Introduction to the Survey
In the last five years, NBC6 and our sister station Telemundo 51 have teamed up to survey teachers in our community. It’s an informal survey distributed by the teachers unions in Miami-Dade and Broward (the organizations didn’t have any editorial input in the survey).
We heard from close to 1,400 teachers this time around. They shared their views on a wide range of topics, from staff shortages, immigration enforcement and safety to new cellphone policies and the struggles they face keeping up with the cost of living in South Florida.
Who Participated in Our Survey?
At least 589 teachers from Miami-Dade and 762 from Broward participated in our survey. 56% of them are veteran educators, who have been teaching for more than 20 years. The second group (23%) have been teaching for more than 10 years and the third group (20%) for two to ten years. Only eight of the participants are in their first year of teaching.
44% are elementary school teachers, 22.7% are middle school teachers, 27% are high school teachers and 5.7% teach in Kindergarten.
Staff Shortages
63% of teachers said their school is experiencing staff shortages versus 37.3% who responded no. We received similar results in our teacher survey last year. Most of the survey participants (82.2%) don’t feel the school district is providing enough support to deal with staff shortages.
One teacher wrote, “Severe overcrowding in the classrooms due to teacher shortages…This is unacceptable.” Another one wrote, “We need more teachers hired.”
The state of Florida has created alternative pathways to obtain a teacher certification, as a way to deal with staff shortages. We asked teachers if they support the decision, 40.6% said yes versus 59.3% who said no.
Drop in Student Enrollment
When asked if their school was experiencing a drop in student enrollment, 78.4% said yes versus 21.5% who responded no.
“The many ripple effects of lower enrollment are concerning,” one teacher wrote.
Another one wrote: “We are losing so many students due to immigration and cost of living. Teachers are being moved out of teaching positions at their schools. Also charter schools are enticing many students from public schools.”
Safety
More than half of the teachers who participated in our survey (75.7%) said they feel safe on their school, with 65.7% saying they feel the school district is doing enough to keep students and teachers safe. 34.3% said they don’t feel that’s the case.
When asked if they believe state leaders are doing enough to keep students and teachers safe, 70% said no and 29.8% said yes. We received similar responses to these questions when we surveyed teachers last year.
We also asked teachers if they believe metal detectors are an effective tool to keep students and staff safe, 55.7% said yes versus 44.3% who said no.
Affordability
Keeping up with the cost of living in South Florida continues to be a major concern for teachers in our community. In fact, 98.6% said they have concerns about it and 99% said they don’t believe teachers are paid fairly.
“Salaries are not keeping up with the cost of living in Miami-Dade County,” one teacher wrote. “I live paycheck to paycheck… Miami is crazy expensive,” another participant added.
Most of the teachers NBC6 and Telemundo 51 spoke with said they have other side jobs to be able to make ends meet, from tutoring to working in restaurants.
“I shouldn’t have to secure a second job just to make ends meet,” an educator wrote. “I’m already drained and burnt out and the school year just started. Honestly, I don’t know how long I’ll stay in this profession.”
“…As a 20-year veteran I cannot afford a house and that is not a good feeling,” another teacher wrote.
Most survey participants (85.8%) have considered moving out of South Florida because of the cost of living with 96% saying they have colleagues who have already moved for the same reason.
“Teacher salaries are a significant concern because they are inadequate and have not kept pace with inflation, making it difficult to recruit and retain educators and leading to a disparity in pay compared to other college-educated professionals,” a participant wrote.
Vaccine Mandates
We also asked teachers about the recent announcement from Florida Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo, about eliminating vaccine mandates. Most (86.8%) survey participants said they are concerned about the decision. Some of the teachers NBC6 and Telemundo 51 interviewed were supportive of the move or didn’t have a strong opinion about it saying it should be up to the parents to make that decision.
Immigration Enforcement
Teachers also weigh in on the impact of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement: 59.9% said the situation is affecting their students and 40% said it’s not. Several teachers wrote, “Parents are scared to send students to school.”
“I have students who have had parents deported to other countries… devastating,” a teacher wrote.
Some teachers said they attribute the drop in student enrollment partly to immigration enforcement and worry about their students’ education and future.
“Immigration enforcement is impacting my students significantly,” a teacher said. Another one wrote: “Miami-Dade County has one of the largest Latinx populations in the country, and many students come from immigrant families, some undocumented or with mixed status households. The fear and uncertainty caused by immigration enforcement disrupts their emotional well being, academic performance, and sense of safety.”
Cellphones & Social Media
When asked if phones are a distraction, this is what they responded:
41% said they are generally not a distraction for their students in the classroom.
23.5% said cellphones can be a distraction
11.6% said they are often a distraction
23.7% said they are a constant source of distraction
90.8% of participants support a Florida law that bans cellphone use for elementary and middle school students. Some educators told us it has made it easier to enforce cellphone policies in the classroom.
The majority of participants (93%) said they are concerned about the impact of social media on their students’ mental health. When asked if it’s difficult to enforce cellphone policies, 54.6% said yes while 45.3% said no.
“Phones, AI, and chronic absenteeism. These three have profoundly hurt students in the past five years and are bringing educational gains to a standstill. Children cannot learn in this environment, it’s impossible,” one survey participant wrote.
State of the Profession
We asked teachers how they feel about being a teacher, this is what they responded.
Nearly 80% (78.5%) said they have considered leaving the profession. When asked what keeps them going, it all comes down to one thing for many: “the kids.”
“I always say I only like my job from eight o’clock to two, working with the kids,” said Michelle Lucas, who teaches at Hollywood Hills Elementary.
“I love the relationships I formed with these kids. I have them for one year, but they’re in my life forever,” said Jordanna Egan, who teaches at Tropical Elementary School in Broward.
Conclusion
The survey results show that teachers in South Florida are facing numerous challenges, including staff shortages, immigration enforcement, and affordability. Despite these challenges, many teachers are passionate about their work and are committed to providing the best possible education for their students. However, the survey also highlights the need for greater support and resources for teachers, as well as the need for policies that address the root causes of these challenges.
FAQs
Q: How many teachers participated in the survey?
A: Close to 1,400 teachers participated in the survey.
Q: What are the main challenges facing teachers in South Florida?
A: The main challenges facing teachers in South Florida include staff shortages, immigration enforcement, affordability, and the impact of social media on students’ mental health.
Q: Do teachers feel safe in their schools?
A: More than half of the teachers (75.7%) said they feel safe in their schools, but 34.3% said they don’t feel that the school district is doing enough to keep students and teachers safe.
Q: What do teachers think about the recent announcement from Florida Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo, about eliminating vaccine mandates?
A: Most (86.8%) survey participants said they are concerned about the decision.
Q: How do teachers feel about being a teacher?
A: Nearly 80% (78.5%) said they have considered leaving the profession, but many are passionate about their work and are committed to providing the best possible education for their students.
