Twenty years an elementary school teacher. The system has failed

The year I graduated with my teaching credential (2001), the DCFS had removed 50,000 children from homes in my city. Fifty thousand kids were shuffled from foster home to foster home. We inherited the chaos this created in our classrooms every day.<br><br>You cannot imagine how proud I am of the people those students have become. I am so grateful I got to play a small part in their lives.<br><br>The system has failed. I am done.<br><br>Parents are still leaving their kids on my porch. This summer it was a six year old who was supposed to be picked up after a week and was still with me three months later. Tonight it was a dad who said he'd be back in 45 minutes and never was. When I tracked his wife down, she was surprised to hear I still had their daughter.<br><br>I am not paid enough to make up for the way the system has failed.<br><br>I love my students. I will cry every day of my retirement because I miss them so much. But I refuse to let my district take any more of my time.<br><br>I am not calling out. I am calling it quits. I refuse to be part of a system that would rather exploit and abuse teachers than fix the underlying issues. <br><br>You all are amazing. Your work is so valued. Care for yourselves.<br><br>Edit: holy shit. Thank you for all the awards. I am going to cherish them. I'm a lurker, but it makes me feel like I'm part of a community I've not really participated in. I am blown away by all the kindness. <br><br>Please, I'm begging you, do everything in your power to vote in people who will value you, support you, and pay you like you deserve. And for every one of you who keeps going to class every day, I am so proud of you. You are making a difference.