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Burning the Candle at Both Ends:
Educator Resignations and Mental Health
BY JENNIFER TUTEN ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN KILPPER
Seeing kids run through the hallway is one of the greatest joys of Stephanie Stoebe’s job: “Some teachers yell at them to stop and walk, but it really fills your heart with joy when a kid wants to be the first person in your classroom.”
But like many other educators, Stoebe’s joy has been tempered by the challenges facing public education in a pandemic-weary world. These issues have not gone unnoticed by media outlets. A quick Google search for “teacher resignation” yields a flood of articles discussing “The Great Resignation” in the education sphere.
When the pandemic first unfolded in March 2020 and schools were forced to shut down, a myriad of feel-good stories followed: signs in teachers’ yards, parades, and creative digital classrooms. A full year of masking, social distancing, and hybrid/remote learning followed.
With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and a significant drop in cases across Texas in spring 2021, the new school year was positioned to bring back a sense of normalcy that students, parents, and educators desperately needed.
WAITING FOR “NORMAL”
What should have been a year marking a return to normalcy has been anything but. In Stoebe's case, a lack of substitute teachers, intense workload, and new laws have weighed heavily on her mental health.
“I have never had to work so late every day,” she says. “I get to school at 6:45 and leave at 5. I could leave later and still not be done. My husband had to have an intervention with me! We were eating in front of the TV instead of sitting down at the table. My house was a wreck, and I never had time to ride my bike. Things started getting really bad, and I had to reach out to use the counseling services provided by my employer. I was an Army interrogator; I don’t cry easily.”
Stoebe is just one of over 330,000 teachers in Texas facing shifting challenges in the 2021-22 school year. Before the pandemic, her main concern as a teacher was “… making sure that we kept passion in education. I wanted teaching to be seen as a viable and respected career. That is still a concern as more than 30,000 teachers have left the profession since the pandemic started. People have seen now how teachers are being burdened. … With this shift, we need to make sure that the decisions being made on how to run the classrooms and learning are being made by the people in the classrooms.”
As new variants and political battles add fuel to the ongoing public health crisis, those people in the classrooms find themselves in a culture war. What
they teach, what books they can use to teach, and their dedication to their profession seem to be under more scrutiny than ever before—with one public figure outright referring to public education as a “babysitting service” on Twitter in January. Lockhart ISD Superintendent Mark Estrada has observed this shift in sentiment and speculates that the negativity stems from the uncertainty % that we are all grappling with in light of a seemingly never-ending pandemic. Estrada has spent the past 10 years of his career in Lockhart, a small but rapThe number of newly idly growing Central Texas town approxcertified teachers fell imately 30 miles south of Austin. The approximately 19% city’s unprecedented growth, paired with from the previous year the pandemic, has presented a multitude of challenges to the district. These obstacles are multifaceted; the ripple effects of COVID-19 are not only felt in the community yearning for a return to normal but also in the local economy. Housing—in light of rapid growth—is hard to come by; though relief is on the way with multiple developments in the planning phase, the current reality has students and educators alike reeling. In a survey conducted by the school district, the vast majority of educators said they would live in town if it were affordable. Approximately 70% of Lockhart ISD’s educators commute from neighboring counties, with some coming from as far away as San Antonio. Many working-age students in the district skip class to go to work, according to Estrada. Their decision
to earn money during school hours is often borne of necessity to help contribute to their household’s expenses. Estrada says many students take advantage of the grace the schools extend for late assignments.
“We have kids who are saying, ‘My family needs this $500 this month,’” Estrada says. “That’s the reality that our kids are living in.”
THE MANY FACETS OF MENTAL HEALTH
Back on campus, Estrada sees firsthand the issues that need to be addressed—in students and educators alike.
In the past 18 months, the district has had to communicate more frequently with Child Protective Services (CPS) due to higher incidences of child abuse and neglect. Many students have entered the “real world” before graduating high school just to help their families make rent or cover utilities, and some have lost loved ones to COVID-19.
