Teaching has never been an easy job. Add to that the surge of remote learning challenges, making up for curriculum lost during school closures, a growing concern for safety and—last but not least—having to help more anxious and depressed kids than ever
The responsibilities have increased for an already taxing job. And yet, teacher salaries remain abysmally low, forcing many to either quit altogether or find supplemental income.
Alexis Longcrier falls into the second category. Longcrier still teaches full time during the day. At night, she delivers pizza for Domino’s just to get by. A video sharing her story is taking over TikTok for its candid portrayal of what teachers are having to endure just to make ends meet while holding onto their jobs.
“I’m doing this because I can’t survive on my teacher paycheck’” Longcrier says in the clip. “Everyone’s talking about all the reasons teachers want to leave. But what about all the teachers that want to stay, but literally can’t afford to?”
Longcrier is not alone. Her video received a slew of responses from fellow teachers who have found themselves in similar situations.
Here are just a few:
“Hi, fellow teacher. I had to start my own mobile welding business on the side for the same reason.”
“I love it, but I’m doing Lyft after work and spreading myself super thin.”
“I work at Target part time for the same reason.”
“Teacher w a masters and i have a 2nd job to pay the bills… it shouldn’t have to be this hard.”
“Teacher here. I also work as customer support for a travel company.”
“I’m a teacher with a masters and I sell my plasma to get by.”
“I have a masters and work extra duties. Work a part-time job, sell my plasma. We need a livable wage.”
“I’m a teacher who has fully accepted that I’ll never own a house, have kids, be able to support anyone but myself, live in a nicer area.”
@alexislongcrier Teachers don’t just deserve a living wage – they deserve a thriving wage! #teacher #teachersoftiktok #teacherlife #teachers #highschool #middleschool #elementaryschool #teach #teachertok #teaching #teachertiktok #teachersontiktok #teacherproblems #tiktok #tiktokviral #viral #fyp #foryourpage #foryou #student #students #pay #broke #money #school #class ♬ original sound – AlexisLongcrier
As Longcrier clarified in a follow-up video, her argument is that everyone deserves a living wage—not just teachers. This was in response to a comment saying that “everyone works two jobs now.”
“If you work a full-time job, you should only work one,” she said. “And you should be able to afford to eat out sometimes, go see a movie, enjoy your life. You were not made to just work, struggle, and die. None of us just deserve a life, we deserve a quality of life, too.”
@alexislongcrier Replying to @awesometheadam And it’s a shame. We all deserve better. #response #responsevideo #comment #teacher #highschool #students #teachersoftiktok #tiktok #tiktokviral #viral #fyp #foryou #foryourpage #money #happiness #health #enjoyment #deserve ♬ original sound – AlexisLongcrier
Longcrier has a point. Work should somehow add to our quality of life. It’s no secret that teachers usually do what they do out of a sense of purpose, not for financial gain. But now that passion is being squelched, leaving the profession without much reward. Those who are sticking it out are paying a hefty price