Addressing Differential Impacts of Covid-19 in NYS: Discovering Differential Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Education Workforce

Abstract

This mixed method study sought to illuminate stress, job satisfaction, and performance disparities of educators working in schools serving different subpopulations of students (i.e., ethnically, linguistically, and socioeconomically) and in different types of communities (i.e., urban, suburban, rural) across New York State. Through a survey, the research team collected information from educators working in all grade levels and in both classrooms and pupil support positions (e.g., counselors, school psychologists, social workers), and with students requiring specialized instruction such as students with disabilities and English Language Learners. Analyses for this chapter focus on the research question: To what extent do educators serving different percentages of economically-disadvantaged children indicate changes in job satisfaction since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to what do they attribute their levels of stress and job satisfaction? Our analysis provides evidence that the pandemic, with its multiple disruptions and sources of stress, decreased educators’ satisfaction with their jobs, and this effect was especially evident in schools serving more economically-disadvantaged students. Because dissatisfaction is a strong indicator of the likelihood of leaving a job these results suggest that educator turnover in schools serving more economically disadvantaged children may be higher than for other schools. Leadership and school-community relationships during the pandemic were also associated with workforce effects, suggesting that school, district, and community leaders serve as critical buffers for stress-inducing elements of a crisis.