District employees have also experienced the trauma of losing colleagues to COVID-19. Multiple bus drivers passed away last summer from the virus, and several others resigned shortly after—citing a fear for their health and safety.
Lockhart ISD allocated $900,000 toward new counselors, but after coming up short in a search for candidates, Estrada says the district had to enlist the help of a vendor to provide counselors for each school.
Other factors impacting mental health for educators include incorporating recent legislation into the classroom—most notably HB 4545, the law requiring supplemental accelerated instruction for students who do not pass sections of the STAAR. The law has been called “out of touch” by those who are tasked with putting the law into practice. Stoebe notes the expectations can be overwhelming.
“Things change so much—too much,” she says. “As soon as we implement everything we have to do, the requirements change. I never used to let anything fall through the cracks. This year? Well, I get the stuff done that I have to and then pick a few of the other important things to do. That’s all that I can accomplish.”
Estrada, himself a former educator, concurs: “We’re in the third school year affected by the pandemic. There’s an increased level of urgency to get our students back on track, but [HB 4545] is unrealistic. Teachers are already doing what they need to do to ensure their students are learning and not being burdened by these new laws.”
Alex*, who’s been an educator for over 10 years, agrees there is already enough happening on campus to introduce “cumbersome” legislation.
“We are already stressed with larger class sizes … with that comes the issue of managing a class that big,” Alex says.
Staff shortages exacerbate the issue—not only in the classroom but also all the way up to administration. Alex says: “Discipline issues happen every year, but they’re harder to deal with when you also face a staffing shortage. It’s like a revolving door at the principal’s office. Administrators have to expedite everyone, and kids are attuned to when administrators don’t have time to properly address their issues.”
Alex worries these compounding issues will hurt public education in the long run: “The country is very divided,” Alex says. “What we’re seeing is the veil coming off.”
As a veteran teacher, Alex is no stranger to disruptive students or dissatisfied parents, but the preexisting problems that plagued schools seem to be intensified by the pandemic.
Although technology was instrumental in keeping people connected while schools were fully remote, the popularity of social media platforms, such as TikTok, has given rise to disruption on a scale not seen before.
Marcia Glasgow, an English Language Arts teacher in Priddy ISD, agrees:
“Social media has such a stranglehold on young people today. They are inundated with online activities. They communicate in this manner, along with watching videos, movies, and numerous other things. Video games play an important role in many of their lives. Their desire to be ‘connected’ in some way is almost an addiction. Attaining and keeping their interest in classroom subject matter is of major concern to me.”
Referring to the “Slap a Teacher” challenge that circulated on TikTok in October 2021, Alex says: “A lot of the negatives of teaching have come to light. People don’t want to get into a profession where you might get assaulted and have no recourse.”
A PROFESSION IN PERIL?
Alex’s concerns about a dwindling pool of new educators may not be far off. According to 2019-20 TEA data, the number of newly certified teachers fell approximately 19% from the previous academic year.
Teachers need to be treated better.”
— Mark Estrada, Superintendent, Lockhart ISD
*Not his real name.
According to Estrada, this is the first year in his decade at Lockhart ISD that the district has faced a certified teacher shortage—and not only in the traditionally high-demand positions, such as STEM.
Estrada believes the public perception of education is driving the shortage of qualified teacher candidates.
“Teachers need to be treated better,” he says. “I try to visit all of my campuses once a week to see the good things they’re doing. A lot of what people see from the outside is the negatives. It seemed like last year parents were more understanding. [Now], teachers say parents are not as supportive as they were, or they’re being blamed for not doing enough.”
Administration support is vital in these challenging times—though it can take on different forms depending on the size and needs of the district. In Glasgow’s district, the motto is family first.
“If a member of the staff needs to be absent, for whatever reason, [administrators] are totally supportive,” Glasgow says.
Alex credits his administration with being teacher-centered. “Their expectations are high, but they’ve established a culture of support and understanding. We know why they’re doing what they’re doing,” he says.
