BISMARCK, N.D. (KFGO) – North Dakota’s teacher and public employee union has released a poll which reports significant drops in teacher morale, raising concerns about staffing shortages and retention.
Increased workloads, stagnant wages, political controversies, and threats to degrade retirement and health insurance benefits have led to a record level of burnout, prompting North Dakota United president Nick Archuleta to sound the alarm.
“What North Dakota United’s teacher and education support professionals are telling us in this latest survey is that circumstances beyond their control are sapping their will to remain in the
professions they love,” he said. “The shortage of teachers, substitute teachers and education support professionals, when added to the pressures of teaching in a pandemic, are factors conspiring to drive these dedicated educators from the field.”
The poll, conducted by DFM Research in mid-January, asked NDU teacher members how they’re feeling about their jobs. When asked if they feel appreciated, 40 percent said no, and just 5 percent said they did. This represents a steep decline of 55 percent from a poll in 2019.
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