“This is a sad career to be in,” Florida teachers reveal why they leave

Investigative Reporter Katie LaGrone obtained the most recent batch of Florida teacher exit interviews which detail, in their own words, why teachers left the classroom this summer.

[@chrisharrison7953]

My daughter taught in Palm Beach County for five years. The parents, administration, and state policies were simply ridiculous. She moved to Europe two years ago, where she now receives health care, can afford her own apartment, and saves money.

[@ytgytgy]

people have become literally evil since 2017. I was a medical assistant for 13 years and I left in 2020, tired of watching me and my coworkers getting literally abused and attacked by rich entitled old people we're trying to take care of. McDonalds workers were making over $20/hr while I was managing medications and cares for so much less. I'd love to leave this country too...

[@dabrams84]

I'm glad she found a place that values educators.

[@matthewstephens6502]

Hope she never has a naughty FB post.

[@LuisRivera-qs7hr]

Funny thing is she's getting all that free money because the US takes care of over 50% of Europe defense budget. Take that away, and she'll be playing alliance to Putin.

[@sarahtiferet598]

@@matthewstephens6502 Hope you find a life . I almost feel sorry for you bye loser freak

[@GothamsFinest]

I was a teacher in 2007 and quit for cyber security and now make well over six figures, best decision I ever made.

[@MrZoomah]

Yes! I studied cyber security and as soon as someone heard I had a teaching degree I got snapped up. Was getting paid before I finished studying. Didn't end up continuing as I realised I hated offices but teachers can get so much more by leaving teaching.

[@WinnietheDepressedBear]

Didn’t u have to get a degree for cyber security though?

[@GothamsFinest]

@@WinnietheDepressedBear Cyber security is a whole other ball game, especially back then, there were no boot camps and few degree majors for it. I've seen people WITH cyber security master degrees NOT make the cut because they dont have the natural skills needed to be successful. The interview process is all "show me what you know", you can't talk your way through it. I hate to say it but, it's almost like something you're born with that's very difficult to teach and hard to learn. You need to be a hardcore self starter.

[@ih8utbe]

You'd have to pay teachers 100,000.00 a year to deal with these children.

[@erich84502b]

😂😅school bus drivers have the same problem, children parents are always right😅😂

[@blossom30x4]

Florida is one of the lowest paying states for nursing as well. I don’t understand how they have been able to pull that off. I truly believe the hospitals have some of the best lobbyists in the country. Sad to hear teachers are going thru it too.

[@cawo6580]

More undervalued essential professionals!

[@Yeomen1986]

As a teacher I can confidently say those two aspiring teachers interviewed won't last 3 years. I went in knowing the shite I would deal with and was very realistic the entire way through. The people i was in ed school with with their attitudes didn't make 2 years.

[@misterb1132]

It took three seconds of looking at that young man and I was already saying, "They are going to eat you up."

[@claudialupper]

That is so true. I have had so many student teachers come into my classroom full of criticism for me...they bring in crazy woke ideas and claim all they need is to validate and build on diversity, blah blah. It's amazing to see how the kids run right over them.

[@twentynineteen4687]

I hope you're wrong but I know you're right.

[@PhemeTells]

I believe it. I wanted to be a teacher when I graduated highschool but every teacher I spoke to said don't do it. Even the teacher I spent a year aiding as a senior, she said don't do it. So glad I listened.

[@bornwin-sx9oz]

How about the most abused of them all, substitute teachers at $15 an hour no benefits.

[@LoveLee-jz1tj]

In Bay County, FL, I got 50$ a day to substitute classes, EVEN 2 years where I was a permanent sub, I still got 50$ a day. 8 years ago.

[@spankyssurprise1361]

​@@LoveLee-jz1tjNot bad for babysitting.

[@cawo6580]

@@spankyssurprise1361 Stupid, ignorant remark!

[@spankyssurprise1361]

@@cawo6580 Reality...my father subbed for years following his retirement.

[@spankyssurprise1361]

@@cawo6580 It's reality.

[@mr.joshua6818]

Discipline should be ALLOWED to start at home and continue into the classroom. When a kid knows their parents are going to get a call from the school because of something stupid, the kid should be afraid of the consequences.

[@mdm5216]

Teachers have always been paid poorly. That is not news. It's these brat kids. Why get paid poorly AND get disrespected by these kids. I work in the system and I can't count how many people are leaving after this year.

[@BunnyMan-ec4xg]

The kids are brats because their parents have too much control. Their lil angel isn't the only kid who matters.

[@francismarion6400]

@mdm5216 It's because the last generation of teachers banned the Bible and replaced it with Marxism. Teachers educated society out of its moral values. How can you not figure this out?