In Stoebe’s district, administration has shifted priorities, so educators can focus on more pressing items. “Do we need to each be on three different committees to improve our school and our profession? No. Let’s drop some of the minimally impactful habits that we have picked up. Let’s teach.”
PERSEVERANCE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY
Stoebe, Glasgow, and Alex are quick to point out the positives. Despite the rapid changes brought about by staffing shortages, new legislation, and other factors that take a toll on mental health, all three still take the time to savor the little things that keep them going.
“According to fourth graders, angles, the Texas Revolution, forms of energy, and Greek mythology are fun stuff,” Stoebe says. “I went into education so nobody would want to leave. Moments like [these] keep me going. And the little random Post-Its that say, ‘I love you, Mrs. Stoebe.’”
“Letters of recommendation—I love doing those,” Alex says. “Just thinking of where they can take the knowledge I’ve imparted is truly rewarding.”
Glasgow says: “The most rewarding part of my career has been the relationships I have enjoyed and maintained with students. I have always searched for common ground with every student. My students know that I care about them first and foremost. Of course, I want them to learn subject matter, but I take pride in them knowing that I was, and continue to be, interested in them and their lives. I maintain contact with several former students and am always happy to reconnect with one.”
GOING FORWARD
As educators move forward through the uncertainty of a global pandemic, the hope for a brighter future prevails. And although Alex worries about the future of education, he says with the right resources, new teachers can thrive.
“A mentor’s experience is valuable to someone who’s starting out. Sometimes those mentoring relationships occur in unofficial capacities,” Alex says. “Those open lines of communication can be lifesavers for new teachers who are struggling.”
Stoebe agrees; she eagerly takes student interns under her wing but takes care to balance optimism and caution when she discusses the future with them. “I want to be positive but at the same time realistic with students who are getting into the profession,” she says. “I tell them [these challenges we’re experiencing] are ‘today’s truth’— not the reality, but the anomaly.”
A longtime member of ATPE, Stoebe’s advocacy for her profession extends well beyond the classroom—including testimony for the HB 3 Reading Academies. She plans to continue her advocacy efforts because “I believe [public education] can be saved. I want to help more teachers find their voice so there is a bigger group fighting for what is right. I have too much to do right now in the public schools to leave.”
As for Glasgow, who is nearing the end of her teaching career, weighing when to leave the classroom isn’t about reaching a breaking point but making a conscious, carefully considered decision on whether she has the spark to continue for another year.
“To truly show the kids that you love them, you must be fully invested in them. So, [every summer] I assess my health and whether I still have the ‘fire’ to teach another year. Some teachers don’t realize when to say when. I will.”
— Marcia Glasgow, English Language Arts teacher, Priddy ISD
IN THE TRENCHES
ATPE MEMBERS SPEAK OUT ON STUDENT LEARNING LOSS AND THE WAY FORWARD
BY DAVID GEORGE ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN KILPPER
Since March 2020, all K-12 students have experienced some form of disruption to their curriculum. A significant amount of time was necessary for the transition to an online classroom and back to in-person instruction. New teaching formats and technologies had to be implemented with little training in less-than-ideal conditions while still covering the same ground as any other school year. This challenge was met head-on by educators and students alike—but not without enormous obstacles and some unavoidable concessions.
Time away from the classroom had left its mark on students, and lawmakers attempted to address the loss in learning and development with legislation they hoped would hastily bridge the gaps, backed by an infusion of federal relief funding.
When the 2021-22 school year began,
ATPE members returned with the hope it would resemble a pre-quarantine normalcy, but instead they’ve found themselves on the frontlines of a crucial battle between these new expectations and a painful reality.
THE COVID SLIDE
Greg Fore, an eighth grade Functional Living Skills teacher in Dallas ISD, recalls his experience: “Last year felt like we were just going through the motions of education. We were trying so hard to adjust on the fly and just get through the curriculum that our students couldn’t get what they needed, and their learning suffered for it.”
The difference between what the standards require and what students actually learn is something that educators naturally track over the course of each semester. Couple that common deviation with the learning interruption of summer break, and a bit of learning loss is expected from students at the start of each school year. This year, however, educators have encountered an unprecedented “slide,” particularly in key areas such as math and reading.
