Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 2004)
Page 14 Fund lack dispiriting teachers A new Oregon State University (OSU) survey suggests that many Oregon kindergarten through 12 th - grade teachers are becom- ing increasingly frustrated by the state’s budget woes. The results are that the combination of low sala- ries, larger classrooms and fewer resources is causing many educators to rethink their profession, move out- of-state, or seek additional employment, according to the study. Most of the teachers surveyed said they would prefer remaining in Oregon because they like the area and have family ties. But others cited fiscal instabil- ity and a lack of support as factors that may sway them into moving across the state borders. “Oregon is in danger of facing an epidemic of teacher burnout and attri- tion,” said LeoNora Cohen, an associate pro- fessor of education at OSU. “Teaching is not an easy profession to begin with, and the added stresses of job insecurity, growing classrooms and dwindling support are ex- acerbating the problems.” Cohen and a team of graduate students surveyed 90 teachers in Oregon on their perceptions of the funding crisis in Oregon public schools. The lengthy questionnaires fo- cused on teacher attitudes, personal and financial is- sues, classroom and work- ing conditions, and changes in the teaching profession. Not surprisingly, said OSU, many of the respon- dents said they enjoyed teaching less today than they did five years ago, though they felt student achievement is compara- ble. As a group, however, they expressed a low de- gree of optimism for the direction Oregon public schools are going. “Oregon has very high standards for teaching; there has been an enor- mous impact from the ‘No Child Left Behind’ man- date; the retirement system is failing; and now the lack of a budget cushion is add- ing multiple pressures on teachers,” Cohen said. “It isn’t just teachers who are discouraged -- it is parents, community leaders, and students themselves. “Our education woes haven’t gone unnoticed nationally, either,” she added. “Oregon is fast be- coming known as ‘the Mississippi of the West’.” Cohen said the survey -- which she calls explora- tory, yet important -- tapped into a vein of frus- tration that many Oregon K-12 teachers are feeling. The “big picture” issues of larger classrooms and fewer teachers are well- documented, she said, but teachers point to a variety of issues that affect student learning yet may not be as visible. A growing number of students are on Individual Education Programs (IEPs) and that, coupled with the loss of teacher aides, can have a profound effect on classrooms, said OSU. In the OSU survey, 81 percent of the teachers say they are teaching more students with special needs than five years ago. Many of these students have at- (Continued on page 16) Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, January 21, 2004
