New High School Teacher Contract Times

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know why they changed the contract times for high school teachers? Depending on the school they were 7:30-3, 7:40-3:10, or 7:45-3:15. They are now 8-3:30. Teachers only have ten minutes to get ready for students in the morning. This is also going to put a lot of teachers coming into the school parking lot while students, busses, and parents are dropping their kids off.

It is the FCPS equivalent of when politicians vote in an unrealistic minimum wage increase, so the McDonald's cuts all hours by just enough so they are still paying everyone the exact same as they did before the raise.

This is the answer right here. Since administration has now been told they cannot have more than two after school meetings a month, they adjusted the hours so that staff has to stay 30 minutes after the kids leave and admin can sneak as many meetings as they want into that time without breaking the guidelines.

Teachers can still get there early like they always did in order to set up their room, beat traffic, and prepare for the day. HOWEVER, since the contract time now starts at 8 for schools where classes start at 810, what they need to do is leave their door closed and locked until that time. Admin is banking on teachers being nice and giving freely of their time like the always do. But now that they've been barred from doing that after school, they shifted that time suck to the front end of the day.

Or my school which had 0 after school meetings. But now requires 2 one-hour after school meetings every month. That just added 3 full work days and we didn’t even get our agreed upon pay increase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know why they changed the contract times for high school teachers? Depending on the school they were 7:30-3, 7:40-3:10, or 7:45-3:15. They are now 8-3:30. Teachers only have ten minutes to get ready for students in the morning. This is also going to put a lot of teachers coming into the school parking lot while students, busses, and parents are dropping their kids off.

It is the FCPS equivalent of when politicians vote in an unrealistic minimum wage increase, so the McDonald's cuts all hours by just enough so they are still paying everyone the exact same as they did before the raise.

This is the answer right here. Since administration has now been told they cannot have more than two after school meetings a month, they adjusted the hours so that staff has to stay 30 minutes after the kids leave and admin can sneak as many meetings as they want into that time without breaking the guidelines.

Teachers can still get there early like they always did in order to set up their room, beat traffic, and prepare for the day. HOWEVER, since the contract time now starts at 8 for schools where classes start at 810, what they need to do is leave their door closed and locked until that time. Admin is banking on teachers being nice and giving freely of their time like the always do. But now that they've been barred from doing that after school, they shifted that time suck to the front end of the day.

Or my school which had 0 after school meetings. But now requires 2 one-hour after school meetings every month. That just added 3 full work days and we didn’t even get our agreed upon pay increase.

They are not required to have two. It says up to two, which has always been the policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know why they changed the contract times for high school teachers? Depending on the school they were 7:30-3, 7:40-3:10, or 7:45-3:15. They are now 8-3:30. Teachers only have ten minutes to get ready for students in the morning. This is also going to put a lot of teachers coming into the school parking lot while students, busses, and parents are dropping their kids off.

What time are students allowed in the building? Are students allowed to enter before 8am? If so, who is supervising the halls and restrooms?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What the person describes is totally accurate. At two high schools that I know of the extra duty is becoming totally unacceptable. Imagine having to count how many kids go into a bathroom so that there can be no more in the bathroom then there are stalls. Teachers are being treated so poorly it is a wonder why they will stay in the classroom.

Elementary teachers have always had these duties to cover supervision of students at arrival, dismissal, and lunch. The MS/HS students still need this supervision too in the halls and restroom areas because of vaping, fights, bullying, technology, sex, crime, and more. As a parent, I’m thankful that there will be more supervision of students and shocked that it was so lax in the past. I think that there should be more security guards or even parent volunteers so that this duty doesn’t fall on teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What the person describes is totally accurate. At two high schools that I know of the extra duty is becoming totally unacceptable. Imagine having to count how many kids go into a bathroom so that there can be no more in the bathroom then there are stalls. Teachers are being treated so poorly it is a wonder why they will stay in the classroom.

Elementary teachers have always had these duties to cover supervision of students at arrival, dismissal, and lunch. The MS/HS students still need this supervision too in the halls and restroom areas because of vaping, fights, bullying, technology, sex, crime, and more. As a parent, I’m thankful that there will be more supervision of students and shocked that it was so lax in the past. I think that there should be more security guards or even parent volunteers so that this duty doesn’t fall on teachers.

I can guarantee they will not do parent volunteers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What the person describes is totally accurate. At two high schools that I know of the extra duty is becoming totally unacceptable. Imagine having to count how many kids go into a bathroom so that there can be no more in the bathroom then there are stalls. Teachers are being treated so poorly it is a wonder why they will stay in the classroom.

Elementary teachers have always had these duties to cover supervision of students at arrival, dismissal, and lunch. The MS/HS students still need this supervision too in the halls and restroom areas because of vaping, fights, bullying, technology, sex, crime, and more. As a parent, I’m thankful that there will be more supervision of students and shocked that it was so lax in the past. I think that there should be more security guards or even parent volunteers so that this duty doesn’t fall on teachers.

