A teacher shortage has rocked the nation. As the effect of the crisis looms over the educational system, an overwhelming number of teachers have left the profession, many of whom chose to do so permanently. As a result, many schools are now severely understaffed, and existing instructors are already overworked. KJ Larson, a former teacher at a Colorado public school, expressed that in the beginning of her career, she enjoyed her job and developed close bonds with her students. Before she decided to become a teacher, her family members advised her to find a “more flexible job with better pay,” perhaps foreseeing what was to come. However, KJ chose to stick with her career path as a teacher.
After only a year, the pandemic struck, and the school was moved online. KJ began to encounter more difficulties. For starters, her rent increased by 48 percent. She could no longer support herself on a teacher’s salary even while opting to work extra jobs on the side. The pandemic also took a toll on her as she began to take on more students, making her feel less connected with each student. She realized that the pandemic and financial difficulties had a negative impact on both her and her students. She quit after only two years, taking on a new job as an accountant. Larson isn’t the only teacher that has quit due to strenuous conditions — the education system is notorious for overworking its workers. Teachers have been finding it difficult to adjust after the transition back to in-person learning. Many teachers claim that it is because they are exhausted from working long hours for little pay. Each teacher is in charge of many students, which means there are hundreds of assignments and tests to grade and limited time to do so. This aspect puts teachers under pressure with deadlines as well as meeting parents’ sky-high expectations. Teachers have been forced to take responsibility for their colleagues who quit and now have to sub for classes due to teacher absences. For these reasons, teachers lose the motivation and passion to teach.
Additionally, teachers are mainly quitting because of the economic factor. Despite enjoying their jobs, teachers claim that the increase in rent and living costs have made teaching an unsustainable job. First off, despite the fact that the cost of basic necessities has climbed significantly over the past few years, many people’s earnings have increased little or not at all. Because of this phenomenon, many teachers have quit their jobs in the classroom in favor of more stable career options.
Schools face the possibility of closing down if they have insufficient teaching staff. In an effort to attract more instructors, many schools are now offering more benefits and bonuses and are even hiring those with lower qualifications. Although choosing to hire those with lower qualifications might degrade teaching quality, it will prevent many schools from closing down. In order to provide a good education for everyone and keep schools from closing down, the education system needs to undergo major adjustments, from increasing the wages of teachers to making sure they get the rest they need and deserve.