In a recent survey conducted by the Colorado Education Association, it was found that nearly 40% of licensed teachers will consider leaving the profession at the end of the school year. This shift to online learning has amplified issues of underfunding and low wages, leading many educators to rethink their careers.
Anjie Julseth, a Jefferson County high school teacher, plans on retiring early. “After 27 years, it feels like I am a brand new teacher,” Julseth said.
Difficulty in transitioning from in-person to an online format has impacted both K-12 and college educators. Lydia Gil Keff, a Spanish professor at DU, commented on the challenges of preparing to teach an online course.
“You cannot take a traditional course and easily convert it to be online. You have to reverse-engineer the course and think about learning objectives,” Professor Keff said.
DU provided workshops for professors to attend on virtual teaching. Professor Keff noted that she attended several of these, commenting how vital the resources DU provided its staff were to the success of online learning. These resources encompassed IT assistance for professors during Zoom calls for both fully online and hybrid classes. Troubleshooting camera and sound problems and help with managing the chat feature were included.
A lack of resources, unrealistic workloads and unsafe working conditions were cited as the top reasons for teachers wanting to leave their positions. While universities throughout Colorado have made efforts towards ensuring COVID-19 safety precautions and online learning resources, staff in K-12 school districts are still left underfunded with inadequate resources.
The feeling of neglect goes beyond budgetary concerns and challenges. Another Jefferson County teacher described vaccine distribution to teachers in their district as “an afterthought.”
Denver Public Schools, in contrast, has been able to offer a vaccine to every staff member who wanted one due to their partnership with the Children’s Hospital and Denver Health.
Four of the largest Colorado school districts—including DPS—are in need of superintendents, and there is a growing shortage of substitutes. Current educators are still grappling with the loss of in-person instruction.
“There is tremendous value in being in the classroom. Online, there are students who fall through the cracks. I have found that it is really hard emotionally. We came into this profession with the hope to make a difference through teaching, so being unable to craft connections [with students] has been challenging,” Professor Keff said.
Educators are essential workers, and the pandemic has exacerbated issues in underfunding and neglect within the school system. These issues become more prevalent as educators lose the incentive of forming in-person relationships. Further neglect could lead to teacher shortages, as pushes to leave and reluctance to enter the field increase with online learning.
