Teacher Reveals ‘Toxic’ Reasons Why He Decided To Quit Teaching After 20 Years

Jonathan Carroll has worked as a teacher since 1999. However, the 46-year-old educator from Groveland, Florida has decided to quit for good saying the job has changed into “things I did not sign up for.”

Carroll used to teach social studies at South Lake High School and he poured his heart out in a lengthy social post as he left his beloved profession because of unhappiness.

Much has changed in the field of teaching compared to 20 years ago, according to Jonathan Carroll – and he’s not happy about t.

In an interview with YahooLifestyle, Carroll reflected:

“When I started teaching, I was excited to make an impact on children. I loved every minute of my job.”

During the past two months, however, he encountered several reasons that drove him to resigning from “overly-digitized classrooms, high-stakes test scores, burnt-out students, to his yearly salary of $48,000,” according to a DailyMail report.

Florida’s South Lake High School where he will be teaching only until June of this year.

He later wrote on Facebook:

“So I guess this is it…. I am leaving the field of education. I have had so many wonderful memories. But it has become a toxic profession.”

He likewise added:

“Once believing I would spend my days opening minds, debating history, inspiring the next generation to reach higher and learn from the past. I think of all the things I did not sign up for…. like micromanaging administrators, mental health counseling, blueprints with no freedom or flexibility (even though you can not enforce planning), not being considered an expert in my chosen field even though I have a graduate degree.

“Students overdosing on drugs and collapsing in my classroom when they get back from the bathroom. Active shooter drills. Teachers being armed. Knowing where it is safe to hide in my classroom. Feeding and clothing my students. Buying my own supplies. Being told I should be thankful I have a job and to get over myself. I am tired of the constant testing…tired of everyone else knowing better and being chastised if I dare ask questions or challenge leadership. So this May, I am walking away…”

Carroll, pictured with his wife Dana, often has to sacrifice his own money just to teach in the classroom.

Carroll likewise pointed out how the yearly $300 he gets for buying school supplies – such as pen and paper – is not enough. So he often has to use his own money.

As he told Yahoo:

“We burn through those pretty quickly so I use my salary to buy extras at the dollar store.

“One time the air conditioner in my teaching trailer broke so I spent $300 of my own money on a replacement A.C. until it was fixed. I store it in my garage for emergencies.”

Moreover, the former teacher is also displeased about how kids are often stressed out from school work these days.

“Children are pressured to succeed without factoring in their personal development,” he pointed out.

The father-of-two concluded:

“Honestly, I’ll break even if I become a bank teller with no experience. But the truth is I will not miss what education has become. A soulless industrial education complex where admin cares more about the test scores than their faculty or students. I have loved teaching many of you. But it is time to ride into the sunset. Start enjoying life. And find happiness again.”

Fellow teachers, parents, and even some of Carroll’s former students left comments, with some leaving tributes for the teacher and others agreeing with the points he raised.