Mandy Vahrenkamp, a second-grade self-contained teacher in Calhoun County ISD, has observed this gap in her students’ growth. “This year, instead of having a few students who are struggling readers and read a year or so below grade-level, the majority of our students are almost a year behind on their reading level, which affects all other subjects being taught,” she says.
Fore says this has been the “worst, most chaotic year” in his 30 years of teaching. “Teachers are leaving. We can’t get subs. We are combining classrooms. It has just been craziness.”
And he isn’t alone. All over the state of Texas, educators continue to encounter enormous difficulties that have compelled many to resign. The lack of resources and now manpower have combined to make conditions even more tenuous for schools to provide students with some semblance of normalcy.
OTHER TYPES OF LEARNING LOSS
Educational learning loss is not the only issue educators face after so many months of virtual teaching. They are also dealing with behavioral problems stemming from the lack of structure and supervision during periods of remote learning.
A 36-year educator, Allyson Haveman is one of five assistant principals at Lubbock High School. She has observed a noticeable shift in student discipline since her school’s return to in-person teaching. “A lot of kids picked up a bunch of bad habits, and we had to reteach a lot of social skills,” Haveman says. “They have become remarkably unfettered—not having that time in school has made a significant difference in their social development.”
This distinct regression may be most apparent in younger students who have spent a significant portion of their elementary education in a virtual classroom. Often with little to no adult supervision, many students found themselves structuring their own school days in ways they found to be convenient rather than efficient. With the return to physical classrooms amid an ongoing pandemic, many are struggling to adjust, and educators are having to address this “slide” in their students’ social development as well.
Jerrica Liggins, a secondary curriculum director for Paris ISD, is concerned about the relationship between disciplinary actions and student growth.
“Our district is paying close attention,” she says. “When the kids misbehave, we are looking at ways to redirect that negative attention back to learning instead of suspending them from school where they will experience even more learning loss.”
The solution for student behavioral problems has never been simple, but educators now find themselves with fewer options and more ground to cover. Many students have experienced loss and isolation throughout this crisis and addressing both their education and behavior has proven arduous for educators in every grade level.
Shawn Mustain is a science teacher for Spring Branch ISD and in his 19th year as an educator. “I think the pandemic just ripped the Band-Aids off and exposed the ugly truth that many of our students just are not foundationally prepared or resilient,” he says.
THE REALITIES OF EDUCATIONAL INEQUITY
A recent study from NWEA, a research-based, nonprofit organization, shows that gaps are widening for high-risk student populations, and the laundry list of factors that contribute to this are not new or
— Greg Fore, eighth grade Functional Living Skills teacher, Dallas ISD
surprising. Families that lacked adequate technology and internet connectivity have suffered the most severe learning setbacks, while special needs students and English language learners were affected in more subtle ways. In many cases, what instruction they did receive was diminished by the inability of schools to cater to their situation in a virtual environment.
Lotus Hoey is an ESL teacher in Houston ISD who speaks three languages. She recognizes her ESL students and their parents faced unique challenges with virtual learning, and they were not alone.
“We have a high-risk population of students who have learning disabilities, are low-income, or have other special needs,” she says. “They have an existing equity issue; compound that with 18 months of lack of learning, and we need more intervention.”
From the very first weeks of quarantine, districts had to completely alter teaching formats and make use of existing resources. In cases where student populations were historically trailing their peers, this was dreadfully inadequate. Student achievement gaps continue to grow wider as they experience even more setbacks, and this unfortunate circumstance can be exacerbated by the trauma of economic instability, isolation, and the loss of loved ones from COVID-19.
Mustain, who teaches at a predominantly Hispanic high school where half to three-quarters of students are classified as English language learners, asserts: “The struggles are really tough for many of our students who are having to learn not only English but the language of math or science. How can we expect students, who read four to five grade levels below where they should be, to perform equally with students who don’t have these reading gaps? Yet, they are expected to take the same tests at the same time while being foundationally deficient.”
