Presley hadn't planned on leaving her job until her health and the that of her loved ones was put at risk. She said the option to teach remotely"would have been a dream" and that it was frustrating to not have the choice. Abby Norman quit teaching after a total of 11 years as an educator, most recently at an online charter school. She said enrollment grew last school year during the pandemic.
"Every single year there were more things to do, there were higher expectations and if you had a problem, it was just treated like you were the problem not like there was a problem," Norman said.
He said he thinks teachers have"marketable skills," such as leadership and planning skills, that can be transferred to other jobs. Norman said her teaching skills are"highly valued" as a bartender, such as her communication skills. Since quitting, Presley started a software engineering program and is vice president and head of video production at research firm FSInsight, but she hasn't completely stepped away from teaching. She too is using the skills she developed in the classroom in a tech role to create educational materials on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology used by institutional and retail investors. She is making more money in tech than as she did as a teacher.
"The extra money is nice, but it's really more about being respected as a professional," Norman said."I'm respected as a professional who is an expert at her job as a bartender. Teachers are not respected as professionals who are experts at their jobs."Subscribe to push notifications