Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1472975
The Joint Education Committee (JEC) of the Wyoming Legislature met in May to consider interim topics. The JEC's work during the interim typically results in committee bills that will be presented to the legislature during the 2023 general session. During this first interim meeting, the JEC examined the recruitment and retention of K-12 personnel. At the close of the 2022 budget session, the Wyoming Education Association proposed the topic of 'recruitment and retention of K-12 personnel' for interim examination by the JEC. Are we having difficulty recruiting or retaining top-tier employees in Wyoming public schools? How do we recruit and retain high-quality education employees in Wyoming? To help answer these questions, the Wyoming Education Association collaborated with Mark Perkins, Ph.D., an assistant professor and researcher at the University of Wyoming College of Education, on a statewide survey of certified public school teachers. This survey sought to better gauge the retention problems plaguing Wyoming schools. Nearly 700 respondents completed the statewide survey, revealing that 65% of educators in Wyoming would leave the profession— they choose to stay only for financial reasons. Close to 12% of respondents indicated that they were, in fact, planning on leaving the profession at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 school year, which is in keeping with historic yearly attrition rates for educators in Wyoming. Learn more about the survey findings on page 19. Recruitment: During the JEC meeting, lawmakers discussed the failure of the legislature to provide an adequate external cost adjustment (ECA) during the 2022 budget session. The state legislature is legally mandated to periodically conduct recalibration studies through which they determine the cost of educating Wyoming students. The state must provide sufficient funding in line with recalibration recommendations through an adequate ECA. Earlier this year, the legislature voted to provide only $10 million in funding for utilities and educational supplies while neglecting professional and non-professional salary adjustments entirely. Certified staff has, on average, lost 12% of their purchasing power over the last year in the state of Wyoming due to inflation and stagnant wages. The lack of an ECA is stalling wage growth and forcing Wyoming to lose its competitive salary edge compared to bordering states. It is robbing our state of its ability to recruit new, high-quality educators, which is feeding our growing teacher shortage in Wyoming. Retention: Dr. Perkins' statewide survey revealed teachers have serious misgivings about the degree to which assessment is eating away at instructional time. Untenable workloads and ailing mental health are forcing teachers currently working in our public school system to rethink their careers. It's past time for the legislature to examine and prioritize working conditions and compensation for education employees in our state. We need your help to make sure lawmakers understand the challenges education employees are facing. Here's how you can help: The Joint Education Committee Explores Best Practices for Recruiting and Retaining Public Education Employees • Contact WEA Government Relations Director Tate Mullen to coordinate testifying before the Joint Education Committee (virtually or in person) during their September 6-7 meeting in Cheyenne. • Learn more about WEA's latest Teacher Satisfaction Survey results, available at wyoea.org and share these results with your legislators and others in your social circle. • Be on the lookout for a similar survey effort for Education Support Professionals and encourage ESPs in your school and district to participate. • Sign up for Legislative Updates from WEA at wealegislativeinfo.com. By: Tate Mullen "Do they ask teachers? I want to encourage all of you as we continue to move forward … keep classroom teachers apprised and available to give information. Spend time with them, ask them questions because they have many of the solutions and teacher voice has to be part of this." —WEA President Grady Hutcherson testifying before the Joint Education Committee. May 31, 2022. 12