HB 4545
The 87th Texas Legislature passed the controversial House Bill 4545, which requires supplemental accelerated instruction (i.e., tutoring) for students who struggled on or didn’t take the Spring 2021 State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR). This translates to 30 additional hours of instruction for each subject in which a student did not achieve a “Meets Expectations” or above. This measure aims to plug holes identified by standardized tests, but the extra work has generally not been well received by educators.
“HB 4545 is exhausting,” Haveman says. “It looks really good on paper, but it is still a nightmare. You must have buy-in, and we are not seeing that with students right now—at least not at a consistent level.
“I know it was a data-driven necessity, but the teachers are already pushed to the max, and these mandates are killing those same people they (#txlege) are relying on to put them into play.”
The additional hours of tutoring are a burden that has fallen squarely on teachers’ shoulders, and they are not convinced this approach will have the desired effect. Not only does HB 4545 add to growing lists of additional duties and new initiatives, but also some argue it misses the mark altogether. The learning loss many students are currently experiencing is more extensive than HB 4545 could ever hope to address. Students who have fallen months or even years behind their grade-level curriculum will likely benefit little from tutoring on Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) that require foundational knowledge they do not yet possess.
“I believe that math could be an issue with this approach,” Liggins says. “You have to know how to add and subtract before you can multiply, so if you are trying to learn something out of order, you are going to struggle. Teaching grade-level math in a tutoring session right now is doing more harm than good.”
THE PATH FORWARD
Districts across Texas have received federal aid through Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) grants that were designed to fund COVID-19 relief programs and initiatives, and schools are spending this money in different ways. Some have hired new teachers to reduce class sizes or replace the ones that have left. Others are paying third-party vendors to meet the tutoring mandates for HB 4545.
At Pershing Middle School in Central Houston, where Hoey teaches ESL, educators could volunteer to take two full days out of their winter break for a program they call Camp Spark. In this model, ESSER funds
— Shawn Mustain, science teacher, Spring Branch ISD
are paid to teachers instead of outside vendors to provide the required tutoring.
“At the legislative level, we need funds to pay teachers more,” Hoey explains. “That will be the most effective path forward. [Educators] are burned out and losing motivation.”
Programs like Camp Spark are a small step in that direction, but more money and more creativity will be needed to even begin to sufficiently incentivize educators. On the other hand, when considering new programs and initiatives, many teachers believe that less is more.
Janet Godfrey, a retiree who has returned this year as an academic support teacher on an ESSER grant, believes schools are trying to do too much, too soon. “What I would like to see is a slowing down of the curriculum,” she says. “There are too many TEKS to hit in one year and gain mastery. This is especially true when we may have to go down to the TEKS from the previous year to help with understanding.”
Many student learning gaps predate the pandemic and have never been fully addressed. As much as legislators would like standardized testing to “leave no child behind,” this method has yet to offer any substantive solutions for student learning inequity.
Vahrenkamp also doesn’t agree with the current approach. “I think Texas should suspend the STAAR test for a couple of years. They have said it will not count for students, yet they must take it. The time we spend preparing for and administering the test would be better applied toward helping students get back to grade level.”
Despite lawmakers’ efforts to capture both the full nature and extent of learning loss with test scores alone, student success has, and will always be, best governed by educators on an individual basis. The most effective way to mitigate the impact of quarantine may be to reduce the scope of curriculum for struggling students and allow teachers to focus their efforts on solely reinforcing the basics.
Fore says that success would need to “… begin with legislators and TEA recognizing that we are in the midst of a pandemic. They need to truly see and understand that schools, admin, teachers, support staff, parents, and students are all struggling just to cope and survive. Schools have been expected to move forward like nothing is happening.”
WHAT TO AVOID
The reality of the situation is that many Texas students will not be at grade level by the end of the school year. Creating unrealistic expectations for their growth as they continue to deal with the trauma of this crisis is not only ineffective but also could be damaging. Much of the learning loss schools are now identifying will not be erased overnight.
