Teachers tell Idaho Senate committee burnout, student behavior and cellphone use are driving resignations

Courtney Linker, a former Idaho classroom teacher, told the Senate Education Committee in Boise that the cumulative stress of recent years left her physically and mentally “broken” and prompted her to take a leave from teaching.

Linker told the panel she conducted interviews with 73 teachers across 16 districts and 35 schools to see whether her experience was widespread. ‘‘Last year’s experience as a classroom teacher broke me,’’ she said, describing symptoms of extreme stress and a loss of basic cognitive function during that period. ‘‘I felt broken mentally and physically.’’

Linker said the interviews found widespread signs of burnout: 99% of surveyed teachers were certified in Idaho; 47% described themselves as happy at work; 60% reported feeling stressed or anxious; and 55% said they felt overwhelmed. On the question of whether they expected to teach until retirement, just 27% said yes, while a third answered ‘‘no’’ or ‘‘probably not.’’

Why it matters: Linker told senators…