Current Events > More than half of teachers are looking for a way out

(+) Yeah! (+)

Wild statistic. Gee I wonder why

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/01/1076943883/teachers-quitting-burnout

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/01/1076943883/teachers-quitting-burnout

Non-fucked link^

And yeah, it's already a very high turnover profession (at least in the first 5 years). I can't imagine dealing with it right now.

Indoril posted...

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/01/1076943883/teachers-quitting-burnout

Non-fucked link^

And yeah, it's already a very high turnover profession (at least in the first 5 years). I can't imagine dealing with it right now.

cool thanks for the better link lol. And yep, its horrible. Ive been looking for a way out since year one of teaching. In year 8 now and hate my life.

We'll see the collapse of the American public education system in our lifetimes.

They're covering for unfilled positions.

and paid low to do so

My wife already left.

I've been dating a teacher lately and she's said she's definitely quitting if something comes up in her job search.

USA Best Nation on Earth

Idiocracy here we come!

PlantBased posted...

We'll see the collapse of the American public education system in our lifetimes.

It's been shit for decades. Actually generations.
That's is a huge part of why we are in the mess that we are in.

One of my friends was an elementary school teacher and quit after a couple years near the middle of 2020. It was hard enough for him before Covid hit.

I have another friend that's going on his 4th year or so of teaching. He does high school math though so he's having a better time.

I'm not surprised in the slightest at that statistic unfortunately.

Some teachers i know move to private tutoring, either independently or trough cram school. Much better pay and less workload too.

It doesn't help that a lot of the administration staff set up the teachers for failure and then rather than address the issues politicians are pushing for more private and charter education as if that's the solution.

The GOP:

https://gfycat.com/accomplisheduntriedlacewing

EDIT: I guess giphy doesnt work anymore huh

The United States: Greatest country in the world that can't even properly teach it's kids.

PlantBased posted...

We'll see the collapse of the American public education system in our lifetimes.

Blue states probably wont be hurt as badly. So far not many or any efforts to censor teachers or content, and at least here in CA (secondary at least) there are more credentialed teachers than positions, so they can fill spots.

School and department culture is *huge* too. A college friend left her spot after a year because the culture there was super toxic. However, my ex started teaching HS during the pandemic and while, yes, she was overworked and underpaid (even though CA high school pay is better than most), she has a super tight knit department and school which is a massive help

It's a huge mess. Unfilled positions is a real problem. University departments, in general, have about 25% of the grad faculty they had in 2007, with entire departments slashed (Physics, foreign language, history, women's studies, psychology, astronomy, etc. Basically anything that isn't petroleum-related).

They rely on grad students and adjuncts to teach classes, without offering benefits or real jobs. In many cases the grad students actually have to pay the university to be able to work for them... like what the fucking fuck? We would not legally allow that in any other field of work. I know plenty of people that went into 100s of 1000s of dollars of debt working as grad students and losing money. These are the people teaching your Freshmen and Sophomore (and sometimes Junior) level classes at Uni. You get locked into these programs and its very hard to do anything else after the first semester. The school will find ways to make you stay an extra semester or two, on top of everything else) Grad school is very close to legalized indentured servitude; it's highly exploitative at best.

Sorozone posted...

My wife already left.

Same here. Her way out was having twins. I'm glad she's not teaching anymore. It wasn't good for her mental health. I think she cared/tried too much.

She's much happier now at home and she's started writing. Who knows, maybe that will take off.

I do fear for our education system. Luckily we are able to help our kids learn and grow and not have to rely primarily on the schools.

Its one of the most underpaying degreed professions you can get into. Youre not paid nearly enough to deal with the bull shit that youre woefully unprepared for: high number of difficult kids, undercutting by admins, constantly shifting evaluation rubrics, etc. It can be a rewarding profession if youre in a good situation, but its rare.

I quit teaching to be a school janitor. 0 stress and same pay. Best decision of my life.

foreverzero212 posted...

I quit teaching to be a school janitor. 0 stress and same pay. Best decision of my life.

