Let’s cut to the chase and furlough teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sign me up for being furloughed. I hate teaching online and with the ****y plans my school has in place, I'm pretty sure we'll be back online by October.

Sadly, it won't happen. Every school district I know is trying to hire (especially in core subjects and special ed). I also don't think you need fewer teachers for online. I found teaching online more time consuming and difficult than face-to-face. It was harder to make personal connections with students and to help them if they were struggling. Good video lessons are very challenging to make, and my subject involves a lot of written scientific communication - so giving students feedback on their writing is very important. AI isn't going to do that.

I was actually in a district that implemented furloughs (in CA, 2009-2015) before I moved here. They cut 3 weeks out of the school year (and reduced our pay). I actually didn't mind because we got 2 weeks spring break, full week at thanksgiving, and 3 weeks at Christmas. Lots of people were upset because they had budgeted for the full salary and this wasn't just one year... it went on for years. It really did hurt the district though- it's hard to retain teachers in a difficult environment.

Supposed to moving to Maryland in July, what is the latest on teaching in MD as I'm currently looking for work in the DMV! What traiing, if any did you get in online teaching and are they hiring?

[Anonymous]

19:30:

Some very simplistic live or recorded webinars and a few Zoom office hours were offered. Nothing really interactive though sometimes you could use the chat to ask questions.

Some staff had never used Canvas and had to be taught how to log on. These were not necessarily older employees. Apparently, a lot of the younger ES teachers were among those who needed a lot of support finding the trainings.

There are openings, but we don’t have a new contract. People are beginning to think MCPS May have intentionally stalled talks so that they can press for bad working conditions like no more duty-free lunch against the bad for MCEA optics of teachers striking just as schools reopen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: DL in Maryland is a joke. Let’s face it and save our money for a real education when public health permits it. The school can keep posting the random worksheets it doesn’t grade and the YouTube videos of other teachers. One teacher can do that for each grade in that state while we furlough the others. Then those teachers won’t need to whine about how hard it is to teach with their child care responsibilities.

We can treat these teachers equally to school nurses, bus drivers, custodians and paraeducators who have been struggling. And we can balance our budget this year and save the $ for real improvement in the future. I would much rather return to regular school but until that can be done let’s treat all our education professionals equally. Or if teachers want to actually teach live and grade like they really want to educate I am all for paying them. But paying them to sit at home and whine about how online is hard while they each post the same videos as the other 200 teachers in the district without follow up is not ok.

Flame away but we don’t have the extra money for fluff anymore. There are lots of virtual teaching jobs out there for those who actually teach that could be had by teachers who , as they say, actually want to teach.

I'm 1000% with you, OP. I have been shocked to find out how little teaching teachers actually do. Growing up in remember teachers working on lesson plans, etc. Come to find out now that the schools buy a curriculum with handouts etx and the teachers just spit out the canned lessons that were paid for.
I have yet to hear of a teacher helping a student who had a particular struggle like we had when I was growing up. Now, with DL, I'm convinced the teachers are a total joke.

Teaching should be done with AI that meets kids where they are, automatically customizes to their learning style and prods for their weaknesses and reinforces them.

Teachers are a joke, but when you see what they cost tax payers, its not so funny.

This post definitely makes me think that the quality of teachers will decline significantly in the future. More capable graduates will not be likely to choose teaching as a profession.

You're absolutely correct.

Yeah, probably not many well qualified people who want a job where people call you a "joke" and say that you just "spit out canned lessons that were paid for"-you need to get a life, honestly. Teaching should be done with AI? Okay, then why do you dislike distance learning? I would think that anything that brings teaching closer to automation would please you. Who will watch your children all day, since that seems to be the only function of teachers that you care for? Our robot replacements?

I have less and less concern for working parents as I see these threads ranting and raving about how teachers are lazy, dumb, whiners who you would like to lay off en masse. Okay, good luck with your children in the fall! Clearly, you don't need us. You're so angry that there is no school due to a global crisis that is completely out of our hands. You have zero respect for the people who run the schools and who raise YOUR children so you can work without feeling guilty about it. How about thanking the teachers who have made it possible for you and your partner to work for all these years? All these parents who say that schools are the economic engine of our country, yet who refuse to acknowledge that schools don't run themselves. You know what? Pay me for putting myself in harm's way and I'll consider it. Otherwise, I'm going to keep advocating to keep myself and MY family safe-you can do the same for yours.

