Educator Insights from a Year of Pandemic Schooling: Trends from the 2021 Tennessee Educator Survey

About the Brief

This brief analyzes results from the 2021 Tennessee Educator Survey and discusses educator perspectives and insights into COVID-related concerns during the 2020-21 school year. Several concerns, including growing educational inequities and challenges with technology, continued into and throughout the 2020-2021 school year.

Key Findings

1. Changes in teachers’ professional experiences and support: Teachers’ workload and support shifted this year, and teachers who taught both virtually and in person reported numerous challenges related to resources and time.
2. Persistent technology gaps: Schools and districts invested considerable resources in technology, but gaps in access and training remain, especially among high-poverty and rural schools.
3. Issues concerning student engagement and attendance: Teachers reported challenges with student engagement and attendance, especially for students learning virtually and those attending high-poverty schools.
4. Widespread concerns about missed instruction: About two-thirds of teachers identified missing instructional time as the top concern for students during the 2020-21 school year, and most reported that they weren’t able to cover as much of their formal curriculum than they have in past years.

Suggested Citation

Jung, J. & Patrick, S. K. (2021). Educator insights from a year of pandemic schooling: Trends from the 2021 Tennessee Educator Survey. Tennessee Education Research Alliance.