I live in the US, in a state where infection rates are increasing. My school district has made it clear that we are expected to teach in-person this fall, and they are taking a few inexpensive safety precautions. My friend thinks I'm a jerk for quitting. Am I?
If the COVID-19 situation stays like it is, or gets worse, I will quit my job before I go back to in-person teaching. I love my students and my work, but not enough to risk getting this disease (or worse, spreading it to family/people in higher risk groups). I have been extremely cautious about exposure in my personal life. I have savings (and few expenses), so being out of work for a while won't be a huge problem for me.
When I talked to a friend about this, she was shocked that I would consider quitting. Her objections:
1. I have an obligation to the students I teach, and to their families, for whom virtual learning is a hardship
2. If I quit, the district may hire someone who is older/more at-risk/more desperate for money than me to take my spot, and that would be my fault
3. Essential workers have been endangering themselves the whole time, now it's my turn (this one frustrated me: friend is an office worker, guaranteed to be fully remote at least through the end of the calendar year, so easy for them to say)
None of these objections had occurred to me. I'm a worker, and I don't think I should have to accept dangerous working conditions "for the greater good" (but then...what if nurses all said that? What if grocery store workers all said that?) Am I being a privileged jerk who feels entitled to physical safety because of my financial safety net? Am I morally obligated to go back to school in the fall? |
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