Survey: Teachers worried, but want in-person learning

Study finds one-third weighing retiring early or changing careers

Connecticut teachers want to teach classes in person, but the delta and mu variants of COVID19 have them worried about safety when many students are too young to be vaccinated, according to a survey of 955 educators released on Friday.

The Connecticut Education Association’s Back to School Survey, conducted from Aug. 20 to 25, found that teachers were most worried about indoor air quality, social distancing and COVID-19 testing policies. Schools’ spotty responses to safety protocols are leading many teachers to consider early retirement or changing careers, the survey found.

“This survey underscores the fact that while educators want to be in school, teaching in person, safety issues must continue to be addressed,” CEA Executive Director Donald Williams said in a news release. “High on the list of concerns is indoor air quality, because poor air quality in classrooms could lead to a spread of the virus, especially in our younger grades, where students are not yet eligible for vaccines.”

Some of the survey’s highlights include:

■ 97% of respondents say school ventilation systems should be improved. 47% say their school’s system is inadequate to make them feel safe. Only 27% say their schools have improved their system.

■ Nine out of 10 educators said students and staff should be tested before returning to school if they are close contacts of someone who tested positive for COVID-19, but only 51% say that their schools do this.

■ 80% of respondents say they want social distancing enforced, but only 35% say their districts do that.

■ Educators want unvaccinated staff members tested regularly, but only 51% say their schools do this. 89% of teachers are vaccinated.

■ 79% of teachers support Gov. Lamont’s mask requirements in schools, and 60% say that getting students to fall in line will be easy.

CEA President Kate Dias said the pandemic has sent teacher

stress levels skyrocketing. “On a scale of zero to 10, pre-pandemic stress levels averaged around six. Last year, workplace stress was 8.7 out of 10, and teachers expect their stress levels to remain above eight this year,” the news release states.

One-third of educators are thinking about retiring or leaving the profession, the survey found.

“Educators are professionals, and when they aren’t treated as professionals 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,” said Dias. “We have to seriously examine long-term impacts to the teaching pool and look at the shortage of students entering teacher preparation programs.”