COVID-19 Pandemic Leads to Influx In Teacher Retirements

As Oklahoma school districts start the spring semester, many are dealing with a surge of COVID-19 cases and the Omicron variant, and some teachers are thinking this might their final semester teaching.

The Oklahoma Education Association says heavy workloads and a rise in behavioral issues among students are just a couple of the increased challenges teachers are facing, along with the pandemic.

"It's not one factor, it's multiple factors. It's layer upon layer of factors. It's the additional workload," said OEA President Katherine Bishop.

The Teacher Retirement Service, which manages retirement funds for teachers, says 103 teachers retired in December. In December of 2020, 159 retired. That's more than December 2019 and 2018 combined.

The OEA president doesn't know how many more will retire after this semester, but says that she is certain, there will be another jump in teachers who won't return to the classroom in the fall.