Educators ask state for support in the classroom

Yahoo

2 days ago

CHEYENNE — Wyoming lawmakers discussed the possibility of drafting a Teacher Bill of Rights Wednesday morning amid rising concerns of behavioral health issues and a lack of support for K-12 teachers in the classroom.
During the Legislature's Joint Education Committee meeting, educators said the average classroom environment today is not the same as it was 15 years ago, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. More students are coming in with behavioral health issues, classroom sizes are larger, and teachers are burdened with test-centered mandates.
As a result, public educators are putting in their resignation letters, feeling frustrated by their inability to make a difference in the classroom, according to public testimony.
Wyoming Education Association President Kim Amen shared the story of a first-grade teacher in Cheyenne who just submitted her resignation after a 'rough year.'
The teacher had 23 students in her class, many with behavioral health issues, Amen said. One particular student had a 'massive' behavioral health issue. He would leave the classroom, punch and kick the walls in the hallway and run out of the school, if given the opportunity.
Kim Amen headshot
On July 15, 2024, former vice president Kim Amen assumed the role of president for the Wyoming Education Association. One of Amen's goals is to strengthen the association through communication and increasing membership numbers.
'That was a rough year for her,' Amen said. 'When I asked her why she submitted her resignation, she said, 'Because I can't do this anymore. It's not helping my mental health. I'm not a good mom, I'm not a good wife. I can't keep doing this.''
Smaller classroom sizes make a big difference for teachers, the WEA president said. It allows the educator to build better relationships with their students and engage in their learning. A classroom of 23 first-graders with no support staff 'is unmanageable,' Amen said.
And this case is not an anomaly — it's an issue happening across the state, she said.
'Students are not the same as they were 15 years ago,' Amen said. 'As you know, they're a great thermometer for our culture.'
Increased exposure to social media, such as YouTube and TikTok, has changed how younger students behave and pay attention in the classroom, she said. Since the issue is 'here to stay,' schools need to change how they approach supporting teachers during instruction.
One question was asked by committee members multiple times: What is the state's role in this?
Teacher Bill of Rights
Some states have drafted a Teacher Bill of Rights, a state law that outlines rights, protections and working conditions for K-12 public educators in the classroom.
Wyoming is a member of the Education Commission of the States, and state Department of Education Chief of Staff Dicky Shanor said this commission was willing to collect information on bills from other states and present it at the committee's next meeting.
Co-chairman Rep. Ocean Andrew, R-Laramie, said the Teacher Bill of Rights seemed 'elusive.'
Rep. Ocean Andrew, R-Laramie (2025)
Rep. Ocean Andrew, R-Laramie
'If we are going to … ask our staff to draft something, we probably need some more specific suggestions of what the actual lines of statute would look like,' Andrew said. 'We keep bringing it up as a very abstract concept.'
Amen said she supported the idea of a Teachers Bill of Rights, but only if it's done in a way that supports teachers without harming students. WEA Governmental Relations Director Tate Mullen echoed his colleague's concern.
'We want to keep (teachers) in the profession, but we also want to make sure that we're not giving up on students,' Mullen said.
Wyoming K-12 schools are primarily understaffed and under-resourced, WEA representatives said. Amen told lawmakers her intention wasn't to suggest language for a new statute, but rather deliver the message of what teachers need in the classroom.
'That was my role today was to help you see that it goes beyond just discipline measures,' Amen said. 'It's support with resources like administration and counselors and social workers and support in the classroom.'
WEA suggestions
Amen provided a list of general suggestions that she said would help relieve some of the stress public educators in K-12 schools face. Her biggest priority was decreasing classroom sizes.
'When you ask about things you can do, class size matters,' Amen said. 'Giving teachers the ability to have relationships in those classrooms, and not have 23 students with no support that they're trying to manage, would be helpful.'
She also suggested giving teachers more flexibility in planning their lessons. Currently, public educators are burdened with the stress of teaching their students to pass WY-TOPP, a statewide assessment that measures students' proficiency in English, math, science and writing.
If teachers could worry less about WY-TOPP scores, they'd be able to plan more hands-on learning that benefit a student's learning experience. However, Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, questioned how the state could realistically measure a student's learning progress this way.
Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie (2025)
Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie
'Honestly, if we started measuring their joy, they'll stop being joyful,' Rothfuss said.
Rep. Tom Kelly, R-Sheridan, asked how lawmakers can specifically change statute or state funding to support its public educators.
Rep. Tom Kelly, R-Sheridan (2025)
Rep. Tom Kelly, R-Sheridan
'I'm talking about the academic mandates, the subjects that must be covered in that basket of goods,' Kelly said. 'Is there some type of revision or maybe more flexibility for the districts? Should it be less prescriptive from the state, top down?'
Rothfuss echoed Kelly's concern in his question to Amen, who said she didn't have an answer.
'I do know that that is a topic that's been discussed for years, and I know the State Board of Education has been working on reducing the state standards,' Amen said. '... We have to take some things off the plate, but we don't know which ones.'