A 10-year veteran teacher, who just left teaching, describes some of the difficulties he faced:

…the business of education can be summed up as such: you’re expected to be a professional, but given neither the freedom nor the compensation or authority to justify such a position…

He continues:

…and the division of parents between those who have truly given up on education and those who will helicopter the shit out of their brats out of entitlement and desperation has become complete. There is no happy middle that I have seen.

Which leads to a stark — but probably accurate — conclusion:

Pay and respect have never been lower, and the sheer amount of sidework has never been higher. Only martyrs teach now in America.

Though the main reason Erin has taken a year off is because of Declan, the amount of abuse she took while teaching for eight years was definitely a factor. We haven’t decided if she’s going to go back to work next year or not, but I sure as hell hope not.

She’s not the only one of her peers that’s either left or nearly left. These aren’t just teachers. They’re great teachers. Driven away from the career they love, but cannot stand anymore.

I’m deeply worried about what’s going to happen when Declan comes of age. Over time, I’m getting less concerned whether there will be any good teachers left, and instead getting worried there won’t be any teachers left at all.

Teachers deserve better than this. All of them do.

I’m not sure what I can do about it, as an individual, other than vote in favor of local bills that will pump more money into the education system. Raise my taxes if you have to; the teachers and kids deserve it. I hope you feel the same way.

Link via Jamie Pinkham