Empty Classrooms, Abandoned Kids: Inside The Great Teacher Resignation | NYT Opinion

The New York Times
18 Nov 202207:07
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThe transcript reveals a crisis in American education, with teachers resigning in large numbers due to underfunding, burnout from overwork, and the impact of Covid-19. Educators express frustration at low salaries, lack of support, and the politicization of education, leading to a shortage of qualified staff in schools. The situation is exacerbated by unrealistic expectations and accusations of indoctrination, which further demoralize teachers. The real victims of this educational breakdown are the students left without permanent teachers and the negative impact on their learning and development.

Takeaways
  • 📚 Many teachers are quitting, with reported numbers ranging from 20 to 30 individuals known personally to the speaker, highlighting a significant exodus from the profession.
  • 😢 Educators are leaving their jobs in large numbers due to stress, overwork, and a sense of failure, as symbolized by personal items from students that reflect feelings of being trapped or drowning.
  • 🔔 The education crisis predates Covid, suggesting systemic issues rather than temporary challenges caused by the pandemic.
  • 🛡️ Teachers feel under siege in America's culture wars, facing underfunding, lack of support during Covid, and vilification, contributing to their mass departure.
  • 📝 School staff shortages are acute, with hundreds of thousands of positions unfilled and classrooms often lacking permanent teachers or substitutes, leading to inadequate educational support for students.
  • 💸 Teacher salaries have declined nationally, with some states temporarily raising minimum wages only to revert to lower amounts, forcing educators to work multiple jobs.
  • 🤦‍🏻‍ The Covid pandemic exacerbated existing problems, bringing additional trauma to students and further strains on educators expected to fill multiple roles beyond teaching.
  • 🌐 A shift in priorities towards managing crises and social-emotional support has overwhelmed educators, leading to burnout and a sense of inadequacy.
  • 🚫 Censorship and ideological battles over education content have created hostile environments for teachers, with some states passing laws restricting what can be taught, contributing to teacher vacancies.
  • 📚 The narrative suggests a failure by design within the education system, with political decisions rather than educational needs driving policy, leading to detrimental effects on both educators and students.
Q & A

  • What are some reasons teachers are quitting their jobs?

    -Teachers are quitting due to underfunding, being overburdened with duties beyond their capacity, the impact of COVID-19, low salaries, facing political and social pressures, and experiencing a lack of support and resources.

  • How has COVID-19 affected the teaching profession?

    -COVID-19 exacerbated existing challenges in education, leading to traumatized students returning to school, increased demands on teachers to address mental health and socialization gaps, and heightened political tensions around school policies.

  • What are the implications of teacher vacancies for students?

    -Teacher vacancies result in students attending classes without permanent teachers, experiencing academic setbacks, and being taught by individuals not specialized in the subject matter, affecting the quality of education.

  • What is 'failure by design' in the context of the education system?

    -The term 'failure by design' suggests that the crumbling state of the education system is not accidental but the result of deliberate policy choices by politicians that have led to underfunding, neglect, and politicization of education.

  • How have teachers' salaries changed over time?

    -Nationally, teachers' salaries have decreased in real terms, with examples like Indiana where teachers make 10% less than a decade ago, and temporary salary increases in some states that do not offer long-term stability.

  • What kind of additional jobs do teachers take on to make ends meet?

    -Teachers often take on multiple jobs such as working at ice cream shops, delivering groceries, tutoring, waiting tables, and driving for Uber or Lyft to supplement their incomes due to low wages in teaching.

  • How are political and social pressures impacting teachers?

    -Teachers face pressure from laws restricting what they can teach, accusations of indoctrinating students, and being caught in the crossfire of cultural wars over educational content, contributing to the profession's unattractiveness.

  • What are some of the extra roles teachers are expected to fill?

    -Beyond teaching, educators are expected to act as counselors, social workers, nurses, and even surrogate parents, addressing students' emotional, social, and basic needs, which adds to their workload.

  • What impact has the lack of support and resources had on educators?

    -The lack of support and resources has led to burnout, mental health issues, and a sense of failure among educators, as exemplified by Anna Sutter's experience of being overwhelmed and eventually resigning.

  • How have educational challenges affected students' learning and social skills?

    -The disruption caused by COVID-19 and insufficient teacher support have led to students missing out on basic skills like handwriting and socialization, impacting their academic performance and emotional well-being.

Outlines
00:00
🏫 Crisis in Education: Teachers Quitting in Droves

This paragraph discusses the alarming trend of educators quitting their jobs, highlighting the emotional and physical toll it takes on teachers. The narrative begins with teachers sharing the number of colleagues who have left the profession, expressing relief for those who have exited the system. The reasons behind this mass exodus are explored, with teachers citing the changing landscape of education, predating the Covid-19 pandemic. The script points to systemic failures, including underfunding, neglect during the pandemic, and the impact of political and cultural wars on the profession. The consequences for students are emphasized, with anecdotes from a school counselor, Anna Sutter, who quit due to overwhelming responsibilities and the lack of support. The paragraph ends with a call for better appreciation and conditions for teachers, who feel undervalued and overburdened.

