General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Teacher’s resignation letter: ‘My profession … no longer exists’ [View all]LWolf
(46,179 posts)I can count a dozen teachers that I've personally worked with in the last 15 years...GOOD teachers, who left the profession because of the things the standards and accountability movement were doing to the profession. Some of them were young, new teachers who simply went back to school for another degree and career. Some were people from two income families who could afford to live on one income, or with one income greatly reduced. Some were people who were close to retirement and took it early, leaving the field to those of us who didn't have those options.
I suspect that if there were decent jobs out there available for former teachers, many more would have left, and would be leaving. I'm just one teacher, but it seems like that dozen or so leaving the profession, not because they weren't competent or had some other life events happening, but in direct response to the current "reforms" destroying the profession and public education, is a bit excessive.
I can also attest to a large number of young college students who seek a career elsewhere, even when they hoped to teach. One of them, my niece, just talked to me about this a few days ago. She's an English major exploring careers in technical writing, because a good look at what teaching entails, not the actual teaching, but the rest, has her convinced she wants no part of it. She's just one of many I've heard from on that subject.