Philadelphia school district teacher Rhonda Hicks poses for a portrait at her home in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 20, 2023. Hicks loved teaching and loved her students, but other aspects of the job deteriorated. When she retires soon, she will join a disproportionately high number of Black and Hispanic teachers in her state who are leaving the profession. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Teachers are leaving jobs in growing numbers, state reports show. The turnover in some cases is highest among teachers of color. A major culprit is stress — from pandemic-era burnout, low pay and the intrusion of politics into classrooms. But the burdens can be heavier in schools serving high-poverty communities that also have higher numbers of teachers of color. Nationally, about 80% of American public school teachers are white, even though white students no longer represent a majority in public schools.