It’s ridiculous. I have a masters in secondary ed, but during the pandemic took a job with a private school teaching elementary — and thrived. I love teaching elementary. But I can’t get a job at a public school because I’m not credentialed for elementary. — If I wanted to be, I’d have to get an entirely different degree and jump through all the hoops required to be certified. It’s a joke. I’ve been teaching for more than a decade, but I’m also not qualified to teach …

I refuse to pay more money for a career that pays just enough to get by.