When I was in high school--many, many years ago--teachers frequently stood in the doors during class change. They also would check out the bathrooms from time to time. I don't know how that worked, maybe they took turns? But, there were not many male teachers in my school, so the boys' bathrooms likely did not get checked often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What the person describes is totally accurate. At two high schools that I know of the extra duty is becoming totally unacceptable. Imagine having to count how many kids go into a bathroom so that there can be no more in the bathroom then there are stalls. Teachers are being treated so poorly it is a wonder why they will stay in the classroom.

Elementary teachers have always had these duties to cover supervision of students at arrival, dismissal, and lunch. The MS/HS students still need this supervision too in the halls and restroom areas because of vaping, fights, bullying, technology, sex, crime, and more. As a parent, I’m thankful that there will be more supervision of students and shocked that it was so lax in the past. I think that there should be more security guards or even parent volunteers so that this duty doesn’t fall on teachers.

When I was in high school--many, many years ago--teachers frequently stood in the doors during class change. They also would check out the bathrooms from time to time. I don't know how that worked, maybe they took turns? But, there were not many male teachers in my school, so the boys' bathrooms likely did not get checked often.

HS teacher home with a sick baby.

We have always stood in the hallways greeting students between classes, monitoring for shoving, helping kids, etc. It's more now though--during our former planning period we are to go bathroom to bathroom and/or wander the hallways for 45 minutes looking for kids to escort back to class.

I have no issue with this, in theory. But then I need 1 fewer section to teach, because you took away my planning and I couldn't even get the job done without significant weekend work with the amount of planning i had last year. They cannot keep adding to our plates without taking some of the things away. Prior years have been turning up the temperature 1-2 degrees so the frogs don't notice. This year was a full 20 degree increase and we're all panicking, because nothing has been removed.

[Anonymous]

I love your analogy of turning up the heat under the frogs. So much more has been added to our plates! The new bathroom responsibility of counting how many enter a bathroom and not allowing any more in than there are stalls is degrading to both the teacher and the students.

Those who will ultimately lose out are not the teachers as much as the students. When plan/grading time is taken away and additional duties not related to education are added, there is just so much bandwidth to get the job done! How can one be the best teacher one can be without great harm to yourself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What the person describes is totally accurate. At two high schools that I know of the extra duty is becoming totally unacceptable. Imagine having to count how many kids go into a bathroom so that there can be no more in the bathroom then there are stalls. Teachers are being treated so poorly it is a wonder why they will stay in the classroom.

Elementary teachers have always had these duties to cover supervision of students at arrival, dismissal, and lunch. The MS/HS students still need this supervision too in the halls and restroom areas because of vaping, fights, bullying, technology, sex, crime, and more. As a parent, I’m thankful that there will be more supervision of students and shocked that it was so lax in the past. I think that there should be more security guards or even parent volunteers so that this duty doesn’t fall on teachers.

When I was in high school--many, many years ago--teachers frequently stood in the doors during class change. They also would check out the bathrooms from time to time. I don't know how that worked, maybe they took turns? But, there were not many male teachers in my school, so the boys' bathrooms likely did not get checked often.

HS teacher home with a sick baby.

We have always stood in the hallways greeting students between classes, monitoring for shoving, helping kids, etc. It's more now though--during our former planning period we are to go bathroom to bathroom and/or wander the hallways for 45 minutes looking for kids to escort back to class.

I have no issue with this, in theory. But then I need 1 fewer section to teach, because you took away my planning and I couldn't even get the job done without significant weekend work with the amount of planning i had last year. They cannot keep adding to our plates without taking some of the things away. Prior years have been turning up the temperature 1-2 degrees so the frogs don't notice. This year was a full 20 degree increase and we're all panicking, because nothing has been removed.

This is the issue in FCPS....they are more than happy to pile it on without taking anything off the plates of teachers. The teachers are constantly burned out and the kids are the ones to lose out.

[Anonymous]

I agree that if this responsibility is added, then FCPS needs to find a way for planning. Just know elementary teachers have had no planning for years and years with their duties. But monitoring students is necessary for safety and needs to happen. Students are afraid to use the restroom, and they avoid restrooms at school. Students are being assaulted, vaping, and more- and FCPS has swept it under the rug. Students need to be safe and secure at school, and they have not been.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that if this responsibility is added, then FCPS needs to find a way for planning. Just know elementary teachers have had no planning for years and years with their duties. But monitoring students is necessary for safety and needs to happen. Students are afraid to use the restroom, and they avoid restrooms at school. Students are being assaulted, vaping, and more- and FCPS has swept it under the rug. Students need to be safe and secure at school, and they have not been.

Elementary school got their planning this year in the collective bargaining agreement. No one disagrees that it has been needed for years. But the solution isn't just to shift the workload to secondary teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What the person describes is totally accurate. At two high schools that I know of the extra duty is becoming totally unacceptable. Imagine having to count how many kids go into a bathroom so that there can be no more in the bathroom then there are stalls. Teachers are being treated so poorly it is a wonder why they will stay in the classroom.