[@tringuyen7519]

FL is 50th in average teacher pay! Why wouldn’t every teacher in FL just move to GA & get a 30% bump in pay for the same work? Do you see the problem now?!?

[@francismarion6400]

@@tringuyen7519 Common Marxist lie. Why do you love lying, Marxist?

[@francismarion6400]

@@tringuyen7519 Marxist lie.

[@nickmacarius3012]

I don't blame teachers for wanting to leave. Kids today are ungrateful, violent, and out of control today on a scale never before seen. Parents don't parent - let alone discipline their kids, they expect the schools to do that for them, parents don't support the teachers in any way, social media has influenced and ruined their kids behavior.

[@wendys6438]

I thought about going in to education in the early 2000s, but when I saw the reality teachers were up against, I pivoted far away. I don't regret that choice at all.

[@ludovician]

I give those two a year before they realize they went into the wrong profession.

[@reachhonduras8955]

Exactly! I was thinking the same thing.

[@kris78787]

Wait until they see how awful these kids act everyday, they will wish they never went into this career

[@WestOfEarth]

maybe not the wrong profession, just the wrong state to work in that profession.

[@BunnyMan-ec4xg]

This is also a result of parents choice. Parents are not experts on childhood education. Getting someone pregnant or Getting pregnant doesn't make u an epert in childhood learning. People need to wake up. Why educate teachers if we wont listen to them. U might as well let the parents teach whatever they feel like since they know best.

[@LivingLife-y7c]

Bless them. They’ll quit soon enough. Those text books won’t matter when it becomes real life.

[@terrybrannan2685]

If the money the governor has wasted on book bans, defending stupid laws the government has passed, election police and now investigating people who signed petions there would be a lot more money for education.

[@Stocksandstitches]

I wanted to teach, back in 2008 every teacher i spoke to told me not to do it. I am so glad i listened.

[@prmath]

SOMETIMES…..Mixing is a mistake (look at the results)🤷🤷🏿🤷🏻

[@Stocksandstitches]

@@prmath your kind is not welcome here. Shoo lil doggy be gone. Go back to the hole you crawled out of.

[@kris78787]

These kid's behaviors are atrocious. I would stay away from going into this profession at all costs!

[@dabrams84]

My entire life people tell me that I should be a teacher, because of my clear communication style and ability to make things interesting. But, I would NEVER choose to be a teacher and it has never been an aspiration for me. Teaching is a bad job.

[@pamelasmith514]

It was a challenging job 25 years ago when I retired. It has only gotten harder.

[@vectoralphaSec]

Being a teacher is NOT worth it.

[@hunnybunny814]

Parent don't parent and think their kids can do no wrong. Lack of discipline so the kids are horrible and getting worse.

[@anamariaguadayol2335]

Ah.... deluded little children 😂😂😂 talk to them in five years and see how those beautiful sentiments survive. I taught for 34 years at the college level and though my students were wonderful, administration was horrible.

[@kenyonbissett3512]

It doesn’t scare you away yet. But it will, give it time.

[@Jesuisderetour88]

That’s why I never went into teaching or nursing. Under appreciated and underpaid.

[@bobroberts2371]

Be sure to include bus drivers that get berated by absentee parents when their kid is told to behave.

[@stevebaybo5633]

Let’s not get it twisted. The problem is with the district and admin because the people who want to be teachers are there for the children. The people who are there in the district for admin and the main office are there for the money.

[@gmanette188]

Scary also

[@shareofmoney]

I thought about teaching at one but quickly figured out its not for me. Teachers are underappreciated, administrations for most schools in adequate, parents delegate their child's success in teachers hands only, formal education is undervalued, and lots of children are disruptive and disrespectful. Its sad and unfortunate that teachers are not compensated as they should be for all the time and energy required of them.

[@gravethebeyond]

My cousin Jennifer got her masters degree in administrative teaching. Salary 20,000. in FL. she moved out of state to Tennessee were they pay alot more in just starting. Salary for administrative teaching. 50,000 a year. and she has kids. Single parent. she did it for the kids and herself. FL does not want to pay anyone anything ever.

[@growtocycle6992]

The testing is rarely THE reason teachers leave... It's exhausting. Pay is low. Child and parent behaviors are shocking

[@twentynineteen4687]

Yes. 100%

[@Argon1115]

neck in neck between Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Kentucky for last place in Education, State Employees and Teacher Pay! Top place for "Most Religious", Anti-Labor, Right To Work, At Will, Mandatory Arbitration, subhuman minimum wage. Your Tax Cuts at work!

