Pandemic drives new and seasoned teachers from the profession

Teachers are among the professionals who were forced to "pivot" to extreme degrees in order to continue doing their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic in the face of ever-changing school policies and social-distancing restrictions.

But though the White House in August declared teachers essential workers, some educators say they were treated like they were expendable. Indeed, when in-person instruction was deemed too risky, students had to keep learning.  Teachers rose to the challenge to see that they did, many jeopardizing their own health and working overtime as schools across the country vacillated back and forth between remote and in-person models of learning. All the while, teachers' pay remained notoriously low.  Now, as workdays extend into nights and stress levels peak, educators young and old are leaving the field either to retire or pursue other careers.