HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) \u2014 Rhonda Hicks could have kept working into her 60s. She loved teaching and loved her students in Philadelphia\u2019s public schools. As a Black woman, she took pride in being a role model for many children of color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But other aspects of the job deteriorated, such as growing demands from administrators over what and how to teach. And when she retires in a few weeks, she will join a disproportionately high number of Black and Hispanic teachers in her state who are leaving the profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI enjoy actually teaching, that part I\u2019ve always enjoyed,\u201d said Hicks, 59. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s a little stressful. Sometimes the kids can be difficult. But it\u2019s the higher-ups: \u2018Do it this way or don\u2019t do it at all.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Teachers are leaving jobs in growing numbers, state reports show. The turnover in some cases is highest among teachers of color. A major culprit: stress \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n