Dec 2021-Jan 2022_Advisor

ADVOCATING

8 CEA ADVISOR DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022

CEA ADDRESSING CAUSES, EFFECTS

CEA is taking a multipronged approach to solving the problem of teacher shortages, burnout, and stress. To push back on efforts to micromanage teachers’ classrooms and undermine their curriculum, CEA, along with a coalition of education stakeholders, has put forth an initiative called What’s Real in Education . (See facing page.) The group is proactively highlighting the good work of professional educators and what is being taught in classrooms—which includes curriculum that addresses issues of race and equity and teaches history in a way that’s honest and age-appropriate. To ensure that teachers have the resources they need to do their jobs

HELP WANTED STUDENT TRAUMA, STAFF SHORTAGES, PUBLIC ATTACKS ADD TO TEACHERS’ STRESS

effectively and reduce churn and burnout, CEA has launched Better Together: Taking Care of Educators , which offers everything from free fitness/wellness activities, social opportunities, and mental health first-aid training to practical supports so that teachers have a positive work environment and are easily able to take time off when they need it. This fall, CEA conducted a survey of members’ top concerns that can be addressed through legislation. On that front, CEA is developing and advocating for a comprehensive legislative package that will recruit and retain educators as well as revitalize the profession with proposals that would ensure • Educators have a robust support system to help maintain a safe, inclusive, rich learning environment. Mental health resources are easily accessible for students, families, and teachers. • Greater health and safety is maintained in public school buildings through improved indoor air quality, established minimum and maximum temperatures, and other measures. • Teachers’ salaries are comparable to those of other professionals with similar degrees. • Teachers have access to high- quality, affordable health insurance. • Teaching is regarded as a desirable career path attracting a diverse, talented pool of applicants.

38 % of teachers surveyed by CEA this school year said they are more likely to retire early or leave the profession because of the pandemic 1 , 000 + unfilled certified staff positions in Connecticut schools as of November 174 emergency certifications to reassign educators to teach in shortage areas last year

Perfect storm “It’s really the perfect storm,” says CEA President Kate Dias. “We are facing incredible stress and an alarming shortage in one of the most critical professions.” That stress, she says, combined with salary freezes and other factors, has created an untenable situation for teachers. “On a scale of zero to ten, pre- pandemic stress levels for teachers averaged around six,” she explains, citing results from a CEA poll. “Last year, workplace stress hit a level of 8.7 out of ten, and teachers expect their stress levels to remain above eight this year.” Exacerbating the problem is a recent spate of attacks directed at teachers and schools about curriculum—what is taught, and how—as well as public disagreement about COVID safety measures. Even the rewards of teaching—making a difference in the lives of children and communities—have diminished in the face of angry attacks by small but vocal groups of parents and community members. “Educators are professionals, and when they aren’t treated as such or they are not allowed to have input on critical issues that affect students and public education policy, including health and safety concerns, they are going to look for work elsewhere, where stress levels are lower, pay is higher, and they receive the respect they deserve,” says Dias. “We have to seriously examine long-term impacts to the teaching pool and the shortage of students entering teacher preparation programs. The pipeline is getting smaller.” She adds, “Teachers, who have already gone thousands of extra miles due to staffing shortages, student trauma, the constant pile-on of initiatives, and attacks by parents and

At the start of the school year, hundreds of vacancies were posted in school districts all across the state, with some experiencing an increase of 60 percent in vacancies over the prior year. Nearly halfway into the current school year, scores of positions remain unfilled. They include critical shortage areas such as math, science, technology, bilingual education, special education, world languages, media specialists, school psychologists, and speech and language pathologists. Also in scarce supply are custodial staff, paraprofessionals, and substitute teachers—shortages that have intensified teachers’ workload and escalated CEA’s efforts to effect change at the bargaining table, on boards of education, at the state legislature, and in the halls of Congress. Fewer entering, more leaving Nearly two-thirds of teachers in an EdWeek Research Center survey said they’ve taken on additional responsibilities, from cleaning their own classrooms to covering classes where substitutes could not be found. In a CEA survey conducted at the start of the school year, more than one in three educators reported considering retiring or leaving the profession earlier than planned. “We are clamoring for qualified teachers,” says Bridgeport Education Association President Ana Batista, adding that the city is not alone. After years of chronically underfunded school budgets, urban districts in particular struggle to recruit and retain teachers, who often leave for higher-paying districts. In Bridgeport alone, nearly 70 teacher and staff vacancies remain unfilled. In addition, while Connecticut’s college entrance and graduation rates have remained fairly steady in recent years, the number of students completing teacher preparation programs declined by 15 percent since 2016. With fewer graduates entering the profession and more teachers feeling the stress of underfunded schools and outside pressures on everything from curriculum to COVID protocols, help wanted signs have sprung up outside schools throughout the state.

• Educational decisions that affect the school community are made only after extensive consultation with teachers, and educators are given greater autonomy that reflects their professional training. • Educators have dedicated time to learn, collaborate, and innovate. • Meaningful professional learning opportunities developed by educators and easily accessible to all teachers take the place of irrelevant mandated professional development. • The arts, physical education, and vocational experiences are as valued as reading and math. • A simplified, supportive teacher evaluation process is based on growth, reflection, and learning. • TEAM is reformed in ways that reduce the burden on educators. • Classrooms are joyful, and play is considered essential to learning. • The number of standardized tests is reduced in the interest of more meaningful learning and assessment. • The ratio of students to social workers, counselors, psychologists, behavioral interventionists, and other certified support staff is improved, and the intensity of special education caseloads is addressed. • Connecticut’s kindergarten start age, which is among the earliest in the country, is raised. • Simultaneous remote and in-person teaching is prohibited.

community members, cannot continue going the extra mile. Something has to give.”

STAY INFORMED AND ENGAGED

When the 2022 General Assembly session convenes on February 9, issues related to children’s mental health, behavioral concerns, and the role and impact for schools are expected to take center stage. CEA will be actively advocating to address these and other teacher concerns in the upcoming legislative session. The session is less than three months, meaning legislators will have to move quickly to pass key bills. Don’t pass up this important opportunity to communicate your experiences; lawmakers base many of their decisions on conversations they have with constituents. Call, email, or testify on bills that elevate your profession and support your students and colleagues. Watch your inbox for CEA Action Alerts so that you know what’s being debated and where your voice can make a difference.