Burnout, low pay and politics are driving away teachers. Turnover is soaring for educators of color

Teachers are leaving jobs in growing numbers, state reports show. The turnover in some cases is highest among teachers of color. A major culprit is stress — from pandemic-era burnout, low pay and the intrusion of politics into classrooms. But the burdens can be heavier in schools serving high-poverty communities that also have higher numbers of teachers of color. Nationally, about 80% of American public school teachers are white, even though white students no longer represent a majority in public schools.