Teachers Are Quitting by the Thousands! What Can We Do?
A survey of National Education Association members at the beginning of the year revealed that over 50% of respondents want to leave the teaching profession. At this moment, our entire nation is dealing with an education crisis. Teachers report feeling burnt out after the pandemic, and many do not feel supported by their school districts or their salaries. It is no wonder that more and more teachers are quitting by the day.
Teacher shortages create a cycle of unfortunate events, where already overworked staff members have to pick up the slack and deal with overcrowded classrooms and few resources. It is essential that our politicians pivot from attacking teachers (by cutting school funding) to supporting teachers. One way to support struggling teachers in California would be to repeal Prop 13 and restore over $12 billion a year in funding for public schools and communities. We need to show our teachers we care, or unfortunately they will continue to leave.
By Agnes Walton and Nic Pollock, The New York Times | 11/18/2022