Industry News

On February 26, 2021, the Center for State and Local Government Excellence at ICMA-RC (SLGE) published its report, K-12 Public School Employee Views on Finances, Employment Outlook, and Safety Concerns Due to COVID-19. The report presents the results of a nationwide survey of K-12 public school employees that indicates this segment of the state and local workforce has strong concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of those surveyed, the majority reported feeling stressed (63%), high levels of burnout/fatigue (54%), and substantial anxiety (47%) at work due to the pandemic. As compared to other government employees, 60% of the K-12 employees considered themselves to be at risk of exposure to COVID-19 at work.

Generally, K-12 employees’ satisfaction with their employers declined from 69% in March 2020 to 44% in October 2020. In addition, more public education professionals could leave their jobs at a time when many state and local governments are struggling to recruit and retain teachers. Over 38% of K-12 employees reported that working during the pandemic has caused them to consider changing jobs, as compared to 25% of other government employees.

The report also presents recommendations for states and localities to strategically consider addressing the challenges. To help improve the safety, health, job, and financial concerns of K-12 employees, the report focuses on financial wellness, employee morale, remote work and nontraditional benefits.

The report is available here.