Industry News

On February 28, 2022, the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) released its survey report, Americans’ Views of Public School Teachers and Personnel in the Wake of COVID-19. According to the report, 83% of Americans are concerned about the K-12 public school staff shortages and 81% expressed concern about workforce burnout. In addition, 89% indicated that the staff deserves more respect, and workforce shortages could be addressed with better pay (92%), healthcare benefits (89%) and pensions (86%).

The report concludes, “Going forward, it will be critically important for policymakers and the state, local and federal levels to fully understand the issues confronting the K-12 workforce, along with ways to recruit and retain these workers. Armed with this information, government leaders can make informed decisions about ways to address the growing and alarming shortfall of public school teachers and personnel that is impacting virtually every jurisdiction across the nation.”

The report is available here.