Manitou Springs parents and former teachers voice concerns over high teacher turnover rate

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Monday evening, dozens of Manitou Springs parents and former District 14 educators spoke to the district's board of education about a high teacher turnover rate.

The concerns discussed during the meeting are in response to data obtained through a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) by a local parent group, Stand Up for Manitou.

According to the data the parents obtained, there was a 24% teacher turnover rate at D14 in 2021. That number stayed roughly the same in 2022 with a 23% turnover rate.

That's an increase compared to 2019 and 2020 when that number was at 8%, one of the lowest turnover rates in all El Paso County school districts.

"Trust in district leadership needs to be the number one priority," Manitou parent Brenda Holmes-Stanciu said. "The teachers as a unit are not feeling heard."

After obtaining these turnover numbers this year, Stand Up for Manitou sought the help of a third-party service to help poll educators who've recently left the district.

The group received an 87% response rate from teachers, admin and staff who participated in the survey. Two reasons emerged for the high turnover rate: district leadership and district culture.

"Many are feeling like they are not being heard, that the needs of their students are being overlooked," Holmes-Stanciu said. "The district is being top heavy in administration, teachers are begging for more assistance within the classroom."

Stand Up for Manitou explained that the only way to reach those teachers was through anonymous means. The group said the anonymity allowed former teachers to voice their concerns without putting their names out there.

One teacher said they feared retaliation by other districts if they publicly spoke out against D14.

"It's going to be hard to get another job at another school," the former teacher said.

However, not everyone that attended Monday's meeting agreed with the sentiment of Stand Up for Manitou.

"I don't think they have spoken with the majority of current teachers. I don't think they have much to actually stand on. They may very well be airing dirty laundry for a handful of disgruntled former employees and parents who have little knowledge of the complexities of running a public school district," one parent said during public comment.

According to the data obtained by Stand Up for Manitou, District 14 had the highest turnover rate of all El Paso County school districts in 2021 and 2022. However, multiple other school districts had nearly as high as teacher turnover rates in 2022.

Below are the 2022 turnover rates for all El Paso County school districts.

During Monday night's meeting, the board of education did not respond to the public's comment.

13 Investigates reached out to the district for comment and received the following statement.

“We thank these former employees for bringing this to our attention. While we are aware of many reasons some employees have left the district (more than 1-2 years ago), this information provides another data point for improvement. We know that there are always opportunities to grow and feedback is helpful. 

I invite former employees to meet to discuss any concerns or thoughts that would be helpful for progress. My door is always open, and I am always happy to talk in hallways, driveways, games, community events, etc. 

Our new HR team is continuing with practices that have been highly successful for recruiting and retaining employees in all positions. They are also leading efforts to seek feedback in new and different ways–ways that are formative. For example, we are excited about rolling out Let’s Talk (through K12 Insights) to all staff, students, and parents. This is a platform for sharing concerns and celebrations via an online platform where people can choose to be anonymous or not. 

I am working with the Board of Education to create a community-engaged and facilitated dialogue with all stakeholders. This will be facilitated by a group outside of Manitou Springs. 

Manitou Springs School District 14