Thats both hilarious and fucked up (of the system, not you)

Dat_Cracka_Jax posted...

I'm glad she's not teaching anymore. It wasn't good for her mental health. I think she cared/tried too much.

Yep same issue. We can live off my pay so it's not a huge deal, but she was absolutely drained day after day.

I remember wanting to be a teacher as a kid

Then I got to middle school and I was like "... Nevermind."

Then I got to high school and learned that they commonly pay for school supplies out of their own pockets

Then I learned how much a lot of them get paid...

Hell to the naw

scorpion41 posted...

Its one of the most underpaying degreed professions you can get into. Youre not paid nearly enough to deal with the bull shit that youre woefully unprepared for: high number of difficult kids, undercutting by admins, constantly shifting evaluation rubrics, etc. It can be a rewarding profession if youre in a good situation, but its rare.

I believe Social Work and Counseling is paid lower: https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/041515/careers-avoid-lowest-paying-professional-jobs.asp

Michael_Booth posted...

I believe Social Work and Counseling is paid lower: https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/041515/careers-avoid-lowest-paying-professional-jobs.asp

Tbf, he said "underpaid," not "low paid." I think the difference matters here.

In CA most high school teachers start around 60k, which I definitely wouldn't call low pay, but it's 100% underpaid for the work they do.

Indoril posted...

Tbf, he said "underpaid," not "low paid." I think the difference matters here.

In CA most high school teachers start around 60k, which I definitely wouldn't call low pay, but it's 100% underpaid for the work they do.

Nope, Teacher was at 4 on that list I linked.
If you're working above 37 hours on a Salary - every hour you work over it per week, is basically lowering your pay, anyway.

Indoril posted...

Tbf, he said "underpaid," not "low paid." I think the difference matters here.

In CA most high school teachers start around 60k, which I definitely wouldn't call low pay, but it's 100% underpaid for the work they do.

60k is nothing in California because of the cost of living there.

Michael_Booth posted...

Nope, Teacher was at 4 on that list I linked.

Then I disagree with the rando on investopedia writing the list lol. Teacher pay is highly dependent on state/area. Like I said, I don't think any reasonable person can call 60k/year "low pay," but it's certainly underpaid.

I was (still am?) a substitute teacher. I worked as a youth care worker on the weekends in case it was a slow week of work. When COVID first started and all the schools shut down I lost my ability to sub. We are technically independent contractors so we don't have income if we don't work.

I was offered a full time position with my Youth Care Worker organization and they promoted me to a supervisor back in September.

I haven't subbed a single day since May 2020. It's just not worth it to not have ANY benefits.

Indoril posted...

Then I disagree with the rando on investopedia writing the list lol. Teacher pay is highly dependent on state/area. Like I said, I don't think any reasonable person can call 60k/year "low pay," but it's certainly underpaid.

I fear we're talking at cross-purposes here. It's "Lowest-Paying Professional Jobs".

AvlButtslam posted...

Thats both hilarious and fucked up (of the system, not you)

Right?? I taught elementary in public schools for 8 years and got run into the ground. My mind was melting and by body was failing.

I snapped. Had a convo with the custodians at my school, found out how much they made, and my mind was made up. I'm now a head custodian in the same school district making 45k. Which is actually more than I made teaching when factoring all the supplies I was forced to buy.

It was supposed to be temporary but I'm comfy and don't know where to go from here.

foreverzero212 posted...

Right?? I taught elementary in public schools for 8 years and got run into the ground. My mind was melting and by body was failing.

I snapped. Had a convo with the custodians at my school, found out how much they made, and my mind was made up. I'm now a head custodian in the same school district making 45k. Which is actually more than I made teaching when factoring all the supplies I was forced to buy.

It was supposed to be temporary but I'm comfy and don't know where to go from here.

thats wild! Yeah teaching is a horrible profession in the US. Its a hot mess thats failing students left and right, because our government refuses to support teachers and value the profession like in other countries.