Oregon Education Association survey finds educators at breaking point
PORTLAND, Ore. — Nearly two years in, COVID has impacted all facets of life. Now, teachers, surveyed by the Oregon Education Association, say it’s making things within schools statewide worse, even pushing them to a breaking point.
“Educators have simply in some places have run out of steam,” Dr. Reed Scott-Schwalbach, president of the Oregon Education Association, said.
Doing more than just their usual jobs, they are filling holes for the number of faculty who have left their jobs.
“During the pandemic, we have lost educators who have taken jobs in other states or left the profession,” Scott-Schwalbach said.
That strain, according to Scott-Schlabach, was felt long before the pandemic.
“As you saw on the report, we are at a staffing shortage crisis, it’s not because of COVID, it’s because we had decades of underfunding.
Making matters worse, Scott-Schwalbach says 25% of teaching staff statewide is eligible for retirement.
“When you are changing the system every two weeks, everyone is aware of the impact that has on students and that’s hard,” Scott-Schwalbach said.
So, if the state and districts don’t step in soon, ultimately, she says, it's students who will be hurt the most.
“This is not a time to be finger-pointing, this is not a time to be blaming. We need to be working together to make sure we end the year strong,” Scott-Schwalbach said.
OEA says they gave state leaders an advanced copy of the report. KATU reached out to state leaders including to governor’s office but have not heard back.