Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1472975
In June, in collaboration with the Wyoming Education Association, Dr. Mark Perkins, Assistant Professor, and researcher at the University of Wyoming College of Education, released an interactive dashboard and summative report on data collected through a survey about job satisfaction, teacher attrition, and needs and priorities for Wyoming's public school teachers. More than 700 teachers responded to the survey. "WEA was proud to collaborate in sharing this survey with Wyoming teachers to help us better understand their needs and priorities so that we can advocate for our members," says WEA President Grady Hutcherson. "Anecdotally, I often hear from members that they are burned out: There are too many demands on their time. They feel underappreciated and unsupported," he said. "Through this survey, we now have the data to illustrate that those one-on-one conversations WEA is having with members are indicative of the larger issues—these issues are universally problematic for all Wyoming teachers, and they are forcing our teachers to question and rethink their commitment to their profession." Dr. Perkins shared insights from his survey findings with legislators during the Joint Education Committee's meeting on May 31. The Committee is exploring teacher recruitment and retention as an interim topic. Dr. Perkins' findings indicate that 65% of responding teachers would quit their profession; they remain only because of financial or other obligations. "Even if those teachers stay," Dr. Perkins asked the Joint Education Committee during their meeting, "do you want your child to be in the classroom of one of th ose [teachers] who would leave if they could?" About 12% of the surveyed teachers said they were quitting teaching by the end of the school year. 65% of the teachers said that if they could quit, they would but cannot quit due to financial or other reasons. Teachers with higher levels of anxiety are more likely to want to quit teaching. Teachers with higher levels of depression are more likely to quit teaching. Community and professional support correlate with desire to quit with professional support showing stronger effects. The majority of teachers do not find assessment useful, and as a result of the lack of variability on this, it does not distinguish between teachers who want to quit and those who want to stay. Teachers who score higher on items related to wellbeing are less likely to quit teaching. Since COVID, teachers have observed longer work hours and more incidents of aggression. A summary of findings from Dr. Perkins' statewide teacher survey is as follows: The study recommends that districts and lawmakers focus on policy that will bolster teachers' mental health, build community and professional support, rethink and streamline assessment, and seek ways to address unsustainable workloads. Bef ore the Joint Education Committee, Dr. Perkins put forth the need to balance teachers' workdays, giving them not just adequate time to plan but time also to socialize and build relationships with their students, parents, and colleagues. "The relationships we have with each other within our proximity are in many ways what defines the quality of our lives," he said. Statewide Teacher Satisfaction Survey Reveals 65% Would Quit; Explores Rates of Anxiety, Depression, Substance Abuse; Makes Policy Recommendations to Limit Teacher Attrition Learn more about the insights and policy recommendations from this statewide survey of public school teachers via an interactive data dashboard and summative report now available at wyoea.org or by scanning the QR code on this page. Please note: The interactive dashboard works best on a desktop computer its user interface is not optimized for mobile devices. By: Amanda Turner From left: Associate Professor Dr. Mark Perkins testifies before the Joint Education Committee with Dr. Scott Thomas, the John P. Jack Ellbogen Dean at the University of Wyoming College of Education. May 31, 2022. Casper. Image captured from live stream provided by Wyoming PBS/the Wyoming State Legislature. I often hear from members that they are burned out: There are too many demands on their time. They feel underappreciated and unsupported. —WEA President Grady Hutcherson Scan the QR code with your phone or other smart devices to read Dr. Perkins' report on survey findings and resulting policy recommendations. 19