Teacher Morale in Colorado - 2024-25 (from Education Week)

 

Education Week - “What Teacher Morale Looks Like in Every State”

from Education Week’s Teacher Morale Index for 2024-25 

The Index is “a year-over-year, multifaceted gauge of how teachers feel about the profession.”

“… the national Teacher Morale Index is +18 on a scale of -100 to +100, suggesting that teachers, overall, view their jobs more positively than negatively. That core is a significant climb for last year’s -13.”

“While the overall measure of +18 presents an improving picture nationally, morale levels look quite different depending on the state teachers are working in. That’s why the EdWeek Research Center’s survey of teachers last fall set out to capture representative samples of educators in all 50 states. We wanted to show the variability in the state-specific findings in order for district and school leaders, along with policymakers, to better understand the mood of their teacher workforces closer to home.”

https://www.edweek.org/state-of-teaching/teaching-learning/what-teacher-morale-looks-like-in-every-state/2025/03

 

Teacher Morale in Colorado –

Another View’s summary - from the report’s breakdown: “What Teacher Morale Looks Like in Every State.” Below, how Colorado teachers responded.

I note the larger GAPS between the Colorado response and the U.S. average.

Teacher Morale in Colorado in 2024-25, with comparisons to four neighboring states.

	2024-25
Utah	+25
New Mexico	+15
Wyoming	+6
Kansas	-3
COLORADO	-5

                                

                                     School climate and culture

How—if at all—would the following rules/policies impact your morale at work?

  

Capping the number of students per class to reduce the class size	Colorado	U.S. average
Would increase my morale	94%	89%
No impact	6%	11%

On the next three questions below, instructions included “Select all that apply.”

“What scheduling shifts would improve your morale at work a lot?” 

	Colorado	U.S. average	GAP
More planning time during the workday	76%	56%	20
Fewer meetings	63%	44%	19
Less time required for lunch duty, hall duty, and other non-teaching supervisory tasks	59%	34%	25
Replacing a 5-day school week with 4 longer days	44%	50%
More non-student contact days for planning/PD	32%	29%
Ability to work from home at least some of the time	29%	30%

 

“My morale at work would improve a lot if my district/school hired more:” 

	Colorado	U.S. average	GAP
Teachers [full-time/permanent]	69%	49%	20
Paraprofessionals	64%	42%	22
Special educators	57%	39%	18
Mental health professionals/school counselors	50%	39%	11
Substitute teachers	38%	35%
Co-teachers who could work with me	36%	27%

 

“What changes to school leadership would improve your morale at work a lot?”  

	Colorado	U.S. average	GAP
More advocacy for teachers’ needs	68%	55%	13
More/better support for student discipline-related issues	64%	48%	16
Better communication	54%	45%	10
More acknowledgement of hard work/successes	52%	44%
Less micro-management	52%	41%	11
A commitment to providing each teacher what they need and want than on treating everyone the same	50%	30%	20
More advocacy for resources at our school	37%	28%

 

“Other than a pay raise, what type of change would be most likely to improve your morale at work?” 

	Colorado	U.S. average
More staff to support teachers, students	21%	22%
Shifts in school leadership approaches and styles	21%	14%
Changes to scheduling/calendars	10%	6%
Changes to employee benefits	10%	4%
Changes to curriculum/pedagogy	8%	5%
Changes to prof. development, mentoring /or coaching	8%	4%