05:01
📚 Controversy and Challenges in the Classroom

The second paragraph delves into the controversies surrounding education, with parents and politicians accusing teachers of indoctrinating children and introducing inappropriate content in schools. It discusses the impact of these accusations on teacher morale and the profession as a whole. The paragraph also highlights the challenges teachers face in the wake of Covid-19, including dealing with traumatized students, the loss of socialization, and the need to address basic skills gaps. Additionally, it touches on the political climate, with states passing laws to restrict teaching content, leading to increased teacher vacancies and a deflecting of attention from the real issues in education. The summary underscores the message this sends to students, implying a lack of care for their education and well-being.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Teacher Resignation
Teacher resignation refers to educators deciding to leave their positions within schools, often due to untenable working conditions, inadequate pay, or overwhelming stress. This concept is central to the video's theme, as it highlights the crisis of mass resignations and the severe impact on the education system. Examples from the script include teachers voicing their decisions to resign, emphasizing the desperation and lack of support they feel.
💡Underfunded Schools
Underfunded schools lack the necessary financial resources to adequately support their educational programs, infrastructure, and staff salaries. This lack of funding is a critical issue raised in the video, tying into the broader narrative of why the education system is failing. The script points to the systemic underfunding as a root cause for the deteriorating conditions that push educators to quit.
💡Overworked Educators
Overworked educators are those who are burdened with excessive duties and responsibilities, often beyond teaching, such as lunch and hallway duty, without corresponding support or compensation. The video script illustrates this through the example of Anna Sutter, who felt overwhelmed by the impossibility of managing an excessive workload, leading to her resignation. This concept underscores the unsustainable expectations placed on teachers.
💡Teacher Vacancies
Teacher vacancies refer to positions within schools that are unfilled due to a shortage of educators. The video highlights the severity of this issue, with millions of kids attending schools lacking permanent teachers. This concept is crucial to understanding the crisis level the education system has reached, with vacancies affecting the quality of education and increasing the burden on remaining staff.
💡Covid-19 Impact
The Covid-19 impact on education includes the disruption of traditional learning environments, the transition to virtual learning, and the psychological effects on students and teachers. The video script suggests that while Covid-19 exacerbated existing problems, the crisis in education predated the pandemic. The return to classrooms brought additional challenges, such as addressing students' trauma and lost socialization skills.
💡Legislation and Censorship
Legislation and censorship in the context of education refer to laws and policies that restrict what teachers can teach or discuss in the classroom. The video argues that such political actions contribute to the exodus of educators by prioritizing censorship over solving the real issues like funding and support. It mentions that states with restrictive laws also face significant teacher shortages, highlighting the negative impact of these policies on education.
💡Culture War
The culture war in education involves the conflict between different societal values and beliefs, often politicized, about what should be taught in schools. The video script points to the vilification of teachers in this culture war, including accusations of indoctrination and inappropriate content, which contributes to the stressful environment educators must navigate.
💡Mental Health
Mental health in the educational context refers to the psychological well-being of both students and educators, which has been significantly impacted by the challenges within the system. The script touches on the mental health strain on teachers due to overwork and the alarming need for suicide assessments among students, highlighting the crisis in well-being alongside the academic crisis.
💡Educational Crisis
The educational crisis is a comprehensive term that encompasses the myriad issues facing the American education system, including teacher shortages, inadequate funding, overburdened educators, and declining mental health. The video script outlines how these interconnected problems contribute to a failing system, with the ultimate losers being the students.
💡Student Needs
Student needs refer to the academic, emotional, and social requirements necessary for students' development and well-being. The video highlights how the crisis in education has shifted focus away from prioritizing these needs towards managing systemic issues, such as staff shortages and political interference. This shift has detrimental effects on students' learning and mental health.
Highlights

Educators are quitting their jobs in large numbers, leading to a significant shortage of teachers.

Schools are missing hundreds of thousands of staff members, exacerbating the crisis in education.

More than half of educators are considering leaving the profession due to various challenges.

Teachers describe feeling overwhelmed and unsupported, leading to emotional distress and burnout.

The education system is portrayed as underfunded and neglected, particularly during the Covid pandemic.

Teachers are vilified in the context of America's culture wars, contributing to their decision to leave.

The impact of teacher shortages falls heavily on students, affecting their education and well-being.

Counselors and other staff are overburdened with responsibilities beyond their roles, leading to exhaustion.

Lack of substitutes and adequate staffing leads to improper subject coverage and educational gaps.

Teachers have pleaded for decent wages and respect, but salaries have decreased nationally.

The minimum starting salary for teachers in some states is unreasonably low, forcing educators to take multiple jobs to survive.

Covid has exacerbated the situation, with teachers facing additional challenges such as dealing with traumatized students.

Students are returning to schools with gaps in basic skills due to the shift to virtual learning.

Teachers are accused of indoctrination and restricted in what they can teach, leading to vacancies and a negative impact on education.

The prioritization of censorship and political agendas over educational needs is driving educators away from the profession.

The absence of teachers in classrooms sends a message of abandonment and lack of care to students.

The crisis in education is a result of systemic failures and political decisions that have undermined the teaching profession.

Transcripts

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Teacher ExodusEducation CrisisCovid ImpactSchool FundingWorkload OverloadMental HealthSalary DeclinePolitical InterferenceStudent Well-beingTeaching Vacancies