In ancient Greek mythology, Sisyphus was given the eternal task of rolling a huge boulder up the side of a mountain, aiming for the top, but the boulder would always roll back down again before he got there. This is a bit like teaching in the public schools in Arizona today. Teachers have high hopes for their students, but are up against a mountain of challenges.
With issues like teacher shortages, school funding and budgetary concerns, lack of administrative support, and the pressure to pull up Arizona’s national school ranking, teachers are suffering. Teacher turnover, burnout, low pay, and job dissatisfaction result from trying to provide their scholars a good education despite these issues.
A healthy future for Arizona’s education depends upon resolving the many challenges it faces. In order to better understand the boulder that Arizona’s public schools face, this blog will describe the problems as well as offer an alternative solution for your children’s education.
The Teacher Turnover Crisis in Arizona
In January of 2023, there were 2,890 unfilled teacher vacancies in Arizona. This is 25% of all teaching positions. In addition, 45% of the filled positions were taken by teachers who had not met standard teacher certification requirements. Approximately 13% of teachers planned to leave the teaching profession in the state in 2023, compared to the national 8% of planned departures.
Why are so many teachers leaving the profession? With fewer teachers to fill positions, they end up with larger classes. Large classes create a setting wherein scholars receive less attention and support in their learning. Poor class behavior escalates, and with a lack of administrative support, managing classroom discipline is exhausting and concerning.
With the many challenges teachers are facing, they are stressed and burned out. Increased expectations, high emotional demands, and unmanageable workloads are all causes for teachers leaving the profession.
Unfortunately, the impact of teacher turnovers are felt most by their scholars. The ripple effects of teachers leaving are experienced with the loss of instruction continuity, slower academic
progress, and at times, teachers are replaced with less experienced teachers. Furthermore, when scholars have to begin a new teacher-scholar relationship all over again, stability and support for them suffers. This leads to low morale and motivation.
Likewise, a high teacher turnover places strain on the rest of the teaching staff, which also contributes to low morale. It’s difficult for teachers to embrace a shared vision for the school and a positive learning environment when there are so many leaving.
The Causes of Teacher Burnout
A state of chronic stress and exhaustion, with feelings of cynicism, detachment and reduced accomplishment, is the boulder many teachers are trying to roll uphill in today’s classrooms. They spend long hours planning, grading, and performing administrative tasks outside of the classroom. During class time, they work with large numbers of students, attempting to meet all their needs.
In addition, many teachers are given non-teaching responsibilities in school, such as monitoring the playground or cafeteria, bus duty, and staff meetings.
To add to the problem, today’s teachers often feel micromanaged and constrained by a rigid curriculum, pressures over standardized testing, and a limited input in school decisions. With a lack of sufficient administrative support, teachers believe they’re unsupported, especially in disciplinary situations.
It is because of these reasons, along with low pay and lack of recognition, that educators are leaving the teaching profession in droves.
Disaffection With Traditional Public Schooling
In today’s educational circles, we hear many voices telling us to “differentiate our teaching material” so scholars with different learning styles or disabilities are able to succeed. However, realistically, that’s not always possible in traditional schools because teachers are expected to adhere to predetermined lesson plans and must follow strict timelines. There simply isn’t enough time in a class for them to use innovative or creative approaches for scholars with unique needs.
Additionally, teachers are often expected to prepare their scholars for standardized testing by “teaching to the test”. By focusing on test content at the expense of discovery learning and deeper exploration into subject matters, test preparation takes priority over critical thinking development. Also, subjects that are not covered on standardized tests, such as humanities and arts, are neglected altogether.
This adhesion to strict teaching expectations wears upon teachers’ sense of autonomy and creativity, leading to increased job dissatisfaction. It also leaves scholars with a lack of motivation and inspiration.
Furthermore, research tells us that most traditional public school teachers feel excluded from critical decisions regarding curriculum, instructional methods, and school policies. This results in low teacher morale and job satisfaction. A report by the American Institutes for Research illustrates that teachers in this situation endure a diminished sense of professional efficacy.
Such contrasting pressures; to differentiate teaching, and “teach to the test” put a heavy load upon teachers’ shoulders, while at the same time clipping their sense of autonomy and their desire to be creative.
How Charter Schools Are Offering a Better Alternative
Now that we have looked at the problems in the traditional school setting, let’s turn toward a different setting, one that provides a solution to teaching with those challenges.
Charter schools are tuition-free public schools too, but they have a tremendous amount of flexibility in the way they approach education.
Unlike traditional schools, charter schools’ curricula are not as limited as traditional schools are because they operate independently with their own governing boards. Even though they must meet performance goals, they are free to determine their teaching methodology. As such, they are more able to meet the individualized needs of their scholars.
Charter school leaders don’t have to navigate as much red tape when making educational decisions; thus, these schools contain a variety of teaching styles. No doubt you’ll find charter schools that match your child’s particular needs and desires.
In addition, most charter schools offer programs for professional growth as well as coaching and mentoring for teachers. For example, Classical Charter Schools allow teachers to select professional development that aligns with their personal growth goals. Others recognize that by empowering teachers in decision-making processes, they gain a sense of autonomy and input.
The Leman Academy of Excellence teaches via the Classical Education model. Structured learning with the Trivium fosters deep understanding and critical thinking skills, as well as an emphasis on character education. Students are encouraged to explore ideas deeply and develop a lifelong love for learning.
Why Teachers Are Moving to Charter Schools
For nearly a decade, a traditional high school English teacher, Jennifer M., taught a subject she was passionate about — literature. She enjoyed her scholars and sharing her joy of literature, but after several years, she began to feel overloaded. She was spending more time filling out paperwork and preparing her scholars for standardized tests than actually teaching. She taught large classes, with as many as 36 scholars in one of them. Between the large classes and her administrative duties, she lost personal connections with her scholars. A friend of hers suggested she look into charter school teaching.
“It was like someone lit a match inside me,” Jennifer said after she began working in a charter school. She now teaches in an interdisciplinary humanities program where her scholars co-design projects with her. She has rediscovered the joy of teaching.
Many traditional school teachers are rewarded with a positive change after making the leap from traditional to charter schools:
“Working at a charter school has pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t expect. I have access to a high-quality curriculum, strong mentorship, and a team that collaborates.
I feel like my ideas matter here, and that’s incredibly empowering.”
Dana K., a charter school teacher in Washington, D.C., says, “I immediately felt the difference. There’s an energy here — a belief that all kids can and will succeed.”
The Leman Academy of Excellence, by offering competitive compensation and recognition through its Royal Teachers Fund, provides salary supplements, rewards, and professional education opportunities. In the 2023-24 school year, Leman Academy distributed $340,000 in bonus compensation across all eight campuses. If you live in Arizona or Colorado, the Leman Academy’s K-8 schools of Classical Education may be a perfect fit for your children.
Likewise, teachers at the Leman Academy enjoy meaningful instruction and a collaborative atmosphere where they’re encouraged to pursue advanced degrees and professional growth.
Conclusion
Traditional public schools are drowning their teachers’ energy levels and stretching their resources too thin. As a result, we’re seeing a quarter of today’s teachers leaving the profession because they can no longer work in such conditions.
When the teaching staff believes they have a voice, are well-compensated, have a reasonable workload, and have the opportunity to include innovative and creative ideas in their teaching, then they’re able to teach at their best. More educational opportunity pours into your child’s classroom when his or her teacher feels they’re supported and recognized. Such a balance can be found in many of Arizona’s charter schools.
Explore Charter School Options Like the Leman Academy of Excellence, and Find Teachers Who are at Their Best!