Elementary teachers have always had these duties to cover supervision of students at arrival, dismissal, and lunch. The MS/HS students still need this supervision too in the halls and restroom areas because of vaping, fights, bullying, technology, sex, crime, and more. As a parent, I’m thankful that there will be more supervision of students and shocked that it was so lax in the past. I think that there should be more security guards or even parent volunteers so that this duty doesn’t fall on teachers.

When I was in high school--many, many years ago--teachers frequently stood in the doors during class change. They also would check out the bathrooms from time to time. I don't know how that worked, maybe they took turns? But, there were not many male teachers in my school, so the boys' bathrooms likely did not get checked often.

HS teacher home with a sick baby.

We have always stood in the hallways greeting students between classes, monitoring for shoving, helping kids, etc. It's more now though--during our former planning period we are to go bathroom to bathroom and/or wander the hallways for 45 minutes looking for kids to escort back to class.

I have no issue with this, in theory. But then I need 1 fewer section to teach, because you took away my planning and I couldn't even get the job done without significant weekend work with the amount of planning i had last year. They cannot keep adding to our plates without taking some of the things away. Prior years have been turning up the temperature 1-2 degrees so the frogs don't notice. This year was a full 20 degree increase and we're all panicking, because nothing has been removed.

Question:
Are the counselors and administrators visible and checking hallways and bathrooms?

I can see asking teachers to spend a few minutes doing this for a week or two at the beginning of the year--but the whole planning period all year? Not right. Not appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that if this responsibility is added, then FCPS needs to find a way for planning. Just know elementary teachers have had no planning for years and years with their duties. But monitoring students is necessary for safety and needs to happen. Students are afraid to use the restroom, and they avoid restrooms at school. Students are being assaulted, vaping, and more- and FCPS has swept it under the rug. Students need to be safe and secure at school, and they have not been.

Elementary school got their planning this year in the collective bargaining agreement. No one disagrees that it has been needed for years. But the solution isn't just to shift the workload to secondary teachers.

Except now they’ve added meetings throughout the year to an hour after school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that if this responsibility is added, then FCPS needs to find a way for planning. Just know elementary teachers have had no planning for years and years with their duties. But monitoring students is necessary for safety and needs to happen. Students are afraid to use the restroom, and they avoid restrooms at school. Students are being assaulted, vaping, and more- and FCPS has swept it under the rug. Students need to be safe and secure at school, and they have not been.

Elementary school got their planning this year in the collective bargaining agreement. No one disagrees that it has been needed for years. But the solution isn't just to shift the workload to secondary teachers.

Yes, and also:
Please don’t make this an elementary vs. high school debate. The high school teachers have an absurd amount of work, too… and very little time to do it. That’s not exclusively an elementary problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think its weird that there are "contract times". Its a professional job. Professionals should be trusted to show up on time to do their job and to leave at an appropriate time after work. They don't need to be micromanaged like this.

Most principals are fine with teachers who arrive super early leaving soon after school. For example, I used to work at a middle school that was under renovation. While school didn't begin until 7:30, and my contract didn't begin until 7:10, I was able to arrive as early as 5:30 because the construction workers were already there. I used to leave shortly after the students left, though, because that's what worked best for my family's needs. The principal didn't care because I got my job done.

I've always done this too. Some days I had to leave 5 minutes after the kids but i'd take stacks of papers home to grade at my dining room table or in the bleachers at my kids' practice or whatever. I'm a team lead so I'd make agendas and pace out calendars and send meeting invites from my laptop at home.

It won't work this year though. Now, if we leave before the official end of contract hours we have to use leave, no matter when we got to work or how much we put in outside of contract hours. That's what frustrates me. I work way more than 7.5 contract hours a day (it's impossible to do this job properly without doing so); so as long as I am at school when the kids are at school and I get my job done, let me do my extra hours at a time that works for me. I have never complained that some weeks are way way way more than 40 hours, that's just the job. But the micromanaging is insulting.

I now have CT 2x per week after school for 30 minutes because I teach multiple preps and they couldn't make us all have meetings during the same block because an administrator has to be present at every one of our meetings to write a summary of what we discussed. Before we could meet whenever worked for us as a team as long as we submitted meeting notes to admin after the fact.

I've lost half my planning this year to "bathroom duty", "cafeteria duty", and "hallway duty" on a rotating basis. I used to have an even and an odd period without kids that were to be used for meetings and planning and grading. This year, we all only have 1. The other is for "school duties". Admin used to do these tasks, but this year they have been told by the county that middle and high school teachers need to take them on instead. It really, really feels like what I thought I was hired to do and what I know how to do well (teach my subject and form relationships with kids) is no longer the priority.

Either I'm a professional, or I'm not. Right now I'm very much feeling treated as if I'm not.

And it sucks because if all the "work to contract" people actually do it, the kids are the ones who will suffer with no graded work, no lesson plans, etc.

This exactly. I feel micromanaged to the max. I’ve always left later than everyone. The building is a ghost town when I leave. If I now have to take leave to leave right after school for an appointment, I will not be working on my own time that evening. Feels like a pretty crappy way to treat someone who easily puts in 50+ hours a week.