified replacements. If you continue to demonize teachers, turn schools into ideological soap-boxes, and remove revenues, public schools will cease to promote the American promise of education for all children, not just those whose families have the means to buy an education." -Survey response beating we have been subjected to, and the lack of support from -Survey response

20.6% Substitute Shortages 17% Loss of planning time 9.7% Professional development 16.5% Local and state political issues

Stress 77% of respondents say they are as stressed or more stressed than they were last year.

S&C WINTER 2024 | 21