Why Leaving Teaching?

In July 2024, I resigned from my tenured teaching position with LAUSD.

I wasn’t alone in taking this leap: post-pandemic, teacher turnover has reached new highs, with as many as 55% of educators considering leaving the profession. While I have the utmost respect and appreciation for those who remain in the classroom, the challenges, workload, and cultural climate have made the job unsustainable for many of us, especially parents.

I created this newsletter as a place to share stories, advice, and wisdom from those who’ve left the classroom. While there are numerous blogs, forums, and social media groups for transitioning teachers, nearly all are attached to a particular brand or coach, creating a piecemeal landscape for educators navigating the already tricky transition out of education. Many censor the information and resources shared in order to funnel users to their own products and services.

Leaving Teaching is different. We offer a free, independent space, for teachers and by teachers, to navigate everything from the job application process to the grief that often comes with leaving the profession.

There is no other publication dedicated exclusively to the teacher transition process.

This is a reader-funded publication, so I rely on your generous, optional support to keep this going. For a full and transparent breakdown of our monthly expenses, read here. If you believe in this mission and appreciate the content you find here, consider supporting this work. Become a member to receive access to exclusive perks and virtual events, and entry into monthly giveaways. Or you can give a one-time Tip Jar donation. Everything helps!

My goal is to send some inspiration and good vibes to your inbox and if you’re a transitioning teacher, cheer you on in your journey. I’m hoping we can create a community where we freely share stories and resources to support teachers—current and former.

About Me

My mom (a retired teacher) and I at the 2019 UTLA teacher strike.

I’m Lauren Quinn, a writer, editor, mother and former high school teacher. My nonfiction writing has appeared in Los Angeles Times, The Believer, Guernica and Best American Travel Writing. You can check out more of my work here.

I hold a Master’s of Education (and $60k worth of debt!) from UCLA. I taught preschool in Hanoi, Vietnam for two years, and high school English in Los Angeles for seven years. After leaving the classroom, I transitioned into writing and editing, and am currently the managing editor of Motley Bloom. I maintain this newsletter as a labor of love (and my overworking tendencies).

I live in Northeast Los Angeles with my husband and two children. I’ll always be an Oakland girl at heart.

Contact

I welcome ideas for posts, recommendations for interviewees, resources, or really anything at all you’d like to share.