I really enjoyed the first season of this show, but hearing an ad paid for by AIPAC that advocates for even more violent conflict in the Middle East at the start of the second season immediately scared me away from listening to anymore. Absolutely not the messaging I want or expect from this sort of series.

I’m an experienced educator who left the classroom (add me to the ranks of leavers who are happier and less stressed, by the way). I saw so much of my experience in this podcast, but it also gave me new things to think about. I’m recommending it to other teachers I know, but what I *really* hope is that non-teachers, especially policy makers, to listen. It is really difficult to “get” what’s hard about teaching unless you’ve done it.

An engaging and insightful look at modern education. Couldn’t think of a better choice of host as Fournier is not only an excellent podcaster, but he was unquestionably one of the greatest teachers I could have asked for. Highly recommend this podcast to anyone who wants to see the behind the scenes on education from a host who has changed lives as an educator. Keep up the great work sir!

This was an excellent podcast! As a former teacher, I found myself nodding my head so much in agreement. It was reassuring to hear things I felt in private expressed out loud. Teachers need to hear this. You are not alone!

I really loved my first 20 years of teaching high school English and Music! I retired at age 55 after teaching for 30 years. As my mom’s terminal cancer progressed, I became her care-giver. It was just Mom and me, so we eventually hired a half-day care giver to help while I was in class. Soon, I had to retire from teaching, because the caregiver’s paycheck exceeded mine. I don’t know how much education and preparation are required to become an LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse, but here in California back in the 1970’s, one could only begin Teacher training AFTER earning a bachelor’s degree. The yearlong process included a semester of student teaching w/o pay. Beyond that, I completed four more years of specific course-work for all the new fangled programs, and to earn my master’s degree. So, yes, money matters, and yes, we teachers had to go above and beyond: mentally, emotionally, and financially just to provide what the students needed. All the other good teachers I knew also worked 5 hours overtime every week w/o pay just as I did. Yes, we care, but we also need to be properly compensated as the professionals that we are!

You can’t go for just a paycheck. Teaching is a craft. Teachers who bend over to unions, don’t lead, don’t think they are accountable to parents, and are not teachers. I retired my teaching career because of administrators and teachers who couldn’t lead. Weak, irresponsible, and not dedicated to their job, the students. Not “with it” in the classroom. You are parentis en loci by law. Be accountable to all your students and parents.

Unfortunately the stress teachers are under are in both public and private schools (At least in SF, Ca, but assume most everywhere). Teachers have THE most important job out there but treated like sh*+. I pray one day this will stop and we can keep teachers on the job. Thank you teachers for all you do!

This is the first time in 20+ year as an educator that I felt the NEED to actually reply to a podcast. To hear that I am not alone in my concerns, struggles, battles, observations, etc. in education was sobering. Prior to becoming an educator, I worked as a professional outside of education. The last few years have been a struggle being a teacher for numerous reasons and has had me questioning my role as a teacher. Whether my coworkers and I concerns were isolated in our district or if our observations of where education is headed was more far reaching than just our district has been a constant topic of discussion. Thank you for putting this series together. I sincerely hope this series starts to swing the pendulum in a different direction for education.

This is the podcast supporting opposition that teachers should not be accountable for the work. That they can make their own decisions. That teaches are victims. Any professional enters into an environment with her legally immune a toxic situation for children.

I wish every parent, politician, administrator, and person who sits on boards of education were required to listen to this. It voices so many concerns that most educators are afraid to communicate out of fear. As an elementary educator of 24 years, I am strongly considering this being my last year. I don’t feel good about being part of a system that I feel is harming students all in the name of standards. There is no joy left.

I taught elementary students for 35 years. When I first started teaching, I could not believe that I was getting paid to teach-I enjoyed it that much. During my last years in the classroom, however, I felt that I was not getting paid enough. The demands to master new curriculum, the ever increasing paperwork, and a lack of leadership from my administration helped me decide to wrap up my career. I pity anyone starting a teaching career in this day and age.

This pod cast is spot on how I feel being an educator for over 27 years. I have never felt so undervalued and unappreciated in all my years. I really felt “seen” by the people who shared their stories and somehow that really helped because I felt like I wasn’t the only one.

