The parents bitching at board meetings is relatively new. Last few years and it’s only happening sporadically. While parents do suck, the real reason for teacher shortages was covid. Lots retired, way more than you could replace overnight
I am a teacher. I just changed jobs leaving public school and going private. COVID is not the main reason people are leaving.
1. Parent issues are a huge piece of teacher issues right now. Parents go to admin, the board, and the superintendent and get whatever they want. You can barely grade a kid or discipline a kid or not play a kid in sports without having some sort of investigation.
2. The pension is failing. It will not exist for many teachers.
3. The amount of garbage paperwork that is now involved with being a teacher, that has nothing to do with teaching, is absolutely mind boggling.
4. Teaching pay has not risen to match what teachers can make in the corporate world. I have many friends who left to work for companies like JnJ. They make more money, can work from home many days, and can be with their kids. Beyond pay not raising you get stuck at the top and get very little raises once you are there.
5. Teachers have been vilified for a while now. The amount if people becoming teachers is 25-50% of what it was 5 years ago.
I changed jobs because of crazy parents having too much influence, a lack of admin support with those crazy parents, I wanted to control more of my own retirement, and the pay.