Over half of teachers who are members of the nation’s largest teacher’s union are considering leaving the profession early, according to a January 2022 poll from the National Education Association. Schools are also short-staffed across the country, and 80% of union members said they’ve had to take on a heavier workload to make up for the staffing gaps. Ninety percent of teachers from the same union said burnout is a serious issue.

Check out other findings from the survey here: NEA survey: Massive staff shortages in schools leading to educator burnout; alarming number of educators indicating they plan to leave profession | NEA

Is there a correlation between the teacher shortage and teacher burnout? Based on the data presented in the NEA survey, we think so. Teacher shortages lead to increased workload. Increased workload, among other stressors, leads to burnout. Burnout leads to teachers exiting the profession, and this exodus leads to staffing shortages.

How do we ensure our students are receiving the best education possible despite this huge administrative challenge? When faced with staffing shortages, districts may not be able to offer the same course options as they were when they had more teaching staff.

One option is partnering with an outside organization to increase your course catalog through teacher-facilitated online courses. A partnership with Graduation Alliance can allow your school to bring additional courses and elective options to your students, you can increase learning opportunities without overburdening your teachers’ already busy schedules.

Interested in learning how school districts are using Graduation Alliance’s catalog of more than 100 online classes to increase their course offerings? Request more information today.