Ugh! I can't believe someone wifh your iq is being paid to teach my children. You are replying to me. I am not a working parent. Assumptions are the antithesis of mental rigor.

The passive aggression is not something I want to see from someone in contact with my children.

And I dislike DL because its nothing at all like AI. You honestly are more clueless than I imagined a teached could be in 2020.

This is not an intelligent response. Lots of simple errors, childish insults, and no substance at all. Phrases like “wifh your iq” make it easy to understand why you don’t participate in the workforce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have 60 students in each of my online summer classes this summer, so I guess I am a guinea pig for the theory in this thread...

So are the teachers at Arcola and Roscoe Nix elementary schools.

[Anonymous]

I changed positions recently. Rather than hire a new full timer, they hired a long-term sub. This was for a MS elective position. I can't help but wonder if this was partially a cost saving measure, but more likely they didn't want to get stuck with a full time hire that they didn't like very much. They had trouble finding a replacement that fit the program's requirements. Not uncommon for specific elective courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: DL in Maryland is a joke. Let’s face it and save our money for a real education when public health permits it. The school can keep posting the random worksheets it doesn’t grade and the YouTube videos of other teachers. One teacher can do that for each grade in that state while we furlough the others. Then those teachers won’t need to whine about how hard it is to teach with their child care responsibilities.

We can treat these teachers equally to school nurses, bus drivers, custodians and paraeducators who have been struggling. And we can balance our budget this year and save the $ for real improvement in the future. I would much rather return to regular school but until that can be done let’s treat all our education professionals equally. Or if teachers want to actually teach live and grade like they really want to educate I am all for paying them. But paying them to sit at home and whine about how online is hard while they each post the same videos as the other 200 teachers in the district without follow up is not ok.

Flame away but we don’t have the extra money for fluff anymore. There are lots of virtual teaching jobs out there for those who actually teach that could be had by teachers who , as they say, actually want to teach.

I'm 1000% with you, OP. I have been shocked to find out how little teaching teachers actually do. Growing up in remember teachers working on lesson plans, etc. Come to find out now that the schools buy a curriculum with handouts etx and the teachers just spit out the canned lessons that were paid for.
I have yet to hear of a teacher helping a student who had a particular struggle like we had when I was growing up. Now, with DL, I'm convinced the teachers are a total joke.

Teaching should be done with AI that meets kids where they are, automatically customizes to their learning style and prods for their weaknesses and reinforces them.

Teachers are a joke, but when you see what they cost tax payers, its not so funny.

This post definitely makes me think that the quality of teachers will decline significantly in the future. More capable graduates will not be likely to choose teaching as a profession.

You're absolutely correct.

Yeah, probably not many well qualified people who want a job where people call you a "joke" and say that you just "spit out canned lessons that were paid for"-you need to get a life, honestly. Teaching should be done with AI? Okay, then why do you dislike distance learning? I would think that anything that brings teaching closer to automation would please you. Who will watch your children all day, since that seems to be the only function of teachers that you care for? Our robot replacements?

I have less and less concern for working parents as I see these threads ranting and raving about how teachers are lazy, dumb, whiners who you would like to lay off en masse. Okay, good luck with your children in the fall! Clearly, you don't need us. You're so angry that there is no school due to a global crisis that is completely out of our hands. You have zero respect for the people who run the schools and who raise YOUR children so you can work without feeling guilty about it. How about thanking the teachers who have made it possible for you and your partner to work for all these years? All these parents who say that schools are the economic engine of our country, yet who refuse to acknowledge that schools don't run themselves. You know what? Pay me for putting myself in harm's way and I'll consider it. Otherwise, I'm going to keep advocating to keep myself and MY family safe-you can do the same for yours.

Ugh! I can't believe someone wifh your iq is being paid to teach my children. You are replying to me. I am not a working parent. Assumptions are the antithesis of mental rigor.

The passive aggression is not something I want to see from someone in contact with my children.

And I dislike DL because its nothing at all like AI. You honestly are more clueless than I imagined a teached could be in 2020.

Really? I agree with the teacher.

