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ATPE Report Says Texas Educators Believe
They are in an “Impossible Situation”
The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) released (Nov. 18) an analysis (executive summary/interactive survey results) of three educator-focused surveys designed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Texas public education.
ATPE says the report reflects that educators are finding themselves in “an impossible situation” as the coronavirus crisis continues to ravage Texas — and are increasingly dissatisfied with state and district leadership’s handling of the crisis.
Most of the respondents expressed that the health and safety needs of students, faculty, and staff are a top concern. The amount of mental stress and anxiety educators are experiencing in the return to school is at an all-time high. Respondents expressed a feeling that teachers “were an afterthought” in COVID-19 back-to-school planning at the state and district levels, and they said the implementation of safety protocols by their districts were, in their words, “inconsistent.”
In addition, the responses showed that between May and October, educators began experiencing concerns about increasing workloads reflected in longer work hours and the need for extra planning time.
ATPE issued nine recommendations, the first two being: 1) educators should be included in districts’ COVID-19 planning and 2) districts should be transparent about
COVID-19 policies and their enforcement across all school programs, including by “maintaining a confidential, trustworthy line of communication between employees and district leaders.”