TELL bad news: paperwork, PD issues, class size

Significant numbers of Kentucky educators have flagged weaknesses in their working conditions.  Asked if they agree with key assertions, educators gave the fewest positives in the four areas shown below, signaling that many see problems with paperwork, class size and the evaluation and individualization of professional development.

At all three levels, the paperwork question got the weakest agreement of all, but there were variations on the next five issues.

Elementary educators offered agreement of just:

• 59 percent on Class sizes are reasonable such that teachers have the time available to meet the needs of all students.
• 60 percent on Professional development is evaluated and results are communicated to teachers.
• 61 percent on The non-instructional time provided for teachers in my school is sufficient.
• 61 percent on Teachers have sufficient instructional time to meet the needs of all students.
• 63 percent on Professional development is differentiated to meet the needs of individual teachers.

Middle school educators showed agreement of only:

• 55 percent on Professional development is evaluated and results are communicated to teachers.
• 55 percent on Class sizes are reasonable such that teachers have the time available to meet the needs of all students.
• 58 percent on Professional development is differentiated to meet the needs of individual teachers.
• 60 percent on Teachers have an appropriate level of influence on decision making in this school.
• 61 percent on The non-instructional time provided for teachers in my school is sufficient.

High school educators provided agreement of just:

• 51 percent on Professional development is evaluated and results are communicated to teachers.
• 54 percent on Professional development is differentiated to meet the needs of individual teachers.
• 55 percent on Teachers have an appropriate level of influence on decision making in this school.
• 58 percent on Professional development deepens teachers' content knowledge.
• 58 percent on Parents/guardians support teachers, contributing to their success with students.

Ideally, the TELL results will create an opening for statewide discussion of these issues and school-by-school issues of whichever issues looked weakest to the teacher-members of that particular community.

Full TELL results, including reports for each district and school, are available here.