We had a conversation with one of my nieces who teaches second grade in one of the poorest counties in the state (it's in Virginia's Northern Neck, about an hour or so outside DC). The last year has been a struggle.
She teaches second grade, has about 20 students in her class. The kids range from not knowing the alphabet, to those who are fairly competent at the reading level. She never knows who will be in class, especially with COVID. You would have a kid show up for a couple of says then miss two weeks because of family quarantine. When the child gets back in class they've forgotten practically everything they've learned, because parents don't reinforce what they've been taught in schools.
The school system requires masks, but there you have parental objection. That on top of my nieces need for them to see her mouth when doing vocabulary. She just has them spread out in the classroom. (Last year when we talked about going up and visiting, she commented on how with her and her two young kids, the place was a petry dish.
The District received federal funding, she asked for matching chairs. They're not eligible for the funds. So she has a mismatch of big, little and medium chairs for the kids to sit on. They did get new carpeting, however. They also received a lot of IT equipment that she doesn't need and doesn't have the free time to learn to use while the school's in session.
And you wonder why teachers are leaving in droves. Especially once they have become fully vested,