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Illinois teachers say COVID-19 struggles are mounting and they’re ‘acutely worried about the safety and well-being’ of students

The escalating COVID-19 crisis is placing enormous burdens on Illinois teachers that could worsen an already critical teacher shortage in Illinois, public policy experts say.

The warning was based on a recent report from a researcher with the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs, who found that teachers and administrators across the state are struggling on the job and at home because of COVID-19 stressors, which officials say could hurt teacher retention.

“The work of teachers and schools was significantly altered by the pandemic,” Meghan Kessler, an assistant professor of teacher education at the University of Illinois at Springfield and the author of the report, said in a Tuesday statement.

“Many of those changes, and the uncertainty that comes with them, will persist for the foreseeable future,” Kessler said. “In addition to intense professional challenges, teachers are coping with the stress that all families face during this pandemic around access to child care, maintaining their health and finding time for their loved ones. As the state faces significant budget shortfalls, teachers also fear that the resources they need to do their jobs will be reduced.”

According to feedback Kessler received from educators, teachers have been asked to adapt quickly during the pandemic to teach students in entirely new ways, with some reporting they had to adjust to delivering “virtual learning on the spot.”

Some teachers who are back in the classroom with students reported that they are “coping with the additional precautions it brings and fears for their personal safety,” while also juggling the demands of a heavier workload as they teach both online and in person.

The IGPA report also found teachers citing that “interpersonal connections and relationships with students, which are some of the most gratifying and meaningful elements of teachers’ jobs, have diminished under all three models” of instruction during the pandemic.

Teachers also reported that even though they are working longer hours, they fear they are not offering educational experiences that are as “engaging and rigorous” as those that accompany traditional, full-time in-person teaching, Kessler said.

In addition to teachers reporting they feel “exhausted,” Kessler said educators also are “acutely worried about the safety and well-being of their students, especially in cases where the students might be exposed to abuse or neglect while away from school for prolonged periods.”

One educator from southern Illinois told Kessler: “If we haven’t already, I can say with all certainty that we will see an increase in trauma and anxiety among our students.”

While the educator told Kessler her school had provided meals and other services to families who are at risk, she said “not being able to see our kids and our kids not being able to see us, that’s really tough. Especially for those kids who are most vulnerable.”

Indeed, the steep challenges in recruiting teachers was evident even before the pandemic, with Illinois and states across the U.S. grappling to fill teacher vacancies, especially in fields such as special education and at schools in high-poverty districts, Kessler said.

“As a profession grounded in care for students and communities, Illinois educators are ready and willing to take on the challenges presented by the pandemic, but they cannot do it alone,” Kessler said. “Our schools now require a significant infusion of financial and moral support from state leaders and community members.”

Among the short-term solutions officials are recommending is allowing for flexibility in accountability mandates, such as student testing and teacher evaluations.

Kessler also suggests “prioritizing COVID-19 testing and contact tracing for students and school employees, and investing in training and resources focused on social and emotional needs.”

The IGPA report arrives in the wake of a recent Illinois Education Association survey, which found that more than a third of Illinois teachers surveyed said they’ve considered leaving the profession amid the safety concerns and stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An exodus from Illinois classrooms would arrive at a critical time, coinciding with teacher shortages at many school districts across the state and a surge in teacher retirements.

kcullotta@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kcullotta