The Open Forum
“Staffing issues disrupt classes,” Nov. 10 news story
Wednesday’s Denver Post had an article on a shortage of teachers and substitutes. I’m sure the pandemic is partly the cause of this, but teacher abuse is another factor not openly discussed by our administrators. What’s happening in our schools is shocking and disturbing. Teachers are being slapped, punched and disrespected all the time. Last month on Tiktok, kids were challenged to “slap a teacher.” There is no consequence for these kids unless they harm another student; then they may be removed from class for a while or suspended for a day.
Another issue is the integration of special-needs students into the classroom. Some are so disruptive that a large portion of a teacher’s time is taken up dealing with these situations, leaving little time for the other kids. These special-needs kids are supposed to come to class with support from a paraprofessional but often are unsupported because of a lack of trained workers.
Because of the lack of substitutes and paraprofessionals, teachers have to cover for other teachers who are out sick. They give up their planning time, lunch breaks and bathroom breaks. Teachers are completely exhausted at the end of the day after spending every minute dealing with all these issues in the classroom. A recent survey indicated that 27% of these teachers are considering leaving the teaching profession after this school year. We must come together and rectify this burden on our teachers, or our education system will fail. Bring back respect for others, please.