“Schools need to slow down instead of trying to have teachers cover one to two years’ worth of concepts so students can ‘catch up,’” Vahrenkamp contends. “To offset this stress, districts need to stop adding to the ever-growing to-do list. We need to have a way to track growth and show the students’ improvement without asking teachers to put information in a new form every few weeks.”
One huge problem with standardized testing is that it requires students to learn or reinforce test-taking strategies that are not related to an academic standard. This can be a time-suck for educators in any circumstance but is especially rough when they are already working from a deficit.
Godfrey feels that, right now, moving the STAAR to an online-only format is problematic: “The students are playing catch-up, and to test online means a whole new set of skills must be taught. Teachers need to be trained in these skills first in order to enable our students. Pencil and paper are the only way we have tested for a century. Why is this the best time to make a major systemic change?”
A portion of learning loss over the past two years can be directly attributed to students’ having to adapt to remote learning platforms and then transition back to a physical classroom. The critical time that students lose during each change can add up to create substantial obstacles for the achievement of their learning goals.
Mustain asserts that students would be better off if standardized testing were replaced with double-blocked reading or math courses to focus on their deficiencies. “Part of this is attributable to how the State of Texas pushes standardized testing as the be-all and end-all of student learning. Texas officials who seem to believe that we can just test our way
— Jerrica Liggins, a secondary curriculum director for Paris ISD
Continued on page 35
FOOD FIGHT:
How two Texas school districts are working around the clock to make sure their students are fed
BY HALEY WEIS
It’s hard not to notice the empty shelves that once held ample variety of cereal, produce, and other products during your weekly trip to the grocery store. A familiar sight for many, the product shortages have become a “new normal” since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. These shortages have affected families all over the country—from automobiles to Applejacks, consumers are bearing the costs in more ways than one. Like families, Texas school districts are having to make the most of the already unfortunate COVID-19 predicament they find themselves in.
THE SUPPLY CHAIN STRUGGLE
Visualizing the abstract supply chain system may be daunting, but as COVID-19 has shown us, understanding the complex systems on which America is built is vital to understanding why and how our everyday life can be affected in times of change. By definition, a supply chain is the sequence of processes involved in the production and distribution of a commodity—in layman’s terms, the overarching system of pathways that help products go from the company producing the item to the consumer who purchases the item. Before COVID-19, the supply chain system worked silently—allowing Americans to purchase goods with the click of a button and have the product arrive on their doorstep in a matter of days. In early 2020, the coronavirus completely undermined the American supply chain.
As the coronavirus ravished heavily populated areas that serve as producers of imported goods to the United States, more and more workers creating/packing/shipping these products were becoming sick and quarantined, precautions were being put into place, and fewer goods were made available to consumers. With a depleted workforce, yet the same large demand for products, items quickly went out of stock, and shelves became empty. To make matters worse and back the supply chain up even further, the demand for goods grew larger than ever before. While people sat in their homes, unable to vacation or travel, many spent income that would have once gone toward fancy restaurant dinners and luxurious vacation spots on goods to improve their living space—the very goods not being produced due to this disruption. Even if the products were being manufactured, the barges used to transport the items sat for days, sometimes weeks, in the country’s ports as the manpower required to unload the items dwindled. This was a lose-lose situation in the eyes of companies, workers, consumers, and even school districts.
SO MANY CHANGES IN SUCH A SHORT TIME
Like a well-oiled machine, Andrea Kilpper, food production manager for Round Rock ISD, works tirelessly to plan menus for the district, coordinate recipe development, and act as the vendor liaison for the department. Day in and day out, Kilpper manages what is served on students’ plates in Round Rock ISD. With the change in supply production, she often finds herself making daily changes to already-planned menus.
“A large portion of what I am currently doing on a daily basis is managing product disruptions and substitutions,” Kilpper says. “This involves determining appropriate substitutions, adjusting distribution sheets and schedules for our warehouse team, and communicating the changes to our cafeteria managers. We often don’t know what items from our order will fill until the day before the delivery arrives, so it really keeps me on my toes.”