I agree with the teacher too. The nastiness on this thread and others from parents demanding 5 days a week f2f instruction is appalling. Be angry that the federal government AKA trump is not paying for increased state costs related to education (as well as a universal wage so people don’t have to worry about work vs. their child) and not prioritizing public safety and getting schools open vs. getting the economy “open”. Foolish, unnecessary behavior from trump and his administration. Don’t make teachers and school admin the bad guys.

[Anonymous]

When did people start hating teachers? They do one of our most important jobs and take responsibility for the care and attention to the most valuable people in our lives. Are they all great? No but Jesus, they aren't the antichrist. I'd love to see most of you manage. Most teachers I talk to do it because they want to give and shape young lives. What on earth is wrong with you people? How the hell are YOU contributing to the betterment of society? Your stupid G8 job at the Department of Agriculture sure isn't meaningful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did people start hating teachers? They do one of our most important jobs and take responsibility for the care and attention to the most valuable people in our lives. Are they all great? No but Jesus, they aren't the antichrist. I'd love to see most of you manage. Most teachers I talk to do it because they want to give and shape young lives. What on earth is wrong with you people? How the hell are YOU contributing to the betterment of society? Your stupid G8 job at the Department of Agriculture sure isn't meaningful.

Ok first of all, it’s GS-8, not G8.

Second of all, no one is saying they’re not important, but most of them are barely doing anything. Don’t act like they’re knocking it out of the park here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: DL in Maryland is a joke. Let’s face it and save our money for a real education when public health permits it. The school can keep posting the random worksheets it doesn’t grade and the YouTube videos of other teachers. One teacher can do that for each grade in that state while we furlough the others. Then those teachers won’t need to whine about how hard it is to teach with their child care responsibilities.

We can treat these teachers equally to school nurses, bus drivers, custodians and paraeducators who have been struggling. And we can balance our budget this year and save the $ for real improvement in the future. I would much rather return to regular school but until that can be done let’s treat all our education professionals equally. Or if teachers want to actually teach live and grade like they really want to educate I am all for paying them. But paying them to sit at home and whine about how online is hard while they each post the same videos as the other 200 teachers in the district without follow up is not ok.

Flame away but we don’t have the extra money for fluff anymore. There are lots of virtual teaching jobs out there for those who actually teach that could be had by teachers who , as they say, actually want to teach.

I'm 1000% with you, OP. I have been shocked to find out how little teaching teachers actually do. Growing up in remember teachers working on lesson plans, etc. Come to find out now that the schools buy a curriculum with handouts etx and the teachers just spit out the canned lessons that were paid for.
I have yet to hear of a teacher helping a student who had a particular struggle like we had when I was growing up. Now, with DL, I'm convinced the teachers are a total joke.

Teaching should be done with AI that meets kids where they are, automatically customizes to their learning style and prods for their weaknesses and reinforces them.

Teachers are a joke, but when you see what they cost tax payers, its not so funny.

This post definitely makes me think that the quality of teachers will decline significantly in the future. More capable graduates will not be likely to choose teaching as a profession.

You're absolutely correct.

Yeah, probably not many well qualified people who want a job where people call you a "joke" and say that you just "spit out canned lessons that were paid for"-you need to get a life, honestly. Teaching should be done with AI? Okay, then why do you dislike distance learning? I would think that anything that brings teaching closer to automation would please you. Who will watch your children all day, since that seems to be the only function of teachers that you care for? Our robot replacements?

I have less and less concern for working parents as I see these threads ranting and raving about how teachers are lazy, dumb, whiners who you would like to lay off en masse. Okay, good luck with your children in the fall! Clearly, you don't need us. You're so angry that there is no school due to a global crisis that is completely out of our hands. You have zero respect for the people who run the schools and who raise YOUR children so you can work without feeling guilty about it. How about thanking the teachers who have made it possible for you and your partner to work for all these years? All these parents who say that schools are the economic engine of our country, yet who refuse to acknowledge that schools don't run themselves. You know what? Pay me for putting myself in harm's way and I'll consider it. Otherwise, I'm going to keep advocating to keep myself and MY family safe-you can do the same for yours.

Ugh! I can't believe someone wifh your iq is being paid to teach my children. You are replying to me. I am not a working parent. Assumptions are the antithesis of mental rigor.

The passive aggression is not something I want to see from someone in contact with my children.

And I dislike DL because its nothing at all like AI. You honestly are more clueless than I imagined a teached could be in 2020.

Really? I agree with the teacher.

