Colorado’s educators are considering leaving the profession amid existing statewide shortages. Here’s what teachers say needs to change.

Colorado’s challenges with public school funding and educator shortages, while not new, are worsening working conditions for educators, pushing many to leave the field.

Two independent adequacy studies commissioned in 2025 show Colorado public schools are facing an annual funding shortfall of up to $3.5-$4 billion, or roughly $4,600 per student, according to the Colorado Education Association’s 2025-26 State of Education Report.

The Colorado Education Association is the largest union in the state and an affiliate of the National Education Association, with roughly 40,000 members representing education professionals across the state.

Today, Colorado ranks last in the nation for teacher wage competitiveness and 40th in the nation for education investment despite an above-average gross domestic product, the report states.

“Despite Colorado’s strong economy, decades of budget constraints and arbitrary spending limits restricting how much of our own revenue we can use for public education have left schools unable to provide the resources students need, ultimately driving educators out of the profession,” the association said in a news release.

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Data from the report suggests that low funding for public schools isn’t only driving out experienced teachers and discouraging many from entering the profession — it’s also holding districts back from improving student outcomes and closing existing achievement gaps.

In response to these concerns, the association’s priorities for the 2026 legislation session involve pushing forth a ballot measure that would ask voters to raise the growth cap on the Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to boost funding for K-12 education.

“Colorado’s public schools are standing at a crossroads,” Colorado Education Association President Kevin Vick said in a statement. “This report makes clear that chronic underfunding is at the root of nearly every challenge facing Colorado’s public schools, from educator shortages and overcrowded classrooms to safety concerns and rising costs that educators are being asked to absorb themselves.”

An exodus of educators

In 2024, 82% of educators said they personally knew someone who had left the profession within the past year. Many of them are considering the change themselves, citing unmanageable workloads and politically motivated attacks on curriculum and educator autonomy.

The annual problem of a $3.5-$4 billion shortfall, the report found, is a major player behind what the association is calling an “educator exodus” across the state.

Colorado educators earn 62 cents for every dollar earned by similarly educated professionals in the state, as opposed to 94 cents in 1996. The state’s average starting teacher pay of $42,421 is roughly 39%  — or $26,052 — below the state’s minimum living wage of $68,473, making critical expenses like housing, health care and living costs unaffordable for many.

The gap is even worse for education support professionals like bus drivers, nurses, custodians and cafeteria workers. Average K-12 earnings for these positions in Colorado are just over $35,000, according to the report.

“No educator should need a second or third job to afford to live in the community they serve,” the association wrote in the report.

The Colorado Education Association described the issue as a “constant churn” that disrupts student learning. Educators who leave their jobs because of unmanageable workloads often end up placing a greater strain on those who remain, and the cycle continues..

In addition to being driven away by financial pressures, educators across the state are also facing a loss of autonomy under burdensome mandates, such as policies restricting how teachers can address topics like race and history. Many face pressure to avoid controversial conversations or risk backlash.

These mandates can also look like extensive paperwork requirements that take time away from supporting students.

“When educators have influence on important school decisions and their school leadership works to build trust among staff, they are more likely to stay in the profession,” the report states.

Growing violence in K-12 classroom

The chronic underfunding of schools also contributes to worsening safety conditions in public school classrooms that appeared around the COVID-19 pandemic, the report found.

The association’s Educator Safety Task Force, formed in 2024, found that roughly 50% of educators said they have been physically injured by a student and nearly 75% have witnessed a student trying to harm an adult.

Preventing and responding to these incidents require appropriate staffing ratios, which several districts simply don’t have the funding to provide.

“The path forward is clear: Colorado must invest in resources and staffing, including counselors, mental-health professionals, paraprofessionals and smaller classroom sizes, to address the root causes of behavioral incidents and ensure every educator and student feels safe at school” the report states.

Legislative agenda: sustainable funding solutions

The Colorado Education Association said its top priority this legislative session is to pass a referred measure to allow voters the choice of a more reliable school finance system without raising taxes, which legislators aim to achieve by raising the TABOR cap determining K-12 spending. 

“Year after year, our students and educators are paying the price for a system that refuses to fully invest in public education. Lawmakers now have a clear choice about whether to continue down this path or finally make the investment our schools need,” Vick said in a statement.

The association is also urging legislators to resist passing unfunded mandates and policies which, while well-intentioned, only increase educator workloads with no substantial support.

Keeping educators in the profession, the association said, also requires support in areas like health care, one of the biggest individual costs for school districts across the state. The CEA said it will support efforts to explore the creation of a statewide public school health insurance pool that stabilizes costs and increases buying power for educators and their families.

In alignment with CEA’s three core pillars of investment, respect and safety, the association also plans to support bills that contribute to competitive pay and adequate staffing, strengthen collective bargaining and protect students and staff from political attacks on public schools.

In the past 60 years, educators in Colorado have led collective bargaining campaigns to secure much-needed raises and better salary schedules, develop grievance procedures and other benefits. Those in the profession today continue to fight for a collective bargaining law in Colorado, with 88% of educators saying they should have a legally protected right to bargain collectively, according to the report.

The average starting pay for teachers with collective bargaining rights is 18% higher than those without contracts, going from $44,370 to $52,333. More than 3 in 5 educators say they would only work in districts with a collective bargaining agreement, while 90% would prefer it, making collective bargaining agreements a reliable way to attract and retain qualified educators.

Amid the persistent challenges in Colorado’s public education system within the last year, educators were also able to secure several victories for themselves and their communities, especially around teacher salaries and working conditions.

Educators in 2025 achieved an average cost of living adjustment of 2.4% with experience step increments, surpassing the 2.3% inflation rate.

The 2025 legislative session also brought forth substantial wins for educators and students. The School Finance Act delivered an additional $150 million for K-12 schools and created a permanent safeguard against future underfunding, also known as the Kids Matter Fund. Legislation also passed improving licensure pathways for educators, expanding down-payment assistance for housing access and supporting student health.