The COVID pandemic has had another interesting side effect in Michigan: Teacher retirements.

Teachers in The Great Lakes State are stepping away from the blackboard at alarmingly high rates this school year, according to Bridge MI.

Retirements are up 40%, a number that doesn’t include the number of educators with 10 or fewer years on the job and likely wouldn’t qualify for retirement benefits.

School districts say the pressures of teaching in the age of COVID are to blame, as teachers struggle to balance virtual learning and socially distanced classrooms — often at the same time.

Schools are already struggling to hire full-time and substitute teachers to fill the gaps for the next school year.