Teachers in the Indian River School District are proud of their work and their colleagues, but discipline and burnout are looming concerns.
Those are some of the takeaways from a survey sent to teachers from the school board. The survey brought in 651 responses. Overall, teachers seemed fairly content; with average ratings across the fifteen questions all above three points on a five-point scale.
The district scored highest on a question about whether teachers have pride in their schools. Teachers also said they feel generally safe in their schools.
But while most felt safe from outside threats, some had concerns about safety inside the building. School Board President Mark Steele said parents need to step up to help.
“When I hear the stories of teachers being kicked and hit and bit - and that's a constant theme through this survey - I think we have got to ask parents to work with their children and make them know right from wrong before coming to school," he said.
Another common complaint is rising burnout. Board Vice President Kimberly Taylor:
“Teachers are feeling burdened by the overall stress of their job, not only with discipline, but also with expectations at times," she said.
Taylor added that the district should focus on letting teachers teach.
“Teachers need to be given permission to teach creatively with their comfortable style," she said. "In other words, be themselves.”
The board will continue gathering information, with plans to survey administrators in the future.
