Overworked & underappreciated: How uncertainty, long hours, & partisan politics undermined teachers’ morale throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Five waves of interviews with teachers' union leaders in diverse settings indicate that fears about health and safety, alongside uncertainty, strained teachers’ relationships with administrators and community early in the pandemic. Over time, an unrelenting workload, constantly shifting demands, and partisan political attacks on teachers and schools dampened morale. Pandemic stressors layered on top of preexisting stressors to undermine teacher morale in a way that appears lasting; efforts to improve morale should be multidimensional, addressing working conditions but also public regard.