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Teachers tell Granite board caseloads and behavior strain are driving burnout
Summary
Several teachers and the GEA president told trustees that escalating student behavior, growing caseload complexity, and inadequate special‑education space are harming instruction and contributing to teacher burnout; the district said it invested $2.5 million to expand elementary planning time and will address specific space concerns.
Teachers and union leadership told the board the district must address workload, planning time, and classroom safety. GEA President Michele Jones said the union seeks balance between work expectations and fair compensation and asked the board to recognize planning and collaborative work time as essential to instruction. "Teaching is more than time spent in front of students; it requires planning, analyzing student work, designing responsive instruction, collaborating with colleagues, communicating with families, and supporting specialized student needs," Michele Jones said.
Individual teachers described pressing classroom realities. Cameron Brewer reported violent threats and said some colleagues want to quit; Margret Perea and Mitchell Atkinson stressed the need for teacher‑directed planning time and effective professional learning communities. Superintendent Ben Horsley noted last year's $2.5 million investment to increase elementary teacher planning time and said officials are working to correct undersized special‑education classrooms (Cyprus was identified as too small). The board accepted public comment and referred detailed resource questions to Assistant Superintendent Leslie Bell for follow‑up.