[@jerrywells5551]

IDK Argon I teach and work as an assistant coach in Tennessee and make 83,900 in a low cost of living area, and I am not in the highest paying district in the area at all

[@lisaoscar1625]

Teacher pay in Florida SUCKS!

[@Chris-wl7nl]

You couldn't pay me enough to teach in Florida.

[@kathleengooch3619]

Damn shame 😢

[@ExceptionalLibra]

Too much politics in school. Sad..

[@andre-wx5kh]

If kids are getting into fights at school, teacher should be able to fight back either to defend themselves or to stop brawls from getting worse

[@justinsternhagen4698]

Easy fix. New Governor.

[@atesyunus01]

There were times I lost my belief in humanity because of those "kids"

[@thom_cat8883]

They're not scared away from the profession because they're desperate for work. They're also likely facing thousands in debt. Sooner or later they will make the exact same choice.

[@iinuasha4797]

Now do one on nurses please

[@user-tm1oy6ck4t]

The wide-eyed graduates will learn fast. Naive.

[@claudialupper]

That male student teacher admitted he was making the wrong decision but said he was sticking with it because he wanted to. Sorry, you just lost my sympathy by revealing you are making a narcissistic choice against your better judgement. I recently retired after 31 years of teaching. My advice for student teachers is STOP. Pick a trade that will allow you to have a life. No matter how bad you think it is, it's so much worse. But you all think you can save the world....SMH.

[@kristiemiller4752]

Home school your children!

[@jonjimihendrix]

I’m sure private and charter schools will be more than happy to step in when the public system is so under supported it collapses. For a fee, of course. Not a small one, either.

[@lateblossom]

I love teaching amd I wouls NEVER become a teacher.

[@northshorelight35]

These two will quit after 5 years. Most likely they will move from school to school.

[@WestOfEarth]

Get your teaching credentials, and move to a different state.

[@Apes2man]

For those lobbying for for-profit schools, these are the results they were looking for. Project 2025 would be the final blow.

[@yonostromo]

The future looks so bright!

[@blugreen123]

...because it's Florida? 😮

[@colleenweaver858]

DickSantis needs to go!

[@francismarion6400]

@@colleenweaver858 He brought back teaching the dangers of Marxism.

[@RobertMiller-ph6fs]

You misspelled Dethsantis

[@freedomofpraise]

If anything they are leaving because of the cost of living increase because regardless of what people think parents still have limited powered. Let me know what school is understaffed Also students are becoming more aggressive towards teachers as well Leave it to you guys

[@GrayWolf413]

Red state ejukashunz! 🟥

[@JoyClinton-i8g]

When teachers apply for a job in private industry, and are told that that there are 240 work days per year, they head back to the classroom, and take the three months summer vacation.

[@isartoraplatz]

When the government controls schools this is What you get the government tells his teachers what to teach yet they’re not in the classroom.. my hope is they all closed down and teachers become independent self employed 😂

[@darwinhaditbackward5899]

What are you waiting for? Come up to NYS 🍎

[@jarvissheeler6624]

2025 check list?

[@dccunn05]

Teaching should only be used to start your career off. Very low threshold to get into. Sub for a year and some change, Full-time for a year or so and then pivot as soon as possible. Teaching is genuinely an “entry level “ job that doesn’t ask for 3 years experience.

[@francismarion6400]

You become a teacher to teach, not join a union!

[@BunnyMan-ec4xg]

U join a union to get benefits and not be taken advantage of.

[@francismarion6400]

@BunnyMan-ec4xg Benefits of being in the USSR without being in the USSR. And indoctrination begins. We all know the drill Karl.

[@cmorris9494]

Did cops become cops to join a union.

[@benu_bird]

@@francismarion6400So you’re equating unions with communism. That tells me you know nothing about either.

[@francismarion6400]

@@benu_bird The USSR was a form of Marxism. Socialism. Communism only ever existed in theory.

[@MaudWinston-t8n]

Martinez Anthony Lewis Barbara Allen Eric

[@Chicago_Clout]

Sarasota county is woke. Look at the employees at county school headquarters on Tamiami trail. Woke and you know, weird.

[@domfer2540]

Maybe the lowest paid. Work 9 months of the year, free education for master and doctorate. Also, mandatory pay raises. Extra pay with additional jobs and over time. Where does a 20 year out of collage or working for a degree get this money, plus full benefits.

[@sarahtiferet598]

LOL!!!!! You're just another pathetic Troll Poor freak

[@aholmes3028]

Startint pay should be 100k per year for teachers. Otherwise they should all go on strike and let those kids just sit ar home until they start lives of crime just to quit being bored.