moderate screaming about american schools in general and my best friend in particular

My poor best friend is going through it at work -- as are all teachers these days -- and I feel like she is really burned out. She says that she is. She works in a small, rural district that has actively made work worse since the pandemic began, from outright stating they would not make kids or staff wear masks or go home if they are ill. to be fair on the last part, often kids don't have places to go or parents to take care of them because they can't take time off work, like staff that can't afford to take time off, which is only being fair in that it's a genuine concern that the district doesn't necessarily have the means to make better. ANYWAY, some of the things they DO have under their control include holding students accountable for work instead of just saying "if you're sick, you don't have to make up work," and not counting absences AND not verifying absences, BUT still measuring teachers by state tests and expecting all students to meet the "normal" benchmarks. Which rural students often miss because schools, in general, are chronically underfunded, and rural districts, in particular, are abysmally funded.

ANYWAY, she's a great teacher and cares so deeply for her students, and that has been turned into weaponized guilt used against her. I think she needs to find a new district. She's been at her school for nine years, her whole career, and I get that it's hard to leave behind. She does say that there are a lot of positives, but I've watched her struggle and listened to her stories of being bled dry without getting infusions from her district, and it SUCKS.

And it's scary to leave! The first time I was left without a job that I still wanted, it wasn't my choice to leave, even though it was good because the school was (and still is according to my friend who still works there) the most hideously toxic work environment. But I would have gone back because I needed a job, wanted to teach, and thought that I owed it to the world to work. In hindsight, I was lucky the decision was taken out of my hands. Now (if everything stays about the same), I have a choice, and I would be choosing to leave a good job because it's not enough to balance out other factors in my life. I'm physically sick to my stomach and have constant eczema break-outs due to stress. (Sorry, I know that's gross.) It is scary AF to know I need to leave and that I need to be the one to make that choice (again, if things stay the same, and if the news is to be believed...).

My best friend is going to have to make the choice for her life. I'm confident her district will happily bleed her dry and then prop her corpse up at her desk because they don't have enough subs.

Adulting sucks on so many levels, you guys. Making hard decisions. Knowing people you love are hurting. The endless loop of making dinner, doing dishes, and making dinner again. (I have mostly given up on dusting, unless I know someone will be coming over.)

It just sucks, and I have no idea when things will get better or how to help things improve.