MSEA focus groups and poll show staffing shortages, paperwork burden; members prioritize pay and reduced paperwork
February 28, 2024 | Maryland Department of Education, School Boards, Maryland
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
The Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) presented findings from anonymous focus groups and a quantitative poll that members said underscore staffing shortages, paperwork burdens and staff stress in special education.
MSEA president Cheryl Bost and Adam Mendelson (assistant director, public affairs) summarized qualitative focus‑group takeaways—teachers feel overwhelmed by caseloads and paperwork and often do not feel listened to—and presented quantitative polling results. Mendelson said the poll included "about 3,000 members" with an oversample of special educators; a later slide noted 945 respondents met the special‑educator oversample criteria used in that part of the analysis. Those respondents ranked increasing pay and reducing paperwork among their top priorities.
Presenters tied those priorities to practical recommendations: increase starting pay (the presentation referenced a $60,000 starting salary target as part of broader bargaining or policy discussions), reduce redundant paperwork by improving interoperability between local systems and the Maryland Online IEP (MOIEP), add paid planning or paperwork days, hire data clerks or IEP chairs to manage scheduling and documentation, and create user‑friendly IEP systems that reduce manual input.
Cheryl Bost emphasized educators want to be part of the solution and recommended that state and local leaders engage classroom teachers in piloting revised IEP formats and case‑management protocols. Adam Mendelson highlighted that focus groups showed both frustration and continuing commitment: staffing shortages and paperwork produce stress, but participants offered concrete fixes when asked.
Work group members acknowledged the presentation and used MSEA findings during breakout discussions to reinforce calls for coaching, streamlined data collection, and parent‑facing tools. MSEA offered to share additional data and collaborate on follow‑up work with the group.
MSEA president Cheryl Bost and Adam Mendelson (assistant director, public affairs) summarized qualitative focus‑group takeaways—teachers feel overwhelmed by caseloads and paperwork and often do not feel listened to—and presented quantitative polling results. Mendelson said the poll included "about 3,000 members" with an oversample of special educators; a later slide noted 945 respondents met the special‑educator oversample criteria used in that part of the analysis. Those respondents ranked increasing pay and reducing paperwork among their top priorities.
Presenters tied those priorities to practical recommendations: increase starting pay (the presentation referenced a $60,000 starting salary target as part of broader bargaining or policy discussions), reduce redundant paperwork by improving interoperability between local systems and the Maryland Online IEP (MOIEP), add paid planning or paperwork days, hire data clerks or IEP chairs to manage scheduling and documentation, and create user‑friendly IEP systems that reduce manual input.
Cheryl Bost emphasized educators want to be part of the solution and recommended that state and local leaders engage classroom teachers in piloting revised IEP formats and case‑management protocols. Adam Mendelson highlighted that focus groups showed both frustration and continuing commitment: staffing shortages and paperwork produce stress, but participants offered concrete fixes when asked.
Work group members acknowledged the presentation and used MSEA findings during breakout discussions to reinforce calls for coaching, streamlined data collection, and parent‑facing tools. MSEA offered to share additional data and collaborate on follow‑up work with the group.
Don't Miss a Word: See the Full Meeting!
Go beyond summaries. Unlock every video, transcript, and key insight with a Founder Membership.
✓
Get instant access to full meeting videos
✓
Search and clip any phrase from complete transcripts
✓
Receive AI-powered summaries & custom alerts
✓
Enjoy lifetime, unrestricted access to government data
30-day money-back guarantee