Just sums up my 30 years of teaching. A career you can be so consumed by that you don’t even understand how abusive it is. Four years after early retirement I am more bitter than ever about how educators are treated and the inhumane expectations. Thirty years of feeling like I was never good enough. It’s a crushing career. I just wanted to teach and episode 1 said so much about why I still feel pummeled.

I’ve taught for 25 years… So, needless to say, it’s been deeply gratifying to hear this all said out loud. Thank you

As a teacher of 30 plus years, and a concerned US citizen,, this podcast frustrates me a bit. It is supposed to be about helping teachers manage the overwhelming demands of their job so that we can remain in this profession. Instead, I have to once again, listen to progressive ideology sprinkled in every episode as it it is Truth. He probably is not even aware because progressive ideology is pervasive in education. There are some universal issues that he brings up, that I appreciate, but I wish he was more inclusive of all teacher challenges. For example, “negative influence of woke ideology” and critical race theory, breakdown of families and how this has adversely effected our students, legalization of marajiana, social media, smart phones, lack of respect for institutions and authority, increase in juvenile violence and crime, sexualization of culture, bullying, unsafe neighborhood school environment, and lack of resources for some districts. Thank you for at least starting the conversation. It is a very important one.

I binged all seven episodes in a day. There’s a lot of careful thought and research presented here. It was fun to hear from a podcaster in Wyoming. Sometimes the major locations like NYC dominate the discussions on public education. I appreciated hearing from an Intermountain location that sounds pretty similar to my own state of Idaho.

I’m a fellow podcaster (amateur) and teacher (professional) haha. I can’t recommend this pod enough! I’d love to have Charles on my own pod one day!

This was such an excellent and engaging listen. As a parent of kid with additional needs, who goes to the Board of Ed meetings this really helped me understand what is happening with the teachers we work with and love. We have been blessed with the nicest, kindest and most thoughtful people who have always found ways to go above and beyond, and we see how they’re burning out under all the stress from testing and the pressure to cut budgets and provide more with less. We need to listen to teachers more and this is a great way to do so.

This podcast is so true and I felt it in my soul, especially your wife’s story. I taught for 5 years and then went back to school for IT where I’ve worked for 10 years. Thanks for spreading the word and having the tough conversations.

With 12 years in the classroom and almost 3 years out of the classroom, I still don’t have a great answer for the ever common question of, “Why did you leave teaching?” Now I can share this podcast, which touches on a lot of the reasons! I related to each one of these episodes. Thank you for all you do inside the classroom and out!

Greatly enjoyed the series. Worked in education for 35 years as a school counselor. Saw this phenomenon happening in recent years - in many layers of the educational field.

I taught for 6 years before walking away. Although I love my new job (software engineering) sometimes I find myself missing teaching. I discovered this podcast and decided to listen for multiple reasons. 1) To remind myself why I left. 2) To help me understand why I left 3) To hear clear solutions of education. This podcast is great at all 3 of those outcomes. Honestly, I had to listen to the episodes with a few days break between them because it triggered my PTSD from teaching. I found myself saying, “EXACTLY!!” outloud multiple times. Great podcast to listen to if you’re a former teacher, and would highly recommend it for those considering going into teaching as well.

We were taught with stories that had no ending or two different ones each could choose for themselves, circa 1974. Do see what you can find re. narratives or documentation of progressive 70s and 80s pedagogy, experimental social movements and the other end of the spectrum from standardization. It’s a pendulum. The open road (or ocean) may have partly led to current prison of standardization mania-check box no recess transactional thinking to get away from the risky, messy, authentic and all too human (and penniless) spirit. Which means the bars are a lot stronger now. But real life is worth the fight. Don’t give up!

This is an incredible podcast. I was just listening to a podcast with John Hattie and he mentioned that worldwide, the biggest problem right now in education is attrition due to teachers feeling the relentlessness of their jobs. This podcast succinctly breaks that down and helps educators, administrators, school boards and others further understand what we are up against. Despite the obstacles- all those mentioned in the series- I am staying, I am dreaming and I am continuing to push back against all that is wrong within the system. My husband, my family, my friends all ask why I stay. I have made tremendous sacrifices but, as discussed here, we educators are dedicated and the podcast is a true cheerleader of all of us! My only wish was to hear from more teachers at the elementary level - about the specific challenges of teaching younger elementary school children (lockdowns, mental health issues, angry parents who don’t believe in productive struggle, the impacts of standardized tests, the lack of autonomy and creativity…). Keep up the amazing work - and thank you!

