CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Teachers started leaving classrooms in 2020 when the pandemic upended education and childcare.
Let's connect the dots.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the number of resignations from the private-education sector hit over 500,000 between January and November. And more than 800,000 resignations were handed in during the same period by people in state and local education.
The mass exodus prompted a nationwide teacher shortage. However, industries like IT, Consulting, hospital and software development companies are welcoming teachers with open arms.
But why?
According to the companies, teachers have the ability to absorb and transmit information quickly. They can also manage stress and multitask, which are high-demand skills.
MORE STORIES ON WCNC
WCNC Charlotte is part of seven major media companies and other local institutions producing I Can’t Afford to Live Here, a collaborative reporting project focused on solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Charlotte. It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org.