Veteran teachers are leaving the profession in waves. The exodus is tied to broader trends about employees feeling burned out or unsupported at work in these challenging times of pandemic and uncertainty. But education seems particularly hard-hit by a sense of demoralization.

To better understand this issue, for this week’s podcast we’re listening in on a conversation between two educators personally affected by this issue.

It’s a frank and sometimes emotional conversation between Jennifer Yoo-Brannon, an instructional coach at El Monte Union High School District in California, and Diana Bell, a veteran teacher of more than 18 years who recently decided to leave the profession. They talk about what led to that departure and how teaching could change to better support educators.

Yoo-Brannon was part of EdSurge’s first cohort of Voices of Change Writing Fellows, which brought together a group of diverse educator writers from across the country to share their experiences during this challenging time.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts, or use the player on this page.