I agree with the teacher too. The nastiness on this thread and others from parents demanding 5 days a week f2f instruction is appalling. Be angry that the federal government AKA trump is not paying for increased state costs related to education (as well as a universal wage so people don’t have to worry about work vs. their child) and not prioritizing public safety and getting schools open vs. getting the economy “open”. Foolish, unnecessary behavior from trump and his administration. Don’t make teachers and school admin the bad guys.

How do you blame Trump when education is a state issue. Do you really want the federal government to control local schools? Schools are mostly funded by local taxes.

[Anonymous]

This has to be one of the dumbest threads I've seen here and that's saying a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most teachers would be better off financially if furloughed. Currently, teachers can’t get unemployment over the summer because they aren’t unemployed technically. Furlough teachers and not only they will get 10 months of unemployment, but two extra months of income. And DCUM likes to remind teachers that they are too lazy, stupid, and incompetent to be hired for anything else so it should be easy to recertify eligibility each month.

Meanwhile teachers won’t be spending on supplies and snacks for their students.

What’s the financial downside again?

Yeah, I'd love to collect that pandemic unemployment plus $600. I would literally make more money doing nothing than teaching your kids packed into a filthy, unventilated school. I don't know who you think ultimately pays the cost of unemployment, but surprise! It's tax payers.

You aren't going to win this. If teachers lose their jobs, your child will receive less instruction than they did before. You know who that one teacher would be, posting worksheets? The most senior person in the school, so the person least technologically adept and the least likely to care. They definitely would not be available for questions, complaints, or comments, and there would be no synchronous learning. You think firing all her colleagues would inspire this one teacher to suddenly provide your child and 100 others with a world class education? Get real. She would be looking for an out.

If I were furloughed, I would take it as a sign that it was just time to leave the profession. There aren't a lot of perks in education, but job security is one of them. I would absolutely take my M.S. and go elsewhere. I work with students with disabilities, in a position that has a huge problem with attrition. I am rated highly effective. I'm young and computer literate and I can easily take my skills elsewhere. Good luck finding someone to replace me after the furlough-we currently have 10+ vacancies at my school, but I'm sure there are many other passionate educators waiting with bated breath to step in.

LOL. Go for it. Good luck.

If we transition to distance learning and teachers quit, wouldn't that still be ok because we need fewer teachers anyway?
I value our teachers but the one thing I do not understand is why they are untouchable. Every other profession has some risk right now so why not teachers? I'm not wishing this for them but we can't protect just one profession. They aren't more essential than doctors or nurses and in some areas, they are suffering and nobody bails them out.

I'm pretty sure most teachers won't walk. If most schools are DL, where are they going? Eventually it all works out so teachers either accept what's going on or not.

That said, I do not think they should have to return to work if there is still a high risk of catching the virus. I think they need flexibility in doing zoom classes since they have kids at home and I think they need support from the districts to adjust to this new way of teaching.

I have one relative who works for State Farm and was told no return until Jan 2021. I have another relative who works for a MD brewery and was told no return to office was necessary. His job is now 100% telework. He may be allowed to visit vendors in September if there’s not a second wave in this region. A third relative works for the state. Very tentative return in September, but it will be one day a week max to minimize who is in the office. And a friend who works for a shipping company was told no return until after 12/31.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I have one relative who works for State Farm and was told no return until Jan 2021. I have another relative who works for a MD brewery and was told no return to office was necessary. His job is now 100% telework. He may be allowed to visit vendors in September if there’s not a second wave in this region. A third relative works for the state. Very tentative return in September, but it will be one day a week max to minimize who is in the office. And a friend who works for a shipping company was told no return until after 12/31.

There are some major differences, though. For example:

1. Office workers can do office work just as well at home as in the office, but teachers can't teach just as well over the Internet as at school.
2. Insurance companies and breweries are not essential functions of society that we all (even people who don't have children) depend on.

If this goes on with teachers, people are going to start wondering why the school district needs so many teachers. Or, really, any. Class size doesn't matter when you're teaching over the Internet and half of the kids aren't participating on any given day anyway. Might as well use the Rocketship Charter School model and just put up "individualized online learning modules" for everyone.

