Rather than going back to school in an ongoing pandemic, more teachers are retiring Share Updated: 1:59 PM CDT Apr 13, 2021 By Bianna Golodryga and Yon Pomrenze, CNN Rather than going back to school in an ongoing pandemic, more teachers are retiring Share Updated: 1:59 PM CDT Apr 13, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript being a teacher isn't just teaching, it's, it's part of who you are. I had no intention of going anywhere, at least for the next four or five years, 61 year old and net laying loved her job of 15 years as a teacher in New Jersey. Then covid 19 changed everything. I had my first panic attack in 60 years of my life, lang had reason to worry. Her husband has a pre existing condition, making him more vulnerable if exposed. She also had concerns about the school building itself. Windows in my building don't open And we had concerns about the ventilation. She retired in December. Do you know of other teachers who made the same decision? You did? Yes, I do. Teacher retirements are up in several parts of the country from Michigan, which has seen a 44 spike in mid-year public school teacher retirements To Minnesota where teachers applying for retirement benefits this past fall increased by 35 in New Jersey. The teacher shortage is so severe, officials are considering hiring teachers licensed in other states. There's here about the safety of coming back in person, particularly in places where the mitigation strategies have not been well used in schools and where things are opening up. People are getting rid of mask mandates and things like that sooner than everyone is vaccinated. It was a very tough decision to make. I didn't feel safe. Um, and I'm pretty sure I can speak for a lot of my colleagues. We did not feel safe going back into the classroom. That fear is why Jaime Acosta left his job last october after seven years as a teacher in Houston to work in a bakery. My mental state was kind of just slowly declining and I said, if I don't leave now, I might never go back to the classroom, Fewer college students are pursuing careers in the classroom. In one survey, nearly 20 of respondents reported a significant drop in new undergraduate enrollment in teaching programs for fall of 2020 driving home just how crucial it is to retain teachers like Acosta every night. I used to think about teaching six months after leaving the field. Acosta says he wants to give teaching another shot. I really miss hearing the stories that kids would write while her teaching days may be over laying. Never stops thinking about her students. I miss the kids. I absolutely missed the kids. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to them, Bianna Golodryga, CNN New Jersey.