Constant teacher absences

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is all about one teacher’s absences since returning just two months ago?

Seems like a mountain out of a molehill.

*1* month ago. The teacher came back in January and school was closed for everyone the first week. This hissy fit is about about a teacher being in and out for one month when she knows the teacher has a newborn plus other kids plus Covid restrictions. PLUS way back on page one OP said “ My child doesn’t need extra help. It’s an AAP class and they aren’t getting tested regularly, have had no homework for the last two weeks. My child is just plaid bored at the lack of instruction in their class.”

She is insane. Yes, it sucks that your kids class is having a disrupted year, but you can’t find a little bit of grace when your kid by your own admission is doing fine and is just bored?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I mean “their teacher going on mat leave”

I know!! Couldn't she just drop the kid and keep teaching? And then she might have appointments. Why is she allowed to do that? I mean, is there a union or something?

Do you not know how to read? She was on mat leave for 4 months and just got back in Jan and ever since she has been back she is constantly absent at least two days every week. She was actually absent for one entire week in late Jan. She is allowed to do whatever she needs for her child and my child is also allowed to get a proper education form a teacher who takes her job responsibilities seriously.

They were out a lot... in January... during... the surge... of... ... ... COVID ... ... cases.

What
A
Terrible
Woman.

Oh being worried about my child’s lack of education makes me a terrible woman? You don’t know how appreciative I always am of teachers but I also expect them to take their job seriously and teach my child. I understand it’s a hard time with an infant and maybe she should have taken an entire year off and given someone else this job while she takes care of her kids and gets into a routine.

OP, any time someone posts a similar concern, they are judged, blamed, and scoffed at. However, you are identifying a real problem, which is systemic, and not the fault of any single teacher. Teachers, like all of us, have times when their work attendance is poor and that poor attendance has consequences. It doesn't matter if the absences are justified, the fact is that teachers with excessive absences are not doing their jobs effectively and it hurts their students. DCUM will tell you that you need to fill in the blanks as parents, but I don't agree that every family in a class of 20 should be ready to react based on absences that are not planned or expected. There really should be more backup built into the system with highly trained teachers to step in to help make up gaps in classes where the teachers have used large amounts of leave. This type of backup will probably never be available, but it would take pressure off teachers and benefit students, especially those whose families can't, for whatever reason, step in to fill holes created by circumstances they have no control over (and often no information about).

My best advice grounded in reality and personal experience with a teacher to missed a great deal of time and then left mid-year is that you have to accept that you need to step in to do more. Rather than complaining about the absences, perhaps you could ask for help working with your child to help keep them on track.

OP here. Thank you for such a thoughtful and mature response. Yes I am appalled at the teacher brigade that pounced on me because I’m concerned about my child’s teacher constantly being absent. It is absolutely affecting the class. The subs come in and most of the kids don’t take them seriously and as a result nothing is being taught. My concern is that the teacher isn’t doing her job seriously and it’s affecting our kids. We expect healthcare workers to show up even if they have sick kids. Well teachers need to show up too because there are a lot of families counting on them especially given how last year was such a wash. And for the record, I was always very supportive of teachers taking a leave of absence in the midst of COVID and choosing what they are comfortable with. My mother was a teacher so I am well aware of what a demanding job it is. Yes they deserve higher pay and more respect but I also think showing up to work and taking your job responsibly is required in any profession. All the other teachers in the school are there and I know most of them have kids. Of course there are days when teachers have appointments, emergencies, personal issues but to make this a regular occurrence is not acceptable and you all can call me terrible or whatever you want for that.

You are not their boss, so it doesn't matter a single, solitary damn what you deem "acceptable" or not.

Here comes the " but I pay taxes schools work for me" comments

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless the teacher is negligent, which doesn’t seem to be the case, the real problem is with the system’s struggle to hire and retain quality substitutes. Sometimes difficult things happen in teachers’ lives, and we shouldn’t dump on them because their class isn’t covered adequately. Put the blame where it belongs.

+1. When was the last time a parent went to a school board meeting and advocated for higher sub pay and asked what they're doing to attract and retain quality subs? Or heck, even emailed their local school board member? It was crickets from the OpenFCPS parents when they announced the lame " pay raise" that was supposed to solve the problem. I bet none of the people complaining have ever spoken up and probably wouldn't be willing to.

+1000

[Anonymous]

I understand, OP, but your blame should not be on the teacher, it should be on the administration and other grade-level teachers for not providing lesson plans for subs to make sure your kids class stays on pace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless the teacher is negligent, which doesn’t seem to be the case, the real problem is with the system’s struggle to hire and retain quality substitutes. Sometimes difficult things happen in teachers’ lives, and we shouldn’t dump on them because their class isn’t covered adequately. Put the blame where it belongs.

+1. When was the last time a parent went to a school board meeting and advocated for higher sub pay and asked what they're doing to attract and retain quality subs? Or heck, even emailed their local school board member? It was crickets from the OpenFCPS parents when they announced the lame " pay raise" that was supposed to solve the problem. I bet none of the people complaining have ever spoken up and probably wouldn't be willing to.

