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Survey: Catawba County staff report high workplace satisfaction but say time remains the biggest constraint
Summary
A district presentation showed Catawba County Schools outperformed state averages across 11 teacher-work-condition categories, with a roughly 96% response rate; board members discussed persistent concerns about planning time and classroom supports.
Dr. Chad Maynard presented results from the 2026 Teacher Working Conditions survey and told the board that Catawba County Schools "continue to exceed state averages" across every category measured. He said the district saw an approximately 96% response rate from a potential 1,136 staff respondents.
Maynard highlighted specific strengths: leadership (about 96% of staff said leaders encouraged professional learning), teacher leadership (approximately 98% felt empowered), classroom management (about 91% reported routines and enforcement of conduct expectations), and safety and emergency preparedness (98.2% said staff know how to respond). He also said building cleanliness and perceived safety scored above 90%.
Despite the positive results, Maynard emphasized time as an ongoing challenge, saying "Time is the one that we only have a limited amount of and remains a struggle," noting elementary teachers in particular report limited planning time. He recommended continued focus on administrative classroom presence, differentiated professional development, and giving teachers more voice in shared decision-making.
Board members thanked Maynard for the report and asked for disaggregated data by school level; Maynard offered to provide elementary/high-school breakdowns on request. The presentation concluded with the board accepting the report and moving on to related operational items.