Wow! This hit home. I just left after 25 years in the classroom. This was a great, insightful listen. Looking forward to listening to the other episodes.

This is so honest and perfectly articulated my feelings. Now, what can I do instead? Thanks for creating such an honest, clear podcast. This should be required listening for school boards and administrators.

This podcast seems to cast religion in a negative light and presenting it as the cause of some of the educational ills we are experiencing now. In fact, he laments how we lump all students together not considering their individual or cultural needs and yet he does that with religion and lumps it all together as bad. It was religion, Catholics, who start public education in the first place with the teaching to the poor when it was reserved for the upper class. Also, he talks about Indian boarding schools. Many people idealize ancient Indian culture as peaceful people living harmoniously with their environment. It is a well documented how the Iroquois Indians tortured their captives to death, stealing and often killing were viewed as honorable, and women in some tribes were nothing more than slaves. The Indians DID need some educating but I do agree it was not done perfectly. It is hard to find any major undertaking without its flaws.

I am a teacher with 24 years in the profession. This podcast does an amazing job of explaining what is wrong with our educational system and why we are losing teachers. I have recommended it to all of my teacher friends and shared it with my admin. I believe it should be a mandatory listen for every individual that has anything to do with creating policy or hiring educators to teach our youth in a public school setting.

I had always thought what I experienced when teaching was me - and felt so disappointed myself that I just couldn’t find a way to make teaching less exhausting and not take over my life. I had thought teaching was a wonderful way to be of service, until my health collapsed under the strain and I had to leave teaching. I had thought the feeling of being devalued was just me. This podcast has helped me forgive myself and understand that what I experienced was symptomatic of a system that needs to be reimagined for the benefit of all. Thank you!

This podcast are the conversations I have with colleagues and friends constantly. The nuances of this complex issue are discussed eloquently and clearly. I felt seen, heard and validated through all 7 episodes. It was so impactful to hear from a variety of educators who have left, and those who have stayed. Thank you for your hard work on this project!!

The topic is so complex and complicated. This podcast does a great job putting it into words where even outsiders can understand. The examples and interviews speak in behalf of teachers who can’t teach anymore. Now we need to find a solution.

This podcast was well done and really helped me feel like I wasn’t alone. You said everything so well. It was all of the things that I could never put into words! I cried through most of it because I hadn’t felt this seen before. Thank you!

My opinion on such revelation is simply that as stated within this report, whereas the system creation initially at that time, was for a white male longevity formula to preserve its core foundation for the nations citizens and its democracy prolonging. Yet would not have been able to predict future changes and or occurrence, and direction of growth within or afar, and the direct or indirect effects of such. But instead in present-day via technology, seems to abuse more control of input, rather than allow, for blame of increased diversity within its system. They are effectively choosing not to be phased-out, out of fear of being conquered or replaced. Thus, maybe not banning of most, but some input via books to educate. It is not the that you can’t receive, but you must make more of an effort to produce your education, personally. And as far as discipline via students, discipline must be given at an earlier stage to manifest futuristically, meaning the parents had not enough instilled before baring child or children. Thus, creating domino effect, also to include further damage via technological burdensome of task at hand, why be taught to, when you can simply be instructed by. But allowing to be instructed by can eventually lead to instruct you off a cliff to your own uneducated death. - s.jxn -

Wow, thank you for putting words to the struggles teachers face on a daily basis. I am also battling the back and forth of leaving education, and it was meant to be that I found this podcast. I’ve only listened to episode 1 so far, but so many of those interviewed in this episode have articulated things I haven’t even been able too

12 year teacher here. So much truth in this, and comforting to know I’m not alone. Thank you for making such a valuable podcast.

Very well-done, thought-provoking listen. I hope the host suffers no repercussions in his career from putting out this podcast. If so, make another one—the true crime community will have your back (;

I’m in the education field and I want to make sure that we aren’t just preaching within our own echo chamber. Sadly I believe the solution to this crisis will be solved with AI face recognition software that gives individualized instruction paired with lower paid teacher aides assisting in the classroom. Unimaginable for some but I think more than fighting for more respect and pay, those remaining will need to fight for the institution as a whole. Or not…..

