According to a recent report by Aaron Gifford in The Epoch Times, teacher burnout is posing a huge challenge for school districts across the country, resulting in shortages.
Of course, four years ago, schools were shut down, forcing millions of students to “learn” remotely. Not only did this cause severe learning loss, but it also turned many students into screen junkies barely capable of functioning in the physical world.
However, many children are overcoming these learning losses. In my experience as a high school English teacher, this is probably the first year my incoming classes have mostly returned to the pre-lockdown norm, scoring higher on diagnostics and successfully complying with my rule of keeping their phones out of sight.
Beyond lockdowns, the key factors that account for today’s dysfunction all precede Covid by several years. According to Gifford’s report, teachers complained about low salaries and student misbehavior. Consequently, they are taking on far more stress for far less pay.
Teachers’ perennial complaint about money is warranted today. Even if teachers were never paid too well, they usually could afford to own a home and support a family. But with living expenses skyrocketing all over the country, simply making enough to live somewhat near the school can be impossible without taking on another job or having a spouse who also works.
Additionally, districts continue to mismanage their budgets, cutting the core personnel who teach children while maintaining bloated bureaucratic overhead, worthless auxiliary departments, and pointless training programs. It has been especially
