The culture wars are pushing some teachers to leave the classroom

The culture wars are pushing some teachers to leave the classroom Enlarge this image toggle caption Ben Torres for the Texas Tribune Ben Torres for the Texas Tribune In the spring of 2020, James Whitfield had just become the first African American to be named principal at Colleyville Heritage High School, located in a predominantly white Dallas-Fort Worth suburb. When contacted, the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District referred NPR to a statement issued nearly a year ago that says, "the District and Dr. Whitfield each strongly believe they are in the right." Meanwhile, a report released last month by the Government Accountability Office says " perception of the teaching profession and perceived lack of support for current teachers" are "among key recruitment and retention challenges." Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, or FEA, says the politically charged environment around K-12 education is one of several factors "driving a lot of teachers, especially experienced teachers, out of the profession." "When schools tell you that we aren't teaching critical race theory, it means one thing: Go away and look into our affairs no further," he says in the video.