Teachers also leaving public schools
On May 26, The Epoch Times published an article projecting a "mass exodus" of teachers from public-school classrooms this fall. The Times attributes the "overwhelming number of educators [who are] planning to close the book on their teaching careers" to excessive workload, mostly caused by staffing shortages and post-pandemic student behavioral issues, as well as early retirement and/or pursuit of a different career path.
The article points out that "widespread educator shortages predate the arrival of COVID-19, but the pandemic also served as the last straw for many, kicking off the trend of early departure." There are fewer counselors to serve the increased percentage of students emotionally damaged from the pandemic, and just as likely from the woke agenda they are being force-fed. Teachers also complain of an increasing lack of respect for educators. "The respect situation is just a huge issue," former Nebraska public schools' superintendent, educator, and counselor, Gary Marks, told The Times "And you need way more counselors when you're having all these mental health issues."
An explosion of newly graduated teachers next fall could in itself pose big problems, given the extensive training and certification process required "even after qualified graduates apply to teach," and some districts require additional screening and credentials. Whether or not these processes result in better academic instruction for students is at best debatable, but they add to the hoops through which both new and returning teachers must jump.
The teacher shortage is also due to the fact that there are fewer students pursuing degrees in education. The Times writes: "Over the past 10 years alone, the number of people completing traditional teacher preparation programs has dropped by 35 percent," from nearly 200,000 per year during the 1970s to fewer than 90,000 in 2019.
The Times article prompted nearly 2,100 comments from readers, most of whom are retired and/or disillusioned teachers. One reader admitted to being a teacher for many years but quit because: "1. I didn't want to take the poison"; and "2. Here in Illinois, they were forcing us to teach this crazy liberal crap under the umbrella of 'Social/Emotional Learning.'"
Another comment stated: "This might be the best thing that can happen to education. More kids will have to be homeschooled, which is better for them and better for the country. A lot of these teachers aren't just quitting because they are retiring. They are quitting because they aren't going to teach CRT and the woke BS that is being shoved down their throats... Do your children a favor and home school or at least find a good private school where this idiocy isn't tolerated. Bite the bullet and work two jobs if you have to [in order to] put your children in a good school. But get them away from the public-school indoctrination centers."
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