Colorado teachers report better working conditions, but concerns over artificial intelligence and high workloads persist

Amid conversations of teacher shortages and educators leaving the profession, a new survey sheds some positive light on improved working environments for teachers in Colorado. However, persistent concerns over high workloads and the integration of artificial intelligence in education signal there’s more work to be done.

The Colorado Department of Education published the results of its 2026 Teaching and Learning Conditions survey on Tuesday, April 14. The survey, conducted every two years, collected responses from more than 42,000 teachers and school-based staff.

“Looking across all results, we see steady improvement in several key areas, including time, professional climate, staff evaluation and student supports,” said Lisa Steffen, director of continuous improvement with the Colorado Department of Education, during a Tuesday briefing of the results. “At the same time, the experience of our new staff stands out to us as an area that needs attention.”

More teachers are happy with their jobs

This year’s survey results showed improvements in several areas compared to prior years. A new question not included in prior surveys revealed that 89% of participants are satisfied with the profession they chose, a hopeful response after several years of educators exiting the field.

More educators also said their schools are good places to work — up 1 percentage point from 2024 to 84%. Exactly 90% said their schools are good environments for student learning, 80% reported their class sizes are reasonable and 82% said instructional resources are adequate, all up by 2 percentage points from 2024.

“One of the questions that I found most gratifying in the survey was the (67%) of educators who said they were just as committed today to their profession as they were when they began,” said education commissioner Susana Córdova during the briefing. “I have no regret whatsoever about having chosen education as my career and my life’s work, and I’m so incredibly grateful to the thousands and thousands and thousands of educators across Colorado who show up every day to support and serve their communities by helping educate the young people of Colorado.”

The survey also found that collaboration between colleagues and positive professional relationships are major players in retaining educators in the state. A majority of survey participants listed connections with colleagues (89%), school leadership (76%) and a shared school mission (74%) as the top reasons they stay in their roles, with compensation playing a smaller role (52%).

“This tells us that a strong school culture and leadership are key to keeping great educators in the profession,” Steffen said.

Teachers still struggling with high workload, low pay 

Despite improvements in some areas, a large portion of respondents persisted in their dissatisfaction with longstanding challenges in areas like workload and having adequate time to fulfill responsibilities. 

Just over half of school-based staff said they are able to meet the expectations of their job within the contracted hours. Less than half, 44%, say they are being adequately compensated.

One of the survey areas to see consistent declines over the last six years is the experience of new staff at Colorado schools. Fewer new teachers are meeting with mentors during the school week (64%), and a shrinking number are reporting receiving personal support from staff with things like stress and social connections (61%), down 7 percentage points from 2024.

“Our teacher shortage continues to be a challenge, and to help turn that around, we know that we need more licensed educators, we need more substitutes and we need to keep the people that we have who are in our classrooms,” Córdova said. 

Uncertainty emerges over artificial intelligence in schools

A more recent, emerging need for teachers deals with the integration of artificial intelligence in the classroom. While 66% of educators indicated they have used AI tools for instructional planning, such as creating lesson plans, only 32% said they felt prepared for the changes that come with the integration of AI in their fields. 

When it comes to students using artificial intelligence, just over a third of survey participants, or 34%, said they currently have clear strategies for evaluating student work that include AI-generated content, while 42% said they provide guidance to their students on how to appropriately use AI tools in their assignments.

“Many school leaders report a lack of clear guidance. This is an emerging area (in) which we know we’ll need to provide more support and clarity,” Steffen said.