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A new report is shedding light on violence against educators

Hollywood High Special Education teacher Shirley Woods conducts class remotely in Los Angeles.
Hollywood High Special Education teacher Shirley Woods conducts class remotely in Los Angeles.

Teachers were hit hard by the pandemic. More than 560,000 left the profession over the past two years.

A new survey from the American Psychological Association details the trauma teachers and school staff have been forced to endure by parents and students alike.

Six in 10 educators said they experienced some form of physical or verbal abuse.

“I am a parent and also a teacher of high school English for 29 years,” says Kit from New Jersey. “I have been yelled at, cursed at, gotten into the middle of fights. It’s been really bad this year.”

The survey found 99 percent of the physical abuse came from students, while the majority of verbal altercations were started by parents against administrators.

A panel of educators joins us to discuss issues surrounding safety in the classroom.

Copyright 2022 WAMU 88.5

Chris Remington