An empty classroom.
Teachers were already frustrated and the pandemic has them rushing for the exits, while colleges report dropping education enrollments. That could mean more trouble ahead for schools.
A Stanford education expert “said teaching had been a neglected profession in the US for a long time, and while the trend of increasing retirements began a few years ago, she worries it will be exacerbated by the pandemic,” CNN reports (read story here), noting that teacher retirements are spiking across the country, in part because of safety concerns as political pressures force schools to reopen before teachers and students are vaccinated and buildings are ready.
“When you look at the CDC guidelines, the big thing that they kept saying about schools is open the windows, open the windows,” a New Jersey ex-teacher said. “Windows in my building don’t open.”
Two states with soaring teacher resignations are Michigan, where Covid-19 infections are surging and the public health system is overwhelmed, and Texas, a state run by Republican politicians deeply into Covid denial. In Houston, an ex-teacher explains, “I didn’t feel safe. And I am pretty sure I can speak for a lot of my colleagues, we did not feel safe going back into the classroom.”
In addition to infection fears, teachers are stressed by the extra burdens of trying to teach virtually, and dealing with stressed-out kids.
Meanwhile, many U.S. colleges saw a “significant” drop in education enrollments last year, although student interest in teaching careers was already declining before the pandemic (see that story here).
Photo: What if they opened the schools and no teachers came?