Teachers describe burnout, classroom violence and cellphone impacts as Idaho faces retention crunch

Courtney Linker, a former Idaho classroom teacher and 2025 Idaho Teacher of the Year nominee, told the Senate Education Committee that after 17 years in the classroom she took leave because of chronic stress and what she described as a statewide pattern of teacher burnout. "Last year's experience as a classroom teacher broke me," Linker said, adding that she experienced physical symptoms and needed medical checks.

Linker and earlier public commenter Lori Belaud, a 23-year former Los Angeles Unified School District teacher, told senators that classroom discipline, parental disengagement and pervasive cellphone use are primary drivers of the problem and that current school staffing and funding structures do not meet today’s needs. Belaud said student refusals to complete work and a "lack of respect for both teachers and peers cannot be tolerated." Linker said cellphone and social-media use have reduced students' ability to behave in public and worsened anxiety.

Why it matters: both presenters argued that the scale of the problem is large enough to threaten the pipeline of future teachers and the stability of classrooms. Linker said she interviewed 73 teachers across 16 districts and 35 schools; her survey results described high levels of stress, overwhelm and attrition risk that committee members called "eye-opening." The committee chair read Article IX, Section 1 of the Idaho Constitution — the legislature's duty to establish and maintain a thorough system of public schools — as a reminder that lawmakers will face consequential policy choices.

Key claims and data from Linker's project: she reported interviewing 73 teachers (68 in person), from kindergarten through high school, spanning 16 districts and 35 schools. Findings she highlighted included: 99% of respondents were state-certified; 47% described themselves as happy at work; 60% said they feel stressed or anxious at work; 55% said they feel overwhelmed; and 47% said work had a negative impact on their personal life. On retirement outlook, 27% said they expect to make it to retirement age as educators, 16% said "I hope so," while roughly a third expressed doubt or that they would not reach retirement in the profession if conditions do not change.

Suggested changes raised by speakers and committee discussion included: reducing class sizes and unrealistic caseloads (Linker recommended no secondary teacher be responsible for more than 200 students and no elementary teacher for more than 30); hiring more counselors, psychologists and behavior interventionists; raising compensation for paraprofessionals and other support staff; reworking school funding formulas (Linker cited proposed changes by Superintendent Debbie Critchfield as potentially helpful); curbing in-school cellphone use (Linker pointed to some districts that removed phones with positive results); and reducing the number of noninstructional tasks placed on teachers.

Teachers' workload and accountability: Linker presented a list of 66 responsibilities she gave to teachers; respondents checked an average of 56 items each. She said many tasks are necessary but that several are unnecessary or too frequent, and she urged removing tasks that could be handled by other professionals. Both Linker and Belaud stressed a need for stronger administrative support for classroom management and clearer, consistent consequences for disruptive behavior.

Committee response and context: senators asked how Linker selected her sample (she said she used professional networks built over 17 years and intentionally sought teachers from different schools and districts). Several senators connected the testimony to broader policy levers — funding, retirement rules, professional development and the charter/traditional school relationship — and thanked the witnesses for candid accounts.

What the presenters did not claim: neither witness proposed specific dollar figures for a funding package in committee today; Linker's interviews were qualitative and regionally focused (Treasure Valley and surrounding districts) and she characterized some figures as estimates drawn from her survey rather than statewide administrative totals.

Ending: Senators said the testimony would inform the legislative session's education debates and reminded the room of their constitutional duty to maintain a public school system. The committee adjourned after additional agenda items.