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Collaboration is Key to Retaining Teachers

and Supporting Students with Significant

Support Needs

By Cynthia L. Hopkins

The author draws attention to the problem of attrition among teachers and the impact of
teacher shortages on students, particularly those with significant support needs. Noting the
importance of inclusive education for such students, she argues that collaboration is a critical
working condition for teachers who must meet the needs of all students, because planning and
implementing instruction together can help alleviate educators’ workloads and create a more
supportive working environment. She further argues that prioritizing time for collaboration for
general and special education educators would improve their working conditions and be one
way to help curb the rate of teacher attrition. Although the author focuses on data from the State
of Texas regarding attrition and its causes, her argument has relevance for all educators.

ike many of their colleagues in the United States and elsewhere, Texas teachers'
Lbiggest challenges are being underpaid and overworked with little time to
collaborate with colleagues—factors that impact their decision to remain in the
profession. Per the Charles Butt Foundation (CBF) survey conducted in 2022, 77%
of Texas teachers considered leaving the profession, and 72% planned to do so in
the next 5 years. These numbers did not include those nearing retirement (CBF,
2022), and, in fact, Texas only retains 48% of teachers by their fifth year (Texas
Education Agency [TEA], 2022). Not surprisingly, because teachers earn 21% less
on average than other professions requiring a college degree (Akhtar, 2019), 81% of
Texas teachers stated their pay was unfair (CBF, 2020). Forty-one percent of Texas
teachers reported working an extra job because they needed additional money (CCF,
2022).
Surveys demonstrated salary was one factor in teachers' decisions to leave
the profession—but it was not the only factor (Association of Texas Professional
Educators (ATPE), 2022; CBF, 2022). Another top factor was working conditions.
Teachers asserted their plates are overfilled with unrealistic expectations (ATPE,
2022). The CBF reported that 53% of teachers worked more than 60 hours weekly;
19% of teachers said they worked more than 70 hours weekly (CBF, 2022). In
general, teachers work 54 hours a week with only 25 hours spent teaching in front
of students (EdWeek Research Center, 2022; Kurtz, 2022). Texas teachers reported
being given only 3 hours and 45 minutes per week on average to plan (TEA, 2022).
About 380,000 educators in Texas started the school year in 2021–2022 (TEA,
2022). Including teachers retiring and leaving the profession, the state had an almost
12% attrition rate as of October 31, 2021 (TEA, 2022). Between the end of the
2020–2021 school year and October 2021, teacher attrition in Texas increased by
more than 2% (TEA, 2022). A persistent problem of teacher shortages has existed
for decades, and the pandemic exacerbated it (Steiner & Woo, 2021). Furthermore,
deficits in the number of special education educators have existed since 1975, when
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was enacted (Billingsley &
Bettini, 2019).

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