Virtual schools and work-life balance for teachers

RAND To Make Teaching Sustainable, Help Teachers Balance Work and Personal Demands: Findings from the 2025 State of the American Teacher Survey [14 October 2025] https://lnkd.in/gYiuM4Rd o https://lnkd.in/gNNs3n4J   [excerpt] The authors used the 2025 State of the American Teacher survey to explore teachers’ perceptions of their work-life balance, personal and work factors that are plausible drivers of work-life balance, and relationships between work-life balance and well-being. The authors compare teachers’ responses with those of similar working adults to provide context for teachers’ responses. They focus on female teachers because women are three-quarters of the teaching workforce and because of the documented, worrying patterns in female teachers’ reported job stress and burnout.   The authors found that poor work-life balance—specifically a lack of job flexibility and more job intrusion—is highly correlated with poor well-being, and that teachers were consistently more likely than similar working adults to report experiencing multiple job flexibility and job intrusion challenges. Working conditions, such as weekly hours worked or access to employer-provided benefits, can affect teachers’ perceptions of work-life balance. Female teachers’ greater time spent on household chores and child care, relative to male teachers, appears to contribute to worse well-being.   Although fewer than one-half of teachers reported that their school or district was making efforts to help teachers balance work and life, these teachers highlighted ease of taking time off, schedule flexibility, and access to classroom coverage as supports that could improve their perceptions of their work-life balance.

To Make Teaching Sustainable, Help Teachers Balance Work and Personal Demands: A new RAND State of the American Teacher report out today focuses on trends in teacher well-being, especially among women, who make up three-quarters of the teaching workforce. The authors found that poor work-life balance, specifically a lack of job flexibility and more job intrusion, is highly correlated with poor well-being, and that teachers were consistently more likely than similar working adults to report experiencing multiple job flexibility and job intrusion challenges. https://lnkd.in/eB2mhYDF

Supporting Employees During School Breaks Many companies say they support work-life balance—but what happens when school is closed? For parents, school breaks often mean stress and scrambling for care. This isn’t just about policy—it’s about culture. Do parents feel supported, or do they feel pressure to “figure it out” alone? Companies that offer flexible solutions like backup care show they truly have their employees’ backs—especially when it matters most.

Parents want timely attendance updates—but many schools struggle to deliver them effectively. Even with every absence playing a critical role in student success, districts are still relying on delayed phone calls or mailed letters leave families without the chance to respond quickly or partner with schools to improve attendance. Timely, clear attendance notifications help families stay informed, respond promptly, and support their child’s learning experience. Here’s how districts can strengthen attendance communication: ✅ Real-time alerts: Families receive instant updates when students are absent or tardy. ✅ Student-specific details: Alerts include date, time, and absence count for clarity. ✅ Multilingual delivery: Reach every family in their preferred language. ✅ Automated follow-up: Staff can track outreach, next steps, and student progress efficiently. ✅ Positive engagement: Celebrate attendance improvements alongside addressing concerns. Clear attendance communication also supports district-wide collaboration. When staff can share and log updates efficiently, they can focus on proactive family engagement rather than manual follow-up. When families are informed and included, students benefit. 💡 Learn more strategies for delivering attendance notifications effectively: https://lnkd.in/eWqy5r24 #ChronicAbsenteeism #FamilyEngagement #SchoolCommunication #AttendanceMatters

School Comms // Smart solutions As a parent, being notified of a child’s absence or tardy mark on an evening may be useful to know, but an end-of-day notification does not act as a safety measure for older children who may walk, bike, or transport themselves to school alone. Nor does an automated evening text or call tend to provide real-time cumulative attendance ‘big picture’ info, speak in the recipient’s first language, or connect a student’s attendance trends with grades or behavior. It’s standalone: functional, but not integrative or ‘smart’. Attendance is a critical factor in student success, and in an era of school choice and challenging budgets, it is also central to funding. A ‘smart’ attendance solution that integrates multiple data points with communications provides an opportunity to truly connect and work alongside families in reducing chronic absenteeism, building support, trust, and belonging along the way. www.campuscpmms.com

