CUMBERLAND —­ Most Allegany County teachers feel safe in their schools and respected by students and peers, but many wish they had more influence on decision-making at the district level, according to a statewide survey of educators.

In the TELL Survey — Teaching, Empowering, Leading, Learning — conducted last spring, just 20 percent of teachers here said that they have an “appropriate level of influence on decision making” in the district. At the school level, 31 percent of teachers said they didn’t feel influential enough in how decisions are made.

“I think leadership does matter to teachers,” said Debbie Pappas, president of the Allegany County Teachers Union, who briefed the Allegany County Board of Education about survey results earlier this week. “I think they do want to be involved.”

Across the state, more than 43,000 educators completed the anonymous survey to give government leaders a glimpse of what’s good and bad about teaching in Maryland public schools. Questions were grouped into nine topic areas, including student learning, new teacher support, professional development and school leadership.

In Allegany County, about 89 percent of teachers completed the survey, compared to 62 percent statewide, and generally, Allegany County teachers indicated a higher level of satisfaction in all areas, said Janet Wilson, assistant superintendent of instruction.

For example:

• 80 percent of Allegany County teachers said they are recognized as educational experts, compared to 70 percent in the state.

• 76 percent said there’s an atmosphere of respect and trust in their schools, compared to 63 percent statewide.

• 76 percent said they feel comfortable raising issues and concerns that are important to them, compared to 61 percent statewide.

• 90 percent said they feel safe in their schools, compared to 82 percent statewide.

• And 89 percent of Allegany County teachers indicated that they want to continue to teach at their current school in the immediate future, compared to 80 percent statewide.

“I think that speaks well for our quality of life here,” Wilson said, adding that administrators plan to address teacher concerns about not being involved enough in school and district-level decisions.

“We certainly want to move toward making all teachers have a place in decision making around what happens in the classroom,” she said.

The complete TELL survey results can be viewed on the Allegany County Board of Education Web site, http://boe.allconet.org. For statewide results go to www.tellmaryland.org

Contact Kristin Harty Barkley at kharty@times-news.com.