Of course, teachers are considering quitting because of the pandemic

"The coronavirus pandemic has put significant pressure on America’s teachers. Some have been asked to weigh risks to their personal health and teach in person. Some have been asked to teach from behind computer screens and perfect distance learning. Many have been asked to do both. These pressures are taking a toll on teachers across the country. 

"According to a new report, 77% of educators are working more today than a year ago; 60% enjoy their job less, and 59% do not feel secure in their school district’s health and safety precautions. Roughly 27% say they are considering leaving their job, retiring early or taking a leave of absence because of the pandemic.

"Horace Mann Educators Corporation surveyed 1,240 U.S. educators from K-12 public schools for the report. 'Before the pandemic, large numbers of U.S. educators were already leaving the profession due to the financial pressure the job puts on their lives. Then COVID-19 came along.'

"Richard Milner, professor of education at Vanderbilt University says these figures do not surprise him.  'In fact, I suspect those numbers will probably increase over time,' he says. 'Many teachers are barely keeping their heads above water and we don’t know how much longer we’re going to be in this space.'

"Teachers have long raised concerns about the difficult financial circumstances that educators often face. Over the past several years, tens of thousands of teachers have gone on strike for improved pay and school funding.

"These financial concerns are also highlighted in the Horace Mann report: 'Educators’ salaries have been falling further behind the compensation of their college-educated peers, while educators’ college costs (and the resulting student loans) have risen sharply. As a result, many educators find their debt burdens can feel insurmountable and delay or prevent achievement of other life goals, such as starting a family, buying a house or saving for retirement.'

"Beyond improved pay and school funding, Milner adds that 'educators really, really, really need strong psychological and mental health support in this moment. Teachers are grappling with and working through the same things that their students are,' he says. 'Many teachers are grappling with the loss of loved ones and teachers of color, and in particular, are grappling with these issues.'

"Estimates suggest that 31% of Black adults and 17% of Hispanic adults know someone firsthand who has been killed by Covid — compared to just 9% of those who are White. 'I know teachers with whom I’m working who are checking in on their students, making those phone calls to social workers to make sure families are taken care of because the parents are working or the parents have just been laid off,' says Milner. 'We’ve got to build stronger respect for teachers'" (CNBC.com).

Commentary Redux

Of course, many teachers are considering quitting during this pandemic, especially if they are forced to teach in a classroom filled with students. In addition to the aforementioned, teachers are still afraid of contracting the coronavirus and infecting their family and others. They are afraid of their students contracting the coronavirus and infecting their families. They are afraid for students who ride buses and for bus drivers who bring them to school and home each day.

They are afraid that frequent hand-washing is impossible for students to do throughout the entire day. They are afraid there is not enough space in their classroom for proper distancing. They are afraid of sharing classrooms. They are afraid social distancing and wearing cloth masks for hours is impossible for students. They are afraid of students eating lunches without masks, passing in hallways, and congregating in bathrooms or by their lockers. They are afraid their students cannot safely "socialize" in a pandemic despite the irrational push to send them to school. They are afraid some parents will undermine their safety concerns.

They are afraid of airborne transmission of the coronavirus that thrives indoors, especially in closed spaces. They are afraid the windows cannot be opened or will not be opened in inclement weather. They are afraid the school's ventilation system is antiquated or poor; that the HVAC system has not been upgraded and will easily spread the coronavirus. They are afraid every surface in their school will not be sanitized each day.

They are afraid their school will have insufficient Personal Protective Equipment to keep everyone healthy and safe, such as portable HEPA air purifiers for each room, N-95 masks, Nitrile gloves, face shields, Clorox wipes, hand sanitizers... 

They are afraid they will not be able to tell the difference between the symptoms of the coronavirus and the flu, or the difference between the coronavirus and the common cold, or the difference between the coronavirus and common allergies. They are afraid of asymptomatic carriers of the coronavirus.

They are afraid their school cannot guarantee everyone’s health and safety through reliable and consistent testing and professional contact tracing. They are afraid there are not enough nurses and custodians for each school. They are afraid administrators and the school board lack the expertise to determine health and safety measures for students, teachers and staff. 

They are afraid of the blatant incompetence of some of their administrators, the risky agenda of the school board, and the selfish irrational priorities of many parents in their school district. They are afraid for their students’ lives. They are afraid of dying.

This country has lacked a unified and coherent federal, state and local strategy. The federal government has not increased its funding for health and safety for all schools across this nation; nor has it provided federal funding for parents to assist with their at-home childcare and technology. Moreover, the morons among us continue to spread misinformation and conspiracies because of their own gullibility, ignorance, stubbornness or spitefulness.

-Glen Brown