Betsy Sumner always knew she wanted to be a teacher. She came from a family of educators and took a class in high school for aspiring teachers. She began teaching straight out of college in 2009 and loved it.<\/p>\n
But last summer she left her job teaching family and consumer sciences, the subject previously known as home economics, at a high school in northern Virginia. With four children of her own, juggling the demanding workload was no longer worth it for the pay.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s almost like preparing for a circus or a theater performance\u2014every day you have to show up and do a show,\u201d she said of preparing for class each day. \u201cIt\u2019s just not really sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Public-school teachers like Sumner are still leaving the profession in higher numbers than before the pandemic, a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from 10 states show, though departures have fallen since their peak in 2022. The elevated rate is likely due to a combination of factors and adds one more challenge to schools battling learning loss and frequent student absences.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n Teachers are still quitting the profession in high numbers, as schools continue to be shaken by political discord, learning loss and chronic absenteeism https:\/\/t.co\/ckIsXq00Ij<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/ckIsXq00Ij<\/a><\/p>\n — The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) March 4, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n