Arizona teachers sound alarm on mental health crisis amid rising burnout

By Stacy Mantle
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As Arizona's classrooms grapple with mounting challenges, a growing number of educators are confronting a mental health crisis that threatens the stability of the state's education system. Recent studies and firsthand accounts reveal that teacher burnout, exacerbated by student behavioral issues and a perceived lack of respect, and below level pay is driving many to reconsider their roles in education.

Teacher burnout reach alarming levels

According to a report by the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association (ASPAA), teacher vacancies have risen for nearly a decade.  In the 2023-2024 school year, there were 7,518 teacher openings; 30% of teacher vacancies remained unfilled, and 53% were filled with teachers who did not meet the minimum requirement for state certification. This totals 83% of positions being either vacant or filled with “individuals not meeting standard teacher requirements.” 

A 2023 report from the Governor’s Educator Retention Task Force found that 71.2% of departing teachers cited burnout as a primary reason for leaving, while 69.1% pointed to a lack of respect, and nearly 64% referenced student behavior issues. 

Nearly 75% of each survey sample said that providing mental health support to educators and students is very or extremely important for educator retention; and 80% of former educators left the profession because they felt burned out.

"Throughout my career, I’ve seen some of the best educators I know leave the profession because of burnout," said Adeel Khan, CEO and founder of MagicSchool. "These are the kinds of folks that we all want in front of students—irreplaceable teachers. If we don’t address teacher burnout now, it's students that will pay the price."

Student behavior and societal shifts

Educators across the state report that student behavior has become increasingly challenging, contributing significantly to their stress levels. Anne Tinkleberg, a teacher in the Tempe School District, shared her experience:

"Societal disrespect for the teaching profession is increasing, and students feel emboldened to speak disrespectfully to staff at schools because there is often very little consequence. This leads to disruption of the learning environment, which wears away at teachers’ morale. The job is already stressful and exhausting, but when you add on the disrespect from students, it makes finding a job in another profession more attractive."

Calls for systemic change

Educators are advocating for systemic changes to address these issues. Estrella teacher, Cindi Morton, emphasized the importance of involving teachers in decision-making processes:

"In a perfect world, the decision-makers would listen to the teachers. We are the ones in the trenches. We know what curriculum works, we know what our kids need, and we know what we are missing as far as support. Listen to us!"

The Governor’s Educator Retention Task Force recommends several strategies to improve teacher retention, including raising salaries, reducing workloads, and enhancing mental health support. 

Using tools to help this problem

Educators have a growing list of responsibilities and some believe that AI can help. 

“AI will reduce teacher workloads and help them have more sustainable careers," Khan said. "MagicSchool is already saving teachers hours of time - that’s time teachers can use to build trust with a hard-to-reach student, meet with a family to help them understand financial aid, differentiate a lesson for diverse learners, and enjoy time with their families on the weekends.”

AEA President, Marisol Garcia, agrees. "Some of our members are already using AI tools to reduce administrative burdens and give them more time to focus on instruction and student engagement."

Superintendent Tom Horne has also implemented AI into classrooms throughout the state. “We have paid $1.5 million to Khanmigo to cover the first 100,000 students,” Horne said in his 2025 State of Education speech. “The rest can be covered for $25 per student. We will work hard to convince public schools that it is worth it. This is the future, and we are making the tools available today.”

“This is the best program we have found for education application of artificial intelligence. It is from Khan academy and is called Khanmigo. It does not substitute for teachers; it helps them. It gives them the equivalent of two assistants to do the grunt work so they can concentrate on creative teaching.” ~ Superintendent Tom Horne

Additionally, initiatives like Mesa Public Schools' partnership with Grokker aim to provide holistic well-being programs for educators, addressing stress, burnout, and other mental health challenges.

Looking ahead

As Arizona continues to face teacher shortages—ranking 7th among 38 U.S. states for such shortages—addressing the mental health and well-being of educators is just as important as improving salary and benefits. 

Governor Katie Hobbs also addressed student loan forgiveness as a possibly way to  entice teachers to stay in their position.

"The Governor’s Educator Retention Task Force recommends that the Governor’s Office work with key education partners to ensure educators and school personnel are aware of and able to access options for
student loan forgiveness." 

Without meaningful interventions, the state risks losing more dedicated professionals, ultimately impacting the quality of education for its students. 

Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.