And state and local governments are already laying off employees. How long until it's teachers, too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have one relative who works for State Farm and was told no return until Jan 2021. I have another relative who works for a MD brewery and was told no return to office was necessary. His job is now 100% telework. He may be allowed to visit vendors in September if there’s not a second wave in this region. A third relative works for the state. Very tentative return in September, but it will be one day a week max to minimize who is in the office. And a friend who works for a shipping company was told no return until after 12/31.

There are some major differences, though. For example:

1. Office workers can do office work just as well at home as in the office, but teachers can't teach just as well over the Internet as at school.
2. Insurance companies and breweries are not essential functions of society that we all (even people who don't have children) depend on.

If this goes on with teachers, people are going to start wondering why the school district needs so many teachers. Or, really, any. Class size doesn't matter when you're teaching over the Internet and half of the kids aren't participating on any given day anyway. Might as well use the Rocketship Charter School model and just put up "individualized online learning modules" for everyone.

And state and local governments are already laying off employees. How long until it's teachers, too?

1. Online education was used by school-aged children all over the world pre-pandemic. The issue isn’t the method.

2. People absolutely rely on insurance companies so that they can get medical treatment, return damaged cars to the road to get to work, and repair roofs so they don’t end up losing the houses they buy to the elements. And restaurants and bars are relying on those breweries.

Teachers are already being laid off. Laid off beats dead. My children would rather have unemployed parents than dead ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have one relative who works for State Farm and was told no return until Jan 2021. I have another relative who works for a MD brewery and was told no return to office was necessary. His job is now 100% telework. He may be allowed to visit vendors in September if there’s not a second wave in this region. A third relative works for the state. Very tentative return in September, but it will be one day a week max to minimize who is in the office. And a friend who works for a shipping company was told no return until after 12/31.

There are some major differences, though. For example:

1. Office workers can do office work just as well at home as in the office, but teachers can't teach just as well over the Internet as at school.
2. Insurance companies and breweries are not essential functions of society that we all (even people who don't have children) depend on.

If this goes on with teachers, people are going to start wondering why the school district needs so many teachers. Or, really, any. Class size doesn't matter when you're teaching over the Internet and half of the kids aren't participating on any given day anyway. Might as well use the Rocketship Charter School model and just put up "individualized online learning modules" for everyone.

And state and local governments are already laying off employees. How long until it's teachers, too?

1. Online education was used by school-aged children all over the world pre-pandemic. The issue isn’t the method.

2. People absolutely rely on insurance companies so that they can get medical treatment, return damaged cars to the road to get to work, and repair roofs so they don’t end up losing the houses they buy to the elements. And restaurants and bars are relying on those breweries.

Teachers are already being laid off. Laid off beats dead. My children would rather have unemployed parents than dead ones.

Who was using school over the Internet, before the pandemic?

It's hard for me to believe that a teacher is comparing insurance companies and breweries to schools. But ok. If you'd rather lose your job than do your job, then you've made your choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have one relative who works for State Farm and was told no return until Jan 2021. I have another relative who works for a MD brewery and was told no return to office was necessary. His job is now 100% telework. He may be allowed to visit vendors in September if there’s not a second wave in this region. A third relative works for the state. Very tentative return in September, but it will be one day a week max to minimize who is in the office. And a friend who works for a shipping company was told no return until after 12/31.

There are some major differences, though. For example:

1. Office workers can do office work just as well at home as in the office, but teachers can't teach just as well over the Internet as at school.
2. Insurance companies and breweries are not essential functions of society that we all (even people who don't have children) depend on.

If this goes on with teachers, people are going to start wondering why the school district needs so many teachers. Or, really, any. Class size doesn't matter when you're teaching over the Internet and half of the kids aren't participating on any given day anyway. Might as well use the Rocketship Charter School model and just put up "individualized online learning modules" for everyone.

And state and local governments are already laying off employees. How long until it's teachers, too?

1. Online education was used by school-aged children all over the world pre-pandemic. The issue isn’t the method.

2. People absolutely rely on insurance companies so that they can get medical treatment, return damaged cars to the road to get to work, and repair roofs so they don’t end up losing the houses they buy to the elements. And restaurants and bars are relying on those breweries.

Teachers are already being laid off. Laid off beats dead. My children would rather have unemployed parents than dead ones.

Who was using school over the Internet, before the pandemic?

It's hard for me to believe that a teacher is comparing insurance companies and breweries to schools. But ok. If you'd rather lose your job than do your job, then you've made your choice.

Have you heard of Kahn Academy? It's really great.