Teachers in Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1 who took part in a survey about working conditions said they felt they were not adequately compensated, and their responses about communication and family engagement fell short when compared with the state average.
The 2024 Teaching and Learning Conditions Colorado Survey, which is conducted by Panorama Education and the Colorado Department of Education, received 213 respondents. While the primary response was positive, the district’s score on many points were notably down from other districts in the state.
Teachers noted in one portion of the survey that they didn’t feel as if they were adequately compensated or given enough time for the work required of them.
In the community support and involvement section, 72% of district teachers said they felt as though the district worked with students and families in the realm of communication and family engagement, as well as gauging the broader support of the community. While up 7 points from the previous survey, it was down from the Colorado average of 84%.
And 66% of teachers said they felt that they they had district-level support from school leaders, compared with the state average of 80%. Job satisfaction was nearly on par with districts across the state, as 73% of district teachers said they were satisfied with their job and work, down only slightly from the state average of 76%.
Another area of the survey that ranked on the lower side had to do with professional development, which asked teachers if they felt that the district supported their development and provided training and other programs to help support teaching staff.
In this section of the survey, teachers were asked if “professional learning opportunities are personalized and aligned to teachers’ needs and strengths,” to which 51 respondents agreed and 42 disagreed.
When asked whether “the effectiveness of professional development is assessed regularly,” 71 teachers disagreed, and 58 agreeds.
Forty-six respondents also said they disagreed that teachers were given ongoing support and coaching to improve their teaching.
Teachers showed a dismal response to the question of compensation: Only 12 teachers said they felt that they were adequately compensated,. Thirteen disagreed and 15 strongly disagreed.
In the survey section regarding time, 51 teachers felt they had enough time to do their jobs effectively.
When asked whether teachers felt they had “adequate time to analyze and respond to student data,” 60 respondents disagreed. Forty-five disagreed with the question asking whether they were “able to meet the expectations of my position in contract of my work hours.”
Finally, when asked whether “an external substitute (not staff) is readily available when teachers need to take leave,” 39 agreed, 45 disagreed and 49 strongly disagreed.
According to the Colorado Department of Education, the survey is an anonymous, confidential and conducted statewide. It was started after the passage of House Bill 08-1384, and is “intended to support school, district and state improvement planning, as well as research and policy.”
The survey is conducted every two years.
The full survey and results can be viewed online.
