Dive Brief:
- British author and teacher Emma Kell surveyed 1,400 teachers in the U.K. and found many report having too much work, a high stress level and general dissatisfaction with their job.
- The survey was conducted for Kell's new book, which is about teacher well-being and retention, and Kell's op-ed in the Guardian publicizes her findings, which she calls "alarming."
- Kell believes that "workload is the tip of the iceberg" for teacher's problems, and some reported also being bullied by managers, facing discrimination and a seeing a lack of recognition.
Dive Insight:
Interestingly, only 5% of respondents to Kell's survey agreed with the statement “Teaching is positively portrayed in the media”, and 3% felt that “Teachers are respected by politicians.” Though the survey focused on teachers in the U.K., low morale, heavy workloads and discrimination have been issues for teachers in the U.S. as well. Finding ways to better support teachers, especially new teachers, will be critical for addressing teacher shortage and attrition issues.
Teachers of color are still lacking in many schools, especially in states like Colorado. Last fall, an investigation by the Investigative News Network found the state’s largest school districts, which enroll large numbers of minority students, struggle to hire black and Latino teachers; as of 2014, black students outnumbered black teachers 51 to 1 in Denver, 97 to 1 in nearby Aurora, and 85 to 1 in suburban Jefferson County.