Violence in the classroom is not only injuring teachers and support staff. Educators tell KSAT Investigates it’s disrupting learning and making it difficult to retain and recruit help.
Photos shared with KSAT show the aftermath of a meltdown in a classroom: crumpled papers, scattered pencils, and overturned desks.
The teacher who shared the images said that her students had to hide to protect themselves. During incidents like these, she described how teachers are pulled away from lessons to manage behavior. In some cases, she said, educators are later written up for disruptions beyond their control.
Last school year, records show an Edgewood ISD classroom had to be evacuated after a student became physically aggressive and attacked a teacher.
For Northside ISD teacher Tracey Sorrell, the impact goes beyond the physical injuries she’s suffered.
“[The students] can tell on my face that I’ve just been through something,” she said.
Sorrell recalled a moment when a student watched a classmate punch her in the face, cracking her cheekbone.
“They know, and it affects them and they’re afraid,” she said.
Sorrell said the student who witnessed the assault had to be taken to a counselor.
“She’d seen so much of that in her own family life that coming into school, which is supposed to be a safe place, was now no longer safe for her,” Sorrell said.
Experts say exposure to violence can lead to emotional and psychological trauma in children and may even affect their development.
Educators and advocates say the strain is being felt across classrooms.
“Everybody starts feeling the strain when there are concerns and behavior concerns in a classroom,” said Melina Espiritu-Azocar, president of the Northside American Federation of Teachers.
Espiritu-Azocar said some teachers are choosing to leave the profession altogether.
“We’ve had union members that have said, ‘I can’t deal with this anymore. I’m going to resign from my position or I’m going to early retire,’” she said. “It is a very challenging, difficult thing to see, because you’re talking about really good, trained, well-experienced teachers.”
Education leaders say these conditions are contributing to a broader staffing crisis.
Data from the Texas Education Agency shows the state lost nearly 5,000 teachers over the last two full school years.
Wanda Longoria, a retired teacher who represents the Texas American Federation of Teachers, told KSAT in 2024 staffing shortages can make already challenging classrooms even more dangerous.
“If you need to employ more staff because a child needs a special accommodation and that staffer isn’t there, that puts the teacher in peril,” Longoria said.
She said there is a shortage of special education teachers and paraprofessionals—positions critical to supporting students with behavioral needs.
Educators say more support and funding are needed to keep both teachers and students safe.
“Texas needs to do a better job than what they’re doing right now,” Espiritu-Azocar said. “We need to give teachers the resources that they need to be successful, and we need to do that through funding.”
When asked what she would tell lawmakers directly, Espiritu-Azocar’s response was blunt: “Do your job.”
Tell us your story
KSAT Investigates reporter Daniela Ibarra is not done investigating violence against teachers in the classroom, and she needs your help.
If you’ve experienced violence in the classroom or if you’re the parent of a student who has injured a teacher and want to share your story, we want to hear from you.
You can share your story and any photos or videos of the injuries or aftermath by filling out this form or by emailing Ibarra at dibarra@ksat.com.
Daniela is an IRE 2025 Chauncey Bailey Investigative Reporting Fellow. This story is part of her yearlong project focusing on teacher injuries by students.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.