Kilpper and Round Rock ISD aren’t the only ones facing this issue. David Lewis, director of food and nutrition for Arlington ISD, used to send the lunch menu out to students and families a month in advance, but he’s now lucky to send a full lunch menu for the upcoming week. For Lewis, increased communication has become the key to navigating shortages with Arlington’s 60-plus vendors.
“We meet with our vendors and manufacturers daily to talk with them about what they are no longer making, so we can have some substitutes,” Lewis says. “When a vendor doesn’t let you know they’re short and you’re expecting an order to come, and they cut half the product on [the order] and you don’t know it until you open the truck, that puts us in a difficult position.”
Open communication is important for Lewis and his team as they, like Kilpper and her team, make daily substitution plans due to lack of product.
“[This situation] has really revealed how interconnected everything is and how far ripple effects can extend when a link in the chain is broken or disrupted,” Kilpper says.
FLEXIBILITY SAVES THE DAY
As the pandemic progressed into the summer of 2021, Lewis prepared for the school year to start in person. While
— David Lewis, director of food and nutrition for Arlington ISD
getting ready for the year, he began to notice that products he had once ordered in shiploads were diminishing.
“In June, we started to realize, ‘Hey, this is going to be a very challenging year,’” Lewis says.
And a challenging year it has been. With rising prices on diminished supply, Lewis and his team have learned that flexibility is vital during these abnormal times—sometimes even coming into work on their days off.
“There have been days that we bring a shipment in on Saturday because a vendor says they can deliver it then,” Lewis says. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have [lunch] trays on Monday. We’ll open up on Saturday and take it at any time we can get it.”
Kilpper agrees that some days being flexible is the only option her team has.
“[The shortages have] forced us to be flexible,” Kilpper says. “We thought we were flexible last year, but this is a whole different level of flexibility. It showed us what we are capable of when everyone comes together and brings their A-game to tackle a seemingly insurmountable problem. There is always a solution—sometimes it takes a different perspective to see it.”
THE COST OF NORMALCY
As schools moved back to full in-person learning, districts worked endlessly to provide some sense of normalcy among COVID-19 precautions. With the new addition of masks, hybrid learning opportunities, and social distancing, education has returned to the most “normal” it has been in over a year. In the cafeteria, however, things were far from normal and becoming competitive in a sense.
“All the school districts were competing for items and looking for items to simply distribute food,” Lewis says. “We’re trying to bring the students back into some kind of normalcy for them to prepare and to learn and to just bring that comfort level back to them, so we are trying to get back into normal operations to do that.”
Going back to normal does have its costs. Pre-pandemic, Arlington ISD paid 3 cents for a cutlery package—napkin, fork, and spoon included. Now, Lewis and his team pay 3 cents for a single fork. These changes may seem small, but they add up when paying for the millions of products the district needs to operate.
“We’re looking forward to the day where we do not receive a letter from a vendor or manufacturer that says, ‘We’re not going to ship you something or half your items aren’t going to come in or we didn’t raise your prices’—we’re just waiting for that one day,” Lewis says.
The financial costs are heavy for school districts as they foot the bill for necessities, but no cost is greater than the one Lewis thinks about regularly for the approximately 74% of students and families in Arlington ISD who receive free or reduced lunch.
“The bigger cost to me is when your parents and students can’t count on what you have on the menu each day,” Lewis says. “Those costs of uncertainty to your team and your community are much more challenging costs than just a higher cost [for] something that I have to purchase. When your families are counting on your menu as they do their grocery shopping, as they’re trying to plan for their meals at home, whether or not they need to send a meal with their student—you just leave a lot of challenges for them at the home.”
ADIOS, TAMALES
At Arlington ISD, students had about 16 entrée options on a regular day preCOVID-19, with four to five different concept lines. Now, students are lucky to have three options to choose from.
“They see a lot less choice,” Lewis says. “There’s always going to be a choice, but way less choices for students.”
