Media company Insider is facing backlash for an article the outlet published describing the challenges “education who have borne the brunt” of the infectious-diseasepandemic have faced over the past year.
In the article published on Tuesday, five teachers shared their experiences educating during the pandemic and “describe the toll distance learning has taken on them.”
Insider noted that some teachers have decided to leave or are considering to leave the profession as the U.S. is dealing with “a growing educator shortage.”
Schools nationwide have been noticing an influx of teachers taking a leave of absence or retiring. According to the New York State teacher retirement system, there has been a 20% jump in retirements just during summer 2020.
Insider posted the article on Twitter last Thursday, which sparked criticism from several users.
Matt Vespa, a senior editor at Townhall.com, wrote, “Yeah those poor teachers … such a toll… who cares about doctors, nurses, and police officers right? Shut up and get back to work.”
Another Twitter user called the article “offensive.”
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“As someone who had to work in the COVID ICU in March when we still didn’t even know the mortality rate, saying teachers bore the brunt of the pandemic by staying home most of the year is pretty offensive,” the tweet said.
In a separate tweet, Insider wrote that the teachers said “that the past year has robbed them of their favorite part of the job — interaction and connection with students — while requiring more administrative work and flexibility in the constantly changing pandemic era.”
Insider also pointed out that one of the teachers interviewed “decided to leave her job as a preschool teacher this month in order to prioritize her mental health.”
Teachers also weighed in on Twitter writing, “EVERYONE has borne the brunt of the pandemic by trying to live & work through this.”
“I’m a teacher, virtual this year,& I’m considering not returning bc [because] of how horrible students, parents, & teachers have been treated this year,” she continued. “We’re all in this together? Then why do we feel alone?”
Another teacher noted on Twitter that this past year has been the hardest “hands down” in the past 20 years as an educator.
One Twitter user wrote a note of appreciation for teachers, acknowledging that it has been “a really tough year and a half.”
“I am so thankful for my kids teachers,” the user wrote, noting that “all have gone above & beyond” to adapt to the changes.
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Insider did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
Fox News’ Angelica Stabile contributed to this report.
