COVID Revealed the U.S.'s Long-Time Misogyny and Lack of Respect for Teachers

COVID Revealed the U.S.’s Long-Time Misogyny and Lack of Respect for Teachers
8/25/2022 by Caroline Fredrickson


Nicole Brown, a second grade teacher, hugs one of her students as she gets off the bus at Carter Traditional Elementary School on Jan. 24, 2022 in Louisville, Ky. The day marked the return of in-person instruction after a COVID-related break. (Jon Cherry / Getty Images)

As COVID exacerbated inequities in U.S. society, many Americans witnessed gender, class and racial inequality in a new and existential way—especially in the distinct overlap between populations of “essential workers” and Black and brown people. These workers, who often make the lowest salaries, were expected nonetheless to remain on the job. Black and brown people experienced disproportionate infection, hospitalization and death. Early on in the pandemic, when little was known about the virus and no vaccine yet existed to thwart it, some “essential workers”—those in healthcare—received applause daily for their heroic efforts to staunch the bleeding. But one group, made up primarily of women, was on the receiving end of bitter acrimony and blame for allegedly aggravating the problems caused by the pandemic: teachers.

Teachers were among the groups of workers who were able to stay home, at least in many school systems, for a period of the pandemic—especially those represented by a union. But before they were able to work from home, teachers suffered from staggering levels of COVID infection. On April 3, 2020, Education Week began an online memorial to acknowledge the deaths of educators, janitors and other school personnel.


As of July 14, 2022, at least 1,306 active and retired K-12 educators and personnel have died of COVID-19, according to Education Week. Of those, 449 were active teachers. (Educators We’ve Lost to the Coronavirus / Education Week)

. . . .




Still, teachers remain the Rodney Dangerfields of professionals: They “don’t get no respect.” Why is that? For starters, Americans don’t think teachers work nearly as many hours as the educators in fact put in, underestimating teaching hours by almost a full school day less than they work. This lack of respect is mirrored by the teachers’ views of their own status—in fact, teachers rate their status lower than the general public does, perhaps due in part to equating low pay, degraded facilities and lack of resources with lack of respect. And it’s hard to blame them.

In the face of this major challenge to public education and our faith in it, Americans—and especially women—must confront whether we are willing to see teaching as a profession worthy of respect and decent pay, thereby improving teacher retention and school stability. Or will we just accept that privileged Americans will simply opt out and put their kids in private schools? For progressives, feminists and advocates for democracy, what happens to our belief in the egalitarian virtues of public education, the role it plays in leveling the demographic playing field, and the importance of elevating the status of a profession long dominated by women if we fail to support teachers?

https://msmagazine.com/2022/08/25/teacher-shortage-sexism-women-covid-essential-worker/