Critical time to support public school teachers
The challenges public schools are facing are nothing new, but they have been exacerbated since COVID-19 hit in the spring of 2020.
I was encouraged during spring of 2020 when teachers were finally getting the recognition they deserved. At every corner, they were deemed as heroes for going above and beyond to reach students as many families were facing food, job and housing insecurities. They have always worked outside of their contract day, provided wrap-around services, spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on their classrooms, juggled meeting the wide-ranging needs of 20-30 students at one time and met the increasing state demands. It seemed many people, especially parents, started to realize the true depths of teacher responsibilities combined with the altruistic nature of an educator.
Unfortunately, their heroism was short-lived and overshadowed by political influences reflected in our nation’s current state. Fast forward to today, teachers have become part of the political divisiveness that spiraled as a result of COVID-19 mitigation measures. As these issues snowballed, news media outlets and many elected officials began to demoralize teachers as individuals who teach critical race theory, keep “pornographic books” on their shelves, use social-emotional learning to “indoctrinate students,” etc. The result is teachers have been thrown into the middle of the culture wars as they strive to respond to the academic and behavioral crisis.
While public school teachers endured the public scrutiny and tackled additional job demands, policy resulted in further challenges in the profession. The state redesigned the 2023 STAAR assessment that has resulted in a complete overhaul of teaching and learning; implemented HB 4545 requiring supplemental instruction for students not passing the STAAR; and implemented House Bill 3 requiring all kindergarten through third grade teachers to attend a “teacher literacy achievement academy” by 2023.
Decisions continue to be made that impact overall morale. TEA is looking at changing how College Career & Military Readiness, known as CCMR, is measured. For example, a school will have to make a 47 percent improvement over last year to maintain an A. Therefore, schools could be penalized for making progress. This decision has further implications for overall morale in the profession. The changes and new requirements are placing additional demands on teachers who were already overwhelmed.
The data behind the crisis is alarming. A 2022 survey conducted by the Charles Butt Foundation found 77 percent of teachers planned to leave the profession, a 19 percent increase from 2020. In 2022, teachers opting to retire increased nearly 14 percent over the previous year. Furthermore,
in 2011 public universities contributed 43 percent of certified teachers; in 2020 the number dropped to 15 percent. Making the challenges even tougher are the teacher salaries that rank No. 28 in the nation.
My question is, why are all the aforementioned challenges a current reality for public schools? Is it a surprise fewer are opting to pursue education as a career? There has never been a more critical time to take action and advocate for public school teachers.
Matthew Gutierrez has served Texas public schools for 21 years as a teacher, campus administrator and central administrator in some of the state’s largest and diverse school systems. He has served as the superintendent for Seguin Independent School District for the past six years.