Teacher's Facebook Rant Has Gone Viral - Do You Agree?

Teacher's Facebook Rant Has Gone Viral - Do You Agree?

Jessica Gentry - Facebook

Jessica Gentry, a 34 year old young lady from from Virginia, USA, said she was sick of people assuming she "left teaching because of the lousy pay". Her Facebook post explaining why is resonating with educators across the country.

Jessica says she loves children and the reason wasn't the cash. She had to leave the profession for the sake of her mental and physical health.

"The filter comes off now"

Says Jessica in her Facebook post, which currently has 265,000 likes and 215,000 shares, begins.

"Let me tell you why those who ooze passion for teaching are leaving the occupation like their hair is on fire..."

The mum-of-one criticised parents of naughty kids who "flip tables" for failing to set "boundaries" at home - and claimed her "mental health was in jeopardy" because of the job.

Jessica, who taught at Stone Spring Elementary School, said: "Those 'well behaved' kids - they're throwing normal kid tantrums at home because it's safe.

She goes on to outline the five main reasons why she felt she needed to leave. Among them: kids behaving poorly because of a lack of parental involvement; a move by schools to embrace technology at the expense of relationship building; taking away planning an instructional time from teachers; parents who do not act in partnership with teachers but against them; and the jeopardy of her own mental and physical health.

"Knowing that your kids need and deserve more than they're getting," she wrote, of the problems she experienced teaching. "Sitting in one meeting after another, begging for more support, only to be told 'don't lose sleep over them'... when you LOVE your kids and are PASSIONATE about your mission... these messages tear you apart."

You can read the full Facebook post below:

Gentry told "Good Morning America" the decision to leave was a difficult one, and she reached out to human resources on two occasions.

"There were a few major events that spurred my departure. I hold teaching in such high regard that watching my most recent administration laugh about students with disabilities, state that we 'shouldn't lose sleep over' struggling students, say that she [a school administrator] 'washed her hands of this year' in April was disheartening to say the least," she said.

The school's response:

Superintendent Michael Richards, who manages Jessica's former school, denied that teachers were leaving the profession "like their hair's on fire" in a statement to WHSV.

He added: "Teaching is the noblest profession in the world, and the vast majority of teachers are dedicated to the vital work of empowering the next generation.

"Teaching is definitely a very challenging profession, and it is not for everyone.

"It requires longer hours than most people believe it does, and it presents multifaceted challenges that blend social and intellectual skills.

"Some of Ms Gentry’s concerns are entirely valid.

"I plan to partner with teachers so that I am aware of their concerns and they have a voice in the solutions."

Head of Content, reality TV watcher and lover of cookies.