When it comes to the teacher shortage, 85% of poll voters identified it as a serious problem, and 53% classified it as a “very serious” problem.
HARTFORD, CT — A survey of 800 Connecticut voters conducted by the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) found that many facets of teacher shortages and student mental well-being are major problems in schools .
When it comes to the teacher shortage, 85% of voters identified it as a serious problem and 53% classified it as a “very serious” problem. There were 85% of voters who also considered student mental health and well-being a serious problem, with 52% considering it “very serious”.
There were 82% of voters who named stress and burnout as a serious problem for teachers, with 51% saying it is a “very serious” problem.
About 65% of voters said teachers are underpaid and 90% said compensation should be comparable to or higher than professions with similar education and training requirements. In that sense, 83% of voters support raising teacher salaries, and 57% give “strong support.”
When it comes to funding teacher salaries, about three-quarters of voters favor the state providing more funding to municipalities to support those salaries.
“Hero pay” or other compensation should be awarded to teachers who worked during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the beliefs of 71% of voters.
Sixty-three percent of voters said public school funding is not enough to meet needs.
Nearly 9 in 10 voters support improving tutoring for new teachers, with 53% strongly supporting it.
About 95% of voters are in favor of addressing disruptive student behavior, with two-thirds expressing “strong support.”
Teaching is harder than ever,” said Kate Dias, CEA President. “The COVID-19 pandemic shed a bright light on issues teachers have faced for decades, including a lack of support and resources to meet student needs, low pay, and high levels of stress and burnout—all exacerbating existing problems and leading to record numbers of teachers leaving the profession or retiring early.”
The survey was conducted from December 6 to 11, 2022 with a margin of error of +/- 3.5%.