Mental Heath: Tension Between Educators and Admin

Both educators and school leaders are experiencing burnout and struggles with mental health. However, online discussions about the mental health of school leaders often result in tension due to anti-admin sentiment as many educators share that they do not feel supported by administrators.

  • “Not sure which is worse, teacher burnout, or teacher apathy.” —School Leader in Nevada
    • “Don’t forget demoralization, which may manifest as apathy. Imagine a teacher getting to the point where they thoroughly believe they have little to know impact on students.” —High School ELA Teacher in California 
    • “Apathy feels way worse. Burnout implies there was something there before and that can possibly be rectified or sparked again. Lots of teachers were apathetic pre-pandemic.” —High School English Teacher in Texas
  • “It’s been a really rough day of a rough week of a rough semester of a rough year. I need spring break now! I’m not sure anyone is even listening, but, seriously, most teachers I talk with do not want to return next year. I hope school districts have a plan!” —Middle School ESL Teacher in Texas
  • “Educators are utterly exhausted.  I am hearing die hards telling me they are done, looking elsewhere,  and at they’re at breaking point. Anyone else feeling that way?” —Educator in Texas
  • “To be clear, I want people to be happy and am not encouraging folks to stay in a role if they aren’t happy. I’m simply saying I want people to assess their needs & communicate them. This is a time for admin and leaders to listen to and support educators & their needs.” —Math Teacher in Maryland
  • “We’ve got to do a better job of checking in on school leaders and principals.” —Principal Noelle Leslie
    • “I agree! But you already knew about the anti-admin sentiment going on in education. Leaders have to model the same way we model for students.” —High School STEM Educator in Arizona
  • “With the high turnover rate of principals and higher rate for superintendents, it’s critical to remember that you need your staff more than they need you. Don’t give them a reason to just wait you out. Give them reasons to commit to your leadership and help you out.” —School Leader in Atlanta 
  • “Dear God, we just had an Assistant Principal commit suicide on campus. Please let us consider moving forward mindfully in more sustainable ways. What we’re doing is not sustainable. I hope no one feels so hopeless that they believe suicide is their only option.” —Educator in California
  • “While you’re doing your best to support your teachers, you may feel very unsupported by your superintendent or director. That experience of trying to pour from an empty cup is an uncomfortable one, and it’s okay to voice that.⁠” —Educator, N/A

The volume of conversations involving mental health and burnout have remained consistent since January, implying that this is an ongoing phenomenon in the education sector.

March-April 2022

January 2022

Methodology: These charts represent a sample of sentiment and mentions of 10,000 teachers and school leaders on Twitter in January 2022 compared to March and April 2022.