CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. — A letter of resignation written by a young South Carolina teacher is resonating with others in her position after it went viral.
Sariah McCall had been teaching for five years in Charleston County when she decided to quit last November.
The Washington Post published the letter and spoke to McCall about what led to her decision.
In the letter, McCall outlined long, unpaid work hours after the school day ended, unrealistic expectations, and a lack of time for planning or basic bodily functions like bathroom breaks.
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"The only things keeping me from resigning until now were the love I have for my students, the love I have for the act of teaching, and the heavy guilt I feel for my children being negatively impacted by this in any way: emotionally or academically,” she wrote. “However, I cannot set myself on fire to keep someone else warm."
McCall, who has a master's degree, now lives in Savannah, Georgia, where she waits tables.
She said the hours are shorter and the pay is better.