As the last wave of U.S. students head back to school this month, some veteran teachers won’t be there. They hit a breaking point last year, and walked away.
“The kids are wonderful and I could have possibly stayed for another year with greater support,” said Evan Gillum, who taught for three years in Chicago. “I may have changed my mind with some more resources.”
The tension and responsibility that educators like Gillum faced during the pandemic — combined with long-standing issues plaguing the profession, plus the coarsening of debates about classroom control, teacher pay and respect — have caused many to make the tough choice to leave the classroom.
