Low pay and high pressure are causing American teachers to flock away from the profession, despite having previously lined up for jobs.

Betsy Summer, a Family and Consumer Science teacher at a high school in northern Virginia, quit her job last year after 14 years of dedication to education. She couldn’t bear the heavy workload, which didn’t correspond to the salary.

“Every day, you have to prepare for a ‘performance’ before going to class, as if working in a circus or theater. It’s not really sustainable,” she said.

Ryan Higgins, a Geography teacher in Texas, also resigned two years ago due to lack of support from superiors, along with the students’ behavior. “I teach 9th grade but my students’ minds are only at the 7th-grade level,” he said, feeling unable to cope.

Public school teachers in the US are increasingly quitting their jobs. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of February, the education sector hired 247,000 teachers but only retained 155,000. The number of public school teachers voluntarily leaving their jobs compared to 10 years ago has increased by 30%, from over 72,500 to 94,000.

According to a survey by global management consulting firm McKinsey of 1,800 teachers, principals, and staff for the 2021/22 academic year, the primary reason they leave their jobs is low salaries and benefits. The average salary for teachers is around $66,000, lower than many other professions and has not increased significantly over the past decade. Specifically, about 42% cited leaving due to low pay and benefits, while 31% left due to job pressure. The other three reasons are happiness, leadership opportunities, and workplace flexibility.

Furthermore, experts also note that other jobs are more attractive to teachers due to lower unemployment rates or the ability to work remotely. Additionally, some teachers mention worsening student behavior, especially since the pandemic, making their teaching more challenging.

Many school leaders are facing a dual crisis: both teacher shortages and struggles to recruit new ones. Nationwide, the number of education students is about 400,000-440,000 in the period from 2014-2022, but still much lower than the over 680,000 in 2009, according to a report from the Center for Education Policy and Evaluation released in early March.

“Currently, there aren’t many applicants for teaching positions in the state or nationwide,” said Paul Pack, principal of an elementary school in Virginia, noting that the school couldn’t find teachers for two classes this year.

In North Carolina, district superintendent Whitney Oakley has long struggled to recruit teachers for math, science, and special education. Now, elementary school teachers are also in short supply.

Previously, there were many elementary school teachers, with long lines. “That’s not the case anymore,” she said.