Colorado’s Education System is in a State of Crisis

The education system needs regular updates to match the pace of technology and other systems. If not done right, it goes into a crisis like what has happened in Colorado.

The education system in Colorado is intertwined in a state of crisis. The state’s educators say they are overworked, underpaid, and not respected. They claim their woes emanate from a serious understaffing crisis. If no solution comes forth sooner, the entire education system in the state will suffer. 

The Colorado Education Association made the announcement when releasing its annual report recently. The association is the largest teachers’ union in the state. The report is from a survey that targeted 1,600 members of the association.

Critical issues in the report

Although there is an education crisis in Colorado, the teaching profession is rewarding. Educators in the state say they hope things will work out for the better soon. If you are studying in college, you have every reason to push on. Your desire for teaching can still come to pass after university. Build your reasons why you want to teach and write about it. You can read why I want to teach essay examples on the eduzaurus website. They will give you confidence and excellent ideas on what to write about on this and other related topics.

The CEA consists of 39,000 members, which include educators and staff. The survey targeted members from all educational institutions across the state. The report by the Colorado teachers union pinpoints three key issues. 

The crisis began before the pandemic

The education crisis in Colorado did not start during the pandemic. The problem was developing nearly two years before the pandemic. Due to unfriendly working conditions, educators began to leave the state. Teachers leaving in big numbers should have served as a warning. 

The education crisis was worsened by the pandemic. Since then, everything seems to go from worse to worse. What is regarded as educators in Colorado are not just teachers. It is the entire team involved in the education system in one way or another. The team includes:

• Teachers
• Nurses attached to schools
• Custodians
• Office professionals
• Counselors
• Security guards
• Social workers
• Paraprofessionals

The shortage of educators is worse than in the past

The report shows most educators say teacher shortage is the key issue. The report shows the crisis in Colorado education is in a worse state today. 85% of respondents say the lack of teachers is greater or somehow greater than in the past. 90% say a shortage of support staff is more or somewhat more than in the past. 

82% say sub shortage is greater or somehow worse than in the past. 60% of educators are planning to leave the Colorado education system soon. 75% of respondents say they fear there could be a shooting in their school. Only 25% of respondents say they feel the state’s legislature respects them. 

Poor Colorado education funding is a major issue

Funding by the state government on per-pupil spending is way below the national average. From 2010 to date, state schools have incurred losses exceeding $10 billion. The reason is due to budget cuts which affect pay and learner outcomes. Debt continues to build, which is affecting schools in a big way. Governor Jared Polis has promised to act and eliminate debts. Unfortunately, Colorado law does not allow spending over $2 billion on education. 

Poor educator pay is fueling the education crisis 

Most teachers feel they are not paid proportionately. The Colorado teachers union says educators get $60,000 annually on average. Compared to the national average, this pay is 36% less. Teachers are overworked, and many of them feel quitting is the solution. The union reports schools are dangerously and unsustainably staffed. 

Many teachers say their life demands forced them to take two or three jobs. The crisis of burnout is growing fast. Due to this, the Colorado education crisis will not end anytime soon. The number of teachers leaving the state is growing daily. 

What version of Colorado education does the Colorado teachers union want?

Members of the Colorado teacher’s union want a paradigm shift in education. They want a state where chronic underfunding is a thing of the past. They envision a state that proudly delivers exceptional education to students. Such demands are only possible if the Colorado Education Department acts. The union reports some districts require over 40 vacancies to be filled. 

The more the teacher crisis persists, the more learners will miss their rights. They will get poor education value, and Colorado will continue to lag. Teachers want the state lawmakers to show respect to them. To respect means to create laws that favor them. They want the school to be safe from shooting incidents. Educators want safety for LGBTQ learners, and only laws will help.  

Conclusion

The largest Colorado teachers union issued a red alert on the education crisis. In a study report, the union says the crisis is in a worse state than two years ago. The key issues of concern are low pay, poor funding, and educator shortage. Poor pay led to a large number of teachers leaving. The educators want a different Colorado education sector. They want more teachers, better pay, funding, and safety in schools.