How do we promote student wellbeing? One key insight from my masters: wellbeing initiatives work best when they’re not seen as add-ons, but as part of a coordinated, whole-school strategy. 🔹 Wellbeing needs to be embedded, not bolted on Scattered programs and reactive support can only go so far. A proactive, schoolwide approach is more effective in shifting culture, behaviour and outcomes. 🔹 School climate matters more than you think Students’ sense of safety, connection and belonging has a measurable impact on both emotional wellbeing and academic outcomes. Aggression and withdrawal are often symptoms, not the core issue. 🔹 Language learners face unique pressures Language anxiety and low self-efficacy can silently undermine engagement and confidence. Inclusive, low-stakes learning environments are essential to help all students thrive. 🔹 Tiered support makes wellbeing scalable Universal SEL benefits everyone, but students also need targeted and individualised interventions. Strong systems allow schools to respond without relying solely on one-off programs. 🔹 Leadership and implementation are make-or-break factors Even the best frameworks will struggle without leadership buy-in, realistic timetabling and staff development. Implementation teams and structured rollouts help move initiatives from intent to impact. The most effective wellbeing strategies aren’t about chasing the perfect program. They’re about creating the conditions—culture, consistency and collaboration—that allow wellbeing to take root across the whole school. What’s helped you shift from reactive to strategic in your school’s approach to wellbeing? #StudentWellbeing #EvidenceBasedTeaching #WholeSchoolApproach #EducationLeadership #SocialEmotionalLearning #InclusiveEducation

Jury is out according to a recent EdSurge article on virtual schooling and the increasing focus from parents on getting a better work/family/school life balance. Hundres of thousands of students forgoing the brick-and-mortar school experience in favor of virtual programs, which have been lauded by some observers for their flexibility and panned by others for their ineffectiveness. So what actually makes online learning effective? Check out what our CEO Melissa McBride 🚀 has to say #onlineschool #virtualschool #learnfromhome #hybrid https://lnkd.in/exg3ziKN

🌟 Use Time Wisely, Less Stress, More Success 🌟 We know the truth: early childhood educators are some of the hardest-working people out there. Even the most passionate teachers can burn out when the workday bleeds into personal time, or when documentation and compliance tasks start piling up. The good news? 👀 With the right support, your team can use classroom downtime (like naptime) to work smarter, not harder! When used intentionally, these quiet moments can help teachers: - Stay caught up with planning, documentation, assessments, etc. - Clean and organize their classroom - Avoid taking work home - Feel more in control of their day It’s not about doing more, it’s about using time more intentionally. Why Time Management Matters: Helping teachers manage their time wisely during the day doesn’t just boost productivity; it also: 📉 Reduces After-Hours Work: When teachers use downtime to complete lesson prep, documentation, or parent communication, they’re less likely to carry that burden home. 💪🏽 Supports Licensure and Compliance.... Discover more strategies to help your team work smarter, not longer, in our latest article from Crayons to Clipboards - the only early childhood education newsletter that has it all. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eENMyeYp #EarlyChildhoodEducation #TimeManagement #TeacherSupport #WorkSmart #EducationLeadership #CrayonsToClipboards

All too often teachers can find themselves juggling a multitude of tasks both inside and outside the classroom. Managing this workload while maintaining a healthy work-life balance can be challenging. Thankfully, there are ways to find harmony between the two. Read our blog post to find out more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eNDeK92z

A recent survey of 55 education systems has revealed a shocking truth: full-time teachers work an average of 47.3 hours a week. That’s well above the global average of 41 hours—which, in human terms, means sleep is now just a suggestion, and weekends are a cruel myth. Stress levels? Through the roof. Some psychologists suggest yoga and meditation, but these teachers have already achieved enlightenment simply by surviving another day of grading essays while deciphering handwriting that looks like ancient runes. Students think teachers are magical. They assume lesson plans appear fully formed, grading happens instantly, and emails reply themselves. Reality: magic is 47.3 hours of heroic multitasking, strategic coffee refills, and the occasional whispered plea to the universe: “Why me?” Superpowers? Absolutely. Teachers can: Calculate algebraic equations while predicting administrative curveballs Remember 72 student names, birthdays, and favorite snacks simultaneously Grade essays at the speed of light without actually needing eyes Translate vague parent emails into actionable feedback Survive on caffeine, willpower, and sheer stubbornness Recent unofficial studies (conducted by teachers themselves in secret between classes) show that a teacher working 47.3 hours a week can also: Run a triathlon during lunch break Bake artisanal cookies for meetings, while reciting Shakespeare Learn three new languages before the end of the semester Solve climate change, or at least a classroom’s thermostat dispute Maintain a perfectly calm smile while inside they are slowly combusting In fact, there’s now a movement to award teachers for their “Olympic-level endurance,” including events such as: The 100-meter sprint to the copier before it jams Essay grading marathons Power napping while standing Caffeine-chug relay races Yes, they work long hours. Yes, they are stressed. But yes—they are superheroes in cardigans, armed with pens, markers, an unholy love for coffee, and a talent for surviving chaos that would make even the most hardened action movie hero pause. Teachers: redefining “work-life balance” one 47.3-hour week at a time, with zero trophies, but infinite respect (and maybe the faint hope of a weekend someday).