My original intent was to retire at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. However, due to my age and additional medical risk factors, coupled with working in a 50-year-old school building with a MERV 8 HVAC system filter (CDC recommends a filter of MERV 13 or greater to effectively filter out virus particles), I retired at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. I am not alone in choosing retirement over continuing to work in an unhealthy and unsafe environment. Educators and students have already faced direct exposure, been placed under quarantine, contracted the virus, ultimately been hospitalized and, in some cases, have died. This cycle cannot be permitted to continue. I urge the responsible bodies to pass the necessary legislation to provide safe working conditions for school employees and safe learning conditions for students.