Illinoisans are worried about the steep shortage of teachers and school employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new bipartisan poll that also gauged residents’ views on pay increases for teachers and instruction on slavery and racism.
Sponsored by the state’s largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association, the fourth annual State of Education report released Wednesday includes data showing those polled prioritize having high-quality public schools above balancing the state budget and lowering taxes.
In addition, residents who participated in the poll indicated teachers and parents should have the greatest influence over how Illinois schools are being run, with more say than politicians or school administrators.
The findings of the annual report coincide with a record number of Illinois teachers exiting the profession earlier than anticipated because of the hardships they have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 67% increase from 2019 to 2020 in teachers retiring, and 1 in 3 educators saying they are considering leaving the profession.
“Underpaid, dedicated and overworked — those are three words that describe Illinois teachers,” IEA President Kathi Griffin said during a press conference Wednesday.
“Illinoisans are very worried about the shortage of educators, and not just teachers, but bus drivers, maintenance workers, paraprofessionals, cafeteria workers and more,” Griffin said.
Among the poll’s findings was strong support for making education a more appealing profession, with 72% of those polled supporting changes to the teachers’ pension system and 77% supporting student loan forgiveness for educators. In addition, 72% support allowing educators to take mental health days.
When asked about critical race theory — a topic that has become a political flashpoint across the U.S. — the survey found the vast majority of Illinoisans polled “are in favor of an honest teaching of United States history in schools and believe students should be taught about slavery and racism,” Griffin said.
While Griffin acknowledged CRT “has become a divisive political term,” she was adamant it is not taught in any pre-K through 12th grade classrooms in Illinois, but rather is used by professors at law schools and colleges and universities.
“Even if they support a ban on CRT, the vast majority support the honest teaching and education about slavery and racism,” she said.
“The public does not want our politicians deciding the curriculum in schools,” Griffin said.
The poll was conducted in December by Jill Normington of Normington-Petts, who typically collects data for the Democratic Party, and Next Generation Strategies’ Pat Brady, who is often hired by the Republican Party.
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The survey, which gauged the opinions of 1,000 Illinoisans between Dec. 2 and Dec. 12, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1%, with 95% confidence, officials said.
“The people of Illinois are united in their quest for strong public schools. That’s clear,” Normington said in a news release Wednesday.
The poll is “a barometer for what the people of Illinois want and where we should be going,” Brady said in the release.