This mixed-methods study draws on survey data collected from 268 elementary school educators working in New York State to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on levels of stress and job dissatisfaction. Through the lens of the Job Demand-Control-Support (JCDS) framework, we explore factors which exacerbated educators’ stress levels and those which may have mitigated them. Quantitative analysis shows that having more demands relative to control and support was associated with increased work-related stress, work-life balance challenges and job dissatisfaction. Qualitative findings further elucidate the experiences of stress experienced by elementary school teachers during the pandemic as well as the significance of job control and support. The article concludes by discussing implications for policymakers, leaders and educators seeking to better support elementary school educators in this post-pandemic moment. We also weigh the utility of the JDCS framework in exploring the issue of stress among educators during the pandemic.

Emerging research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the working conditions of educators and led to increased levels of stress, burnout, and turnover. Few studies, however, have examined changes in collegiality during the pandemic despite scholarship noting that educators experienced isolation as support systems weakened and collaboration with colleagues in school settings was reduced. In this essay, we discuss the impacts of the pandemic on educator collegiality by drawing upon survey data gathered from 758 educators in 38 public schools in New York State. Survey results show that COVID-19 related disruptions negatively impacted educators’ collegiality although these impacts differed in intensity by educator gender, role, mode of instruction, and years of experience. As educator collegiality is related to a range of positive influences on educators and students and has been shown to potentially mitigate burnout and turnover, it is crucial to better understand the impacts of the pandemic on collegiality and discuss strategies to support educator collegiality in the future.

There is a growing concern that the COVID-19 pandemic has had disproportionate impacts on women, especially those with children. Female educators, and, in particular, those with childcare responsibilities, have also reported higher levels of stress and work-life challenges as compared to their male counterparts. It is unclear exactly which factors are behind these disparities. However, while some have pointed to the gendered division of domestic labor as the main contributor, other pandemic-related and work-related stressors may be involved in female educators’ increased stress levels and work-life balance challenges. To address this question, this mixed-methods research draws on survey data gathered from 752 educators across New York State. Findings demonstrate that women reported higher levels of stress and work-life balance challenges than their male counterparts. While quantitative analyses indicated that gender disparities in work-life balance challenges were related to the higher stress women experienced from work and COVID-19 rather than childcare responsibilities, qualitative analyses of open-ended survey responses revealed that childcare duties were nonetheless an important factor impacting work-life balance challenges for both men and women. This article has significant implications for the teaching profession and adds broader insights into the gendered effects of the pandemic.