I am really glad to see teachers putting out content from the perspective of teachers. Everyone has voices but rarely are the voices of those in the trenches day in and out heard. If teachers designed education the system would be overhauled so that it could work. Keep up the great work.

You’ve put into words what I’ve tried so hard to explain to others. I was a teacher for 19 years, and left the profession 2 years ago. One of the best revelations I had was when I realized that I AM indeed replaceable, and I was ready to be replaced. I left for all the reasons you’ve spoken about. I’m happier and less stressed than I’ve ever been. I’m dealing with some left over trauma, but it gets better every day that I’m away from the classroom. I’m currently in a transitional job while I figure out next steps. I love kids and I thought I’d teach forever. I was “Teacher of the Year” once, and nominated many times. And yet, now I feel a brief moment of anxiety every time I pass a school. How sad is that? This is an important podcast. Everyone should listen. From, A former teacher in Nevada

I’ve just finished year 9 in the classroom and all of this is incredibly validating. The feelings of suicide, the comparison of teaching to an abusive relationship, the sheer emotional toll it takes. It’s all so real. It’s hard when non-teachers don’t understand, I hope this podcast can help people who aren’t in education make sense of how hard it is for us.

I would recommend this podcast to anyone who cares (or should care) about public education. It’s so well done and very thoughtful.

Excellent, informative, and important for everyone to be aware of. Education is foundational to our entire society — this needs to be heard by people in all professions. Thanks for this work!

Wow. I connected with this so much… knowing that I’m not the only one feeling this way is validating, but it also makes me incredibly sad. Teaching has been my life for 10 years (longer if you consider schooling, student teaching, etc.) I never thought I’d leave the profession, but the burnout level is real… I hope people outside of education take the time to listen to this podcast…

I got into substitute teaching to see if what I’d always wanted to do, was something that was practical. After subbing daily for three years I decided not to pursue it because the investment in becoming a teacher is costly and timely. I’m a social worker who has a lot of autonomy and I still get the fulfillment of helping people and working with kids. I sometimes think if things ever changed I would love to return to the classroom. I do miss it but it’s truly exhausting and I’m making 10,000 dollars more with room for growth. Thank you teachers and staff for all you are doing. I hope things change for the better sooner than later, our country and world is dependent on it.

I’ve been teaching for more than two decades and I’ve felt despair like I have in the past few years. There is no support, either from admin or parents, or society for pushing kids to think or even put their phones away for a few minutes to engage in discussion, much less to grapple with hard subjects. The state of mental health is terrible both for students and teachers. I keep saying that I’d love to teach again, instead of trying to deal with crises and apathy that are endemic to society but only being addressed by classroom teachers.

Taught in Kindergarten- 6 grades for 15 years in Virginia, Maryland, California. Five best years were spent in Collegio Roosevelt in Lima, Peru. American dependent school system: Kindergarten- Ist grade. Our students were taught in English but Spanish mixed in as needed. Students were from different backgrounds, countries. Most were children of different countries Embassy staff. Students wore uniforms, were obviously there to improve themselves in English language. Parents were involved with their children. Parents supported their children’s activities. Attendance @ parents/ teachers conferences were always well attended. Teachers were respected, honored in their classroom, school, community. After return to USA I was shocked @ the difference in public schools. The positive environment I enjoyed in Lima, Peru. was lacking in the public schools I taught in. Sympathy instead of support was offered once people learned I was a teacher. Retired to become full time wife, mother, community service volunteer. Thank you for educating us to a crisis in our country that does not support great education. Dr. GC

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I want everyone who as ever known/been a teacher to deep dive into the insights revealed in this podcast. It’s exceptionally well made and edited, so it’s an easy listen in that way… but the content itself feels critically important. We need to hear and evaluate the convictions expressed from within our education system.

This podcast is compulsively listenable. I finally feel seen and heard. Thank you so much!!! Please find material for another season!

This podcast is exceptional. It has a professional, journalistic quality that podcasts about similar content lack. Highly recommend for city, county, and state representatives, school board members and parents of school aged children that are wondering why their community's students are far from thriving and why the hiring pool is devolving. This rating is from a teacher that chose to save herself by leaving the profession.