THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON EDUCATORS IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI

This study was focused on discovering what may have caused educators in kindergarten through 8th grade classrooms in mid-south Mississippi to leave or consider leaving the profession as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic within different content areas. Participants identified issues within the system that diminished their abilities to educate their students effectively and this diminishment was related to the pandemic. Research from “Mississippi Teachers Are Eyeing the Exit” (Ballard, 2023) and “Teachers’ Dissatisfaction during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Factors Contributing to a Desire to Leave the Profession” (Gillani, 2022) showed that teachers were having strong difficulties during the pandemic which led to many leaving the profession. Research also proved that, throughout all areas of Mississippi, teacher retention was reaching an all-time low. Administration may have neglected their educators during some of the most challenging times of their careers, and, as a result, the teacher shortage is now at critical levels (Wright & Betz, 2019). A lack of support by the administration could have caused an uptick in the number of educators considering leaving their jobs or leaving the profession all together. Participants conveyed feelings of being overworked, with limited resources and support from their administrators or district. This study demonstrated how varying content areas struggled more than others. A survey was given, and through the use of descriptive statistics and qualitative measures the research showed that educators now, more than ever, are struggling to find a purpose in the classroom and they feel as though they no longer have a healthy balance of home and work life (Brouwers, 2020).