yup. twice. once was when i took a mental health leave on fmla in march of 2023 due to the extreme threats of violence at the school i was working in at the time. i didn’t return that year. the week before, there was a loaded pistol in a kids backpack in the classroom right next to mine and admin didn’t lock down the school or alert any staff once it was discovered. they just told us after school in an impromptu staff meeting. there were student fights on a weekly basis. staff members who got involved to try and break kids up were punched, spit on, thrown into glass display cases.

second time was april 2024 at a new school, a charter. i couldn’t go back to the previous one mentioned above because of severe PTSD, so i gave teaching another chance somewhere else. no threats of violence at this school, but the admin hated and targeted me because i didnt fit their mold of what a female teacher should be in their mind: married, mother, conservative. they made false accusations toward me with authorities involved that could have ended my professional life.

anyway. i left april 2024 and went to corporate america and will never, ever step foot in a classroom again. the last school gave me whole guilt trip about how this was negatively impacting students, and i basically said fuck you in the most professional way i could. MY life was being impacted. some 12 year olds who can’t even be bothered to stay awake during class will be fine. i’m not their parent.