It's the closest school to my home. I wanted a short commute. I don't know what sort of teacher Marlene is, but it's easy to hypothesize that she's a burnt-out, bored worker counting the hours until she can go home for the day. I can imagine her contempt for the school playing itself out with her students. Over the years the treatment takes its toll.
Many teachers simply leave.
Thirty percent of those entering teaching leave within five years an exit rate that is far higher than in law, medicine, nursing or the ministry. While thousands continue to do wonderful work, many others burn out. They stay on the job but have lost sight of why they became teachers in the first place. Seniority gives these veterans an opportunity to thumb their noses at the system, and that's how I explain Marlene's decision. I know that for many teachers, seniority is the sacred cow.