Editorial: Omaha schools can't afford to lose good teachers amid staffing shortages

Omaha-area schools face a lot of challenges these days, including learning losses during the pandemic, behavioral problems and students who come from families affected by poverty.

We recognize that local school districts are struggling to cope with issues that have yet to be solved outside the schoolhouse door.

Still, the news that nearly 600 teachers in the Omaha Public Schools are preparing to depart this year is an urgent concern, particularly at a time when OPS and other school districts already face staffing shortages. And it’s not clear that the Omaha district’s response is good enough.

Of the departures, nearly 100 are retirements. The other 491 resignations — somewhat fewer than OPS had initially reported — still represent a 50% increase over last year. Collectively, more than 1 out of 6 OPS teachers are leaving.

Other Omaha-area districts also are seeing substantial departures.

Teachers have not felt valued or appreciated for several years, Michelle Settlemeyer, incoming president of the Omaha Education Association, told the OPS school board this week. She said teachers are leaving because of the heavy workload of covering staff vacancies and absences, increased safety issues and because they don’t feel valued by the district administration.

That perception got additional traction — perhaps unfairly — after board member Tracy Casady said the district needs to overcome the challenges for the sake of the students. “And quite frankly, if you are an educator or anyone else in our district and that is not your underlying goal,” she added, “it might be time for you to find a new profession, plain and simple.”

In fairness, Casady also thanked educators who are “fighting the fight” and made her comments in the context of praise for district officials who are trying to improve the situation.

Not surprisingly, however, quite a few teachers felt insulted by Casady’s suggestion that some teachers didn’t care enough about children. While it’s true that schools exist for students, that doesn’t mean that teachers shouldn’t point out the things that get in the way of providing a good education.

Teachers who want help in dealing with disruptive student behavior aren’t turning their backs on children. They’re raising a warning that such behavior is interfering with their ability to teach children and preventing many other children from getting the education they deserve.

Teachers who are frustrated and worn out from having to cover unstaffed classrooms as well as their own aren’t in the profession for the wrong reasons. They’re pointing out that they can’t do their best for kids when staffs are stretched too thin.

OPS officials are acknowledging the issues now, after seeming to deflect concerns before. But they need to do more to fix them.

Some efforts are in the works. Superintendent Cheryl Logan said the district has been making changes to help recruit and retain staff, such as talking to teachers who are leaving about the possibility of working part-time instead. And those efforts can help. What isn’t helpful is to point fingers at frontline teachers as though they’re not working hard enough or caring enough. The solution in OPS and other districts isn’t to just expect teachers to work harder or longer or sacrifice more “for the kids.” Many educators already go above and beyond, trying to make a difference for their students.

Teachers are asking school administrators and school boards to do more to fill staff vacancies — something that may well require higher pay — and hold students accountable when they misbehave.

They want their leaders to ensure that the learning environment is protected for both teachers and the students who want to learn.

And they’re seeking more support from parents in enforcing the behavioral standards that young people need to learn and follow.

OPS and other local districts have many fine teachers. Many students are getting excellent educations. But unless these staffing and behavior problems are solved, we risk losing some of our best educators from the profession. And the students who represent our community’s future will suffer.

We have no time to waste. Our young people already have had their educations marred by the pandemic. Our school leaders must resolve these issues now.