Every school year, the Arlington ISD food and nutrition department speaks with students to acquire feedback on the meals served throughout the semester. This year, students were curious about where their favorite items had gone.
“They continue to ask us for items that we simply just can’t get,” Lewis says. “For instance, we had a great tamale, a lot of students liked it, and the price of those went up $40 for a case.”
As manufacturers and vendors scramble to find a solution for large school district orders, many have resorted to changing their product recipes to make them easier to create.
“One of the favorite meals is our hot, spicy chicken,” Lewis says.
“Well, the original hot and spicy chicken that they’ve had for years, the manufacturer has changed, so it is not the exact one that students have been getting.” There is no doubt that students are feeling the effects of the supply chain shortages, whether in changed recipes or the complete loss of their favorite foods. Regardless, dining staff continue to do what they can to create as many options as possible.
“We will be able to provide a healthy, nutritious meal to every student— there’s no point which we are not going to be able to do that—but we need to be extremely transparent that there are challenges out there,” Lewis says. “There are a lot of challenges out there.”
NOT INVISIBLE ANY LONGER
It goes without saying that the supply chain is no longer the invisible entity it once was. Americans all over the country are now well aware of the ups and downs consumers and producers alike will face in times of uncertainty like the past two years. Even the youngest students are seeing the impact of shortages at home and in the classroom.
“When we talk to them about supply chain issues, one of the first questions I’ll ask them is ‘Do you know what I mean when I say supply chain?’ and even our fourth graders will be able to say yes, and they’ll be able to tell me things that they’ve seen,” Lewis says.
Unfortunately, even with all the understanding, there is still anger over shortages that have challenged school staff who have no say in the matter. Kilpper calls on others to put these feelings aside and move forward with the dining staff.
“[We want others] to understand what we are facing and that we don’t have much control over what we are able to put on our menu at the moment,” she says. ‘We hope things will level out soon so we can bring some of the variety and more scratchprepared items back to our menus.”
— Andrea Kilpper, food production manager for Round Rock ISD
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BACK IN PERSON & FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE
July 6–8 | Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center | Grapevine
After two virtual ATPE Summits, we’re more than ready to leave our computer screens behind and gather in Grapevine for the biggest reunion ATPE members have ever seen. Make plans to attend the ATPE Summit July 6–8 to connect with friends (both old and new), grow as an educator and leader, and shape ATPE’s future during the House of Delegates.
Details to come at atpesummit.org
TOP 5 REASONS TO ATTEND THE 2022 ATPE SUMMIT
1Network with colleagues Without a doubt, the top reason to attend ATPE’s annual conference is to network and mingle with ATPE members. Plans are in the works for amazing networking events and exciting evening excursions showcasing DFW!
2Opportunities to shape the future of ATPE and Texas public education
During the ATPE House of Delegates meeting, members not only elect the ATPE state officers but also make important decisions about the association’s positions on critical issues that affect you and your students.
3Curated professional learning courses Earn continuing professional education (CPE) credit on a wide variety of topics brought to you by ATPE’s professional learning partners.
4Latest news from ATPE
Governmental Relations
Hear directly from ATPE’s team of professional lobbyists as they explain how to protect public education with your vote.
5Celebrate you Kick back with fun, interactive sessions and celebrate the educational and volunteer accomplishments of your fellow members.
AGENDA AT A GLANCE
Subject to Change
Wednesday, July 6
10 a.m. ...........................Registration opens 2:30–4:45 p.m. ........... Volunteer training sessions 5–6 p.m. ........................... Opening keynote 6:30–8:30 p.m. .............. Welcome reception and awards recognition
Thursday, July 7
8–9 a.m. ...........................Advocacy Update 9:15–10:45 a.m. .................. House of Delegates (candidate speeches) 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m. ..............State officer elections 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. ...................Region caucuses 2:30 p.m.–completion ............ House of Delegates Evening .......... Evening excursions (ticketed event)
Friday, July 8
8:30–10:45 a.m. ....... Professional learning breakouts 11 a.m.–12:15 p.m. ................... Closing keynote
