comment: >
  
  I left teaching 9 years ago and have never looked back. It destroyed my mental health, ruined my marriage, and I have never recovered from the experience. I poured myself into it - developed an AP Chemistry program, learned HTML and made a phenomenal web resource for my students, and reworked so many labs to make it enjoyable. All they wanted was a drone to teach to the test. 
  I now run industrial labs and make twice as much money with a tenth of the work. I came out on top professionally, but I'm dead inside. Meds, therapy, meditation, etc. doesn't touch it. I'll talk anyone out of a career in education to prevent becoming like me.
context: There are easier ways to almost qualify for welfare. >
  
  And they don't require as much student loan debt. >
  
  And here in Ohio you won’t have you have to see little ones spread measles and be hospitalized because the parents are brainwashed against vaccines thanks to the trump administration. >
  
  Oof I'm sorry Ohio 💀 >
  
  I’m so very tired of the people who perpetuate this mindset. >
  
  Why anyone would want to be a teacher or librarian in the current political climate is beyond me. The rights continued attack on teachers is going to lead to a massive Teacher shortage >
  
  Well written and I’m so sorry. I’m proud of you for standing your ground though it was horrible that you had to make this choice. These attacks are adding up to a wave of domestic terrorism, that forced one more passionate teacher out of the profession. 
  I’m a queer and trans preschool teacher in one of the most progressive counties in the country and I have never had to think about this bigoted backlash coming for me or my students… as an adult. As a queer 90s kid, my county was no Oklahoma but it was a major risk I took when I came out and led LGBTQ student activism. 
  But I only teach preschool on the weekends because the pay is abysmal and my family would be in poverty if I did it full-time. My partner is in college and until she graduates there is absolutely no way we can afford for me to follow a teaching career. Despite that I’m still slowly working through a degree in early childhood ed cause I really really care. But caring doesn’t pay for school supplies, rent, or healthcare. >
  
  Yet another "everybody wants it but no one wants to pay for it."
  The solution is simple: pay teachers enough to make it a coveted job, protect them from crazy parents/admin, and make it a viable career path that new teachers want to begin. >
  
  I love history and wouldn’t mind teaching it but everyone in my schools since middle school knew you don’t make money teaching. Sadly money seems to be a necessity so I went a different way. Only the truly passionate continue on to be teachers these days and of those most seem to burn out as admin and parents beat that passion out of them.