There are plenty of reasons teachers across the country have listed for why they are leaving their jobs. But whether it’s burnout or battling against artificial intelligence, there’s one common denominator: the classroom is, by and large, no longer the haven of learning it once was. One teacher recently gave a prime example of this when she explained “course recovery,” and why that alone has led to her quitting. What is course recovery? In a now-viral Tiktok clip, Torie Fowler, an English teacher in Florida, shared that course recovery was originally intended to help struggling students stay on track for passing a class. Essentially it works by offering a semi-condensed make-up curriculum, primarily via online modules, rather than forcing students to repeat the full semester. However, as Fowler explained, things have gone too far. @toriefowler Do you know what course recovery is? I’m positive it’s a public school thing, but what exactly is the child learning from this concept? #teacherlife #teachersoftiktok #teaching #teacher #publicschool ♬ original sound – Torie Fowler For instance, one of her seniors who earned an 18 percent in her class (which is already bonkers considering the student didn’t ever show up to class, apparently) was assigned course recovery. Somehow, this student was able to complete the entire nine weeks of recovery assignments in a single day, magically passing the class with a 75. “What are we doing?” Fowler said at the end of her clip. Granted, course recovery does have its uses. In an interview with Today, Fowler noted that students burdened with illness, family instability, or learning challenges can greatly benefit from it. Still, the students who know how to play the system use it as an easy workaround, forfeiting the opportunity to actually learn. And so far, the system encourages that kind of behavior. “We are teaching them that there are no consequences for their actions,” she said. “It’s becoming more about getting them through and walking across the stage than actual learning.” @toriefowler You can read the full article at the link in my bio, but in terms of public education, do you agree? #teachersoftiktok #teacher #teacherlife ♬ Self Aware – Temper City Teachers across the country share the same concern Fowler is far from the only educator experiencing this frustration. Down in the comments, many fellow teachers sounded off. “We have the same here in RI. It’s so unfair to the teachers, admins and other students.” “I’ll do you one better: in my district a student who fails a class can do course recovery and change the whole grade for that class. That F becomes an A on the transcript as fast as the student can find answers to everything online, and they can do that in a day.” “Credit recovery is a joke. I had a student fail on purpose bc CR was easier. If they can complete an entire semester of Algebra in 3 days (I’ve seen it), they aren’t learning the content. Why are we allowing this?!?” Fowler’s video is just one of many worrying examples of how modern schools are prioritizing graduation rates over meaningful education. Many teachers say they entered the profession to help students grow, think critically, and build real skills for the future. When that mission starts feeling impossible, it’s no surprise that so many educators are deciding they can no longer stay. @toriefowler In all my feels as I realize my time in this room is coming to an end this month. Some of it was more than I could dream of, while the reality of a system we can’t change is more than I want to carry. #publicschool #teacher #teachersoftiktok #teachersbelike #teacherlife ♬ original sound – Breezee Talk – Breezee Talk However, as Fowler put it, it’s important to talk about what’s not working, because with enough conversation, “change can begin.” The post Florida teacher says she’s quitting her job because of school’s ‘course recovery’ shortcut appeared first on Upworthy.