by Lexi Inks
There is no denying that, if you stepped foot into a public school classroom today, nearly everything would appear differently than it did pre-pandemic. COVID-19 did quite a number on both students and teachers in the public education system. That said, speaking as someone who taught in the classroom across several school years within the past decade, no single factor has done more damage to the American public school system than our politicians and government agencies.
Some legislators have taken more of a notable, targeted interest in public education in recent years. From the never-ending debate on student loan forgiveness to the highly controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, many politicians have thrown schools on the chopping block in the name of pandering to their voters — and teachers have absorbed the brunt of that abuse. Especially in states like Florida, home to the aforementioned anti-LGBTQ+ bill (and also home to the lowest-paid teachers in the United States, on average), public schools are essentially public enemy number one.
“Public education feels under attack… I fear that the folks voting for these laws and changes have no clue how they’re gutting schools,” explains Joseph, a current high school teacher in Florida. “Teachers are asked to do more, and more, and more. They’re exhausted. And underpaid. And afraid they won’t be able to live in the current state of demands and low wages for the communities they serve.”
Although it’s been years since I’ve stepped foot in the classroom, I am still just as passionate as ever about funding, supporting, and further improving our national education system. High-profile politicians like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, however, have made it a core mission to degrade and destroy the values and benefits of public education once and for all. While students are also caught in the crossfire, it’s the educators that have to stand in martyrdom while they watch it all crumble around them.
Why are teachers leaving the profession?
When you look around at the schools in your community or read posts from “transitioning teachers” on LinkedIn, it’s temping to chalk the poor state of public schools up to the idea that all the teachers are “quitting.” But, I would encourage you to ask yourself, what are those teachers actually giving up? Quitting involves a release of something. Are they giving up on a livable income? A safe work environment? Are they leaving behind a highly-respected and valued profession?
Many teachers are leaving education for reasons that the general public can’t understand without having served in a classroom themselves. Lillie, a current elementary school teacher in Florida, shares that her vision for the future doesn’t align with the struggles she’s experiencing in her career now.
When asked if she plans to continue teaching long-term, she said, “No, because it’s not a sustainable life. I have hopes to start a family in the future and if I continued teaching, I wouldn’t be able to serve my family in the ways I believe I should spend time with them. I would also not be mentally stable enough to be a good parent.” There’s also the element of financial stability. Considering that the average teacher salary in the U.S is currently $69,544 according to data from the National Education Association, many educators who are also parents would find it incredibly difficult to afford a growing family if one or both parents earned at that level.
Logistical concerns aside, it’s also true that most educators are burnt out and stretched entirely too thin in the current public school system. Pairing a service-based profession with people who are, typically, highly empathetic and nurturing, means that teachers are expending copious amounts of mental, physical, and emotional energy throughout the school day. “Teachers are some of the most selfless people you’ll meet in [terms of] the amount of themselves they’ll give to truly care about their students,” Joseph says. “But, it’s unsustainable. No amount of caring about kids can overcome the stress of worrying about affording rent and being a Swiss Army knife of roles for students — teacher, mental health wellness coach, social worker, etc.”
Why is being a teacher so hard?
If plenty of movies or TV shows over the years are to be believed, teachers of young students pass out snacks, do arts and crafts, and soak up the sun during recess time for the majority of the school day. In such a women-dominated industry, it’s easy to assume most student-teacher relationships are akin to that of Miss Honey and Matilda. In reality, the inner workings of the average elementary classroom look drastically different nowadays.
Of all the daily struggles public educators handle today, Lillie shares that, for her, the toughest challenges are “Class sizes, student behavioral issues, parent involvement in students’ lives, and inconsistent parents in general. Lack of motivation in students, because they don’t realize why it’s important to learn and they don’t understand why we learn the things we do, nor how it can help them be successful.”
From my own experience, parental involvement and support are probably the one most crucial element to a child’s educational success. Without it, chaos ensues in the classroom — and guess who has to clean up the aftermath? “When I have 30 kids in one classroom, I’m not able to meet the needs of every single student — I’m one person. It makes it harder to deescalate the students and keep their attention, Lillie says. “Some parents aren’t involved at all, and haven’t prepared their kids for school. I literally have students who just got potty-trained this summer and don’t know how to put their pants on.”
Thanks to DeSantis and other conservative politicians looking to largely control and privatize education in our country, teachers have also become the villain in this narrative. If the “Moms for Liberty” movement is any indication, millions of parents across the U.S. have bought into the idea that teachers are trying to indoctrinate, groom, and lead their children astray — using knowledge. As preposterous as this notion may sound to anyone with a reasonable head on their shoulders, it’s the dark reality for so many people working in schools right now.
“My biggest challenges currently are rooted in the polarization of America and the rising cost of living,” Joseph shares. “Far-right political candidates have threatened to form ‘anti-grooming task groups’ to round me up because I support my community’s LGBTQ+ students. After 17 years, I only make about $53,000 a year. If I were ever single again I could not afford to live in my community. Social vitriol and economic hardship have me ready to leave.”
How can we help teachers in the classroom?
Hours of each week are spent laminating, cutting, grading, and organizing files when you’re a teacher. Especially in the case of primary school teachers, there is also a constant need for more crayons, glue sticks, pencils, paper, and even fruit snacks. Considering that our teachers here in Florida are making sub $60k on average, completing every necessary task off-the-clock and providing all of these supplies for a class of 30 students on a monthly basis becomes impossible to manage.
Sure, the “clear the list” trend on social media during the pandemic was a great help — even my own Amazon wish list was wiped out by generous folks looking to do their part for my kiddos. But, now that the excitement has died down, what can be done about the conditions public educators are dealing with?
“If you know a teacher, offer to help them do literally anything — inside or outside the classroom. Donate to teacher wishlists. Vote for the right people in office and pay attention to your school board members,” Lillie says.
Beyond the tangible, Joseph also shares that some appreciation and support for teachers would go a long way. After all, your children’s educators play a major role in raising and guiding them into the adults they will eventually become. “The general public can help by voting in local elections and thumping their wild n’ out family members in the head when they go off the deep end. Teachers truly care about helping your children to have a safe, positive, and empowering environment… and we’re by far the cheapest form of child care and support out there. Some positivity and support would be nice.”
