As Anita watches Victoria's state election unfold, she feels she's not hearing much about the issue dominating her life.
"I'm just seeing, especially post-COVID, a very huge amount of teacher burnout, and teachers quite publicly and openly vocalising how they're feeling about workload, work expectation, parental expectation," she said.
Anita, whose name has been changed due to restrictions on speaking to media, said in addition to the systemic issues at the heart of Australia's teaching crisis, Victorian teachers were facing students profoundly affected by two years of rolling COVID-19 lockdowns.
"Teachers in the classroom are essentially looking after students' wellbeing to a very large degree now, as well," she said.
She said the problem was creating a scenario where the teaching workload was spilling out beyond work hours more than ever before, as part of a "broader cultural problem".
Anita's not alone — when the ABC asked Victorians what issues were front of mind this election, a number of people nominated the pressure on school teachers.
There are no quick fixes to the strain on Australia's teaching workforce, which brought state and territory governments together in crisis talks this year.
And so far, the bulk of the big-ticket education pledges from both sides have been focused on school rebuilds and upgrades.
But teachers say whoever wins government on November 26 needs to urgently tackle the burnout fuelling a growing teacher shortage across the state.
This is what's on offer so far from those fighting to form government, drawing on party announcements and the Parliamentary Budget Office's list.
Coalition pledges curriculum overhaul and school builds
The Coalition has unveiled more than $1.5 billion in school pledges, spread across Melbourne and regional Victoria — including $700 million for the state's non-government schools.
There's more than $47 million in pledges across the inner-Melbourne seats of Hawthorn and Kew, which the party is battling to win in a tussle that includes independent challengers.
The Coalition is also pledging to build a second public high school in independent-held Shepparton and has committed $18 million to upgrade Yarrawonga P-12 College in the Ovens Valley electorate.
Mount Waverley Secondary College is being offered a $35 million rebuild and pledges of more than $10 million have been made to schools across Templestowe, Rowville, Belmont, Scoresby, Beaumaris, Croydon and Bayswater.
Outside school buildings, the opposition is promising to spend $200 million overhauling the school curriculum. It says its changes would involve simplifying the curriculum and introducing a stronger focus on maths, science and literacy skills.
It's also pledged another $220 million to roll out more allied health staff and reading support programs in schools and $50 million expand musical education.
And it's promised $200 million program to roll out $200 vouchers for school-enrolled children to participate in sport, dance, scouts or other activities.
The party also plans to change the state's laws to allow faith-based organisations to hire people who share their values.
Laws passed last year largely ban religious organisations and schools from sacking or refusing to hire people based on protected attributes such as sexuality, gender identity or marital status.
Labor commits millions to Melbourne growth corridors
Labor has made recent pledges totalling more than $2.7 billion across education.
It includes a $1.6 billion push to build more on-site kinders at schools to help with child drop offs and start planning for another 25 new schools.
There's also $717 million to improve facilities for Catholic and independent schools.
It's also promising to set aside money for Melbourne's growth corridors, with a $55 million pledge for a new TAFE in Melton and $24 million to expand Hallam Secondary College in the city's south-east.
A large number of the party's school pledges fall inside Labor-held seats, including a $32.3 million promise to upgrade Coburg High School and John Fawkner Secondary College in Melbourne's north.
Pledges above $10 million have been made to schools across Thornbury, Heidelberg, Lyndhurst, Blackburn South, Ormond, Clayton South, Whittlesea, Pakenham, Belmont and Bayswater.
Labor is heading into the election having already pledged to spend $9 billion rolling out free kinder across the state.
Teacher burnout a major challenge for next government
The Australian Education Union's Victorian branch president Meredith Peace said whoever won government this month could not afford to leave teacher workforce challenges to the federal government.
She acknowledged recent changes funded in this year's state budget would begin to ease the face-to-face workload for teachers from next year, but said more work was urgently needed.
"We do need to see more focused work done on how we can support our new graduates, how we can support those students who are in their university courses," she said.
Ms Peace wants to see more support given to students doing school placements during study and more support for the experienced teachers who mentor them as they begin their careers.
"We actually need both levels of government to be working very hard and to invest in the workforce, and to invest in strategies to attract people into our profession," she said.
"Otherwise, the shortage we're already experiencing is going to reach a crisis point, at some point in the not too distant future."