I agree. Not a lot of parents go to board meetings and speak out about retaining teachers and hiring quality subs. Unfortunately, things will get worse over the next few years. I believe more teachers will be leaving after this year vs the year before. I personally think there should be a teacher rep on the school board. If there is a student one, there should be a teacher one. I have a gazillion ideas on how to retain teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand, OP, but your blame should not be on the teacher, it should be on the administration and other grade-level teachers for not providing lesson plans for subs to make sure your kids class stays on pace.

Sorry. I am a teacher who has been doing sub plans all year for another class. I am doing literally two jobs, not getting paid more. I have no control once the sub gets the plans. No blame should happen for grade level team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand, OP, but your blame should not be on the teacher, it should be on the administration and other grade-level teachers for not providing lesson plans for subs to make sure your kids class stays on pace.

Sorry. I am a teacher who has been doing sub plans all year for another class. I am doing literally two jobs, not getting paid more. I have no control once the sub gets the plans. No blame should happen for grade level team.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand, OP, but your blame should not be on the teacher, it should be on the administration and other grade-level teachers for not providing lesson plans for subs to make sure your kids class stays on pace.

Sorry. I am a teacher who has been doing sub plans all year for another class. I am doing literally two jobs, not getting paid more. I have no control once the sub gets the plans. No blame should happen for grade level team.

+1, I find it extremely hard to believe that they have learned absolutely nothing in the five months that class been going on

[Anonymous]

My kid had a series of subs for all of 4th grade because the principal was "saving" the job for a teacher who was out for several years. This was also in AAP. All the kids in that class were substantially behind when they started 5th grade compared to the 4th graders in the other AAP classrooms.

Kids don't learn from substitutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand, OP, but your blame should not be on the teacher, it should be on the administration and other grade-level teachers for not providing lesson plans for subs to make sure your kids class stays on pace.

Sorry. I am a teacher who has been doing sub plans all year for another class. I am doing literally two jobs, not getting paid more. I have no control once the sub gets the plans. No blame should happen for grade level team.

+1000

There also needs to be support for the subs. Op says the kids don't take them seriously so learn nothing. Is that the regular teacher's fault? I don't think so. Subs have hardly ever been taken seriously. But I can recall the Principal coming in and reading us the riot act, and the teacher laying it all out. Drop the sh!thead attitude, and put some effort into learning.

Whining about the teacher will do nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid had a series of subs for all of 4th grade because the principal was "saving" the job for a teacher who was out for several years. This was also in AAP. All the kids in that class were substantially behind when they started 5th grade compared to the 4th graders in the other AAP classrooms.

Kids don't learn from substitutes.

This doesn't even make sense. First of all, jobs are only "saved" for LOA that's a year or less and even then it's NOT guaranteed. Second of all, any long term absence allows for the school to hire a long term sub that should be interviewed and be qualified. THIRD of all, if a teacher is out for an entire year, the position can be offered as a one year only position and a full time, certified teacher can be brought in for the year. So either you're lying/exaggerating, the principal is an idiot, or he tried and could not find a teacher to fill the position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid had a series of subs for all of 4th grade because the principal was "saving" the job for a teacher who was out for several years. This was also in AAP. All the kids in that class were substantially behind when they started 5th grade compared to the 4th graders in the other AAP classrooms.

Kids don't learn from substitutes.

This is false. A position can not be held for more than one year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gosh I’m so sorry I expected the teacher to have reliable childcare when she came back to work. You know how every other professional does when they have to go back to work? Yes we have been in this pandemic for the last two years!! Of course there will be closures and kids getting sick. So have all of us not planned for this so we are not constantly running around last minute when we have to show up to work? Like I said most of the teachers have little kids too but I don’t see them being absent so frequently. Those teachers take their job seriously

Taking a few hours off or a day off for an appointment or child’s sickness is completely different than literally not showing up 2-3 days every single week! Please stop being so defensive. And FYI other professionals get fired or get a warning if they are sporadically and frequently absent.

How do you even know childcare is the issue? Maybe it’s for medical reasons. And how do you know that she hasn’t received a warning. I have worked in an office for 25 years for a variety of companies. Even in those settings, it’s very hard to fire someone - especially if they are sick or caring for a sick family memever.

Exactly, people have lives and families and bodies. My kid’s friends have a middle school teacher who apparently has cancer so she’s been out a lot. The Sun situation isn’t good. What do you expect to happen in that situation???? As so many have expressed, the fix is to pay subs more so they have more available and maybe have a cadre of floating teachers to cover long absences. The OP seems to want to put the onus on the teacher.

I totally understand the frustration. Pre-Covid I have friends whose kids were really impacted by teacher absences for maternity leave or illness and difficulty getting qualified long term subs. But the answer isn’t to blame the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid had a series of subs for all of 4th grade because the principal was "saving" the job for a teacher who was out for several years. This was also in AAP. All the kids in that class were substantially behind when they started 5th grade compared to the 4th graders in the other AAP classrooms.

Kids don't learn from substitutes.

Oh but don’t you know? The issue is lack of quality subs. I don’t know understand why everyone is putting this on the subs. A long term sub can teach well but having a new sub come in once or twice a week is pointless. The students don’t learn anything and the sub doesn’t know what’s going on. A sub came into my child’s class and couldn’t access the computer so they all had to just do review worksheets the entire day which they had already competed two months prior. The education provided to the AAP students doesn’t matter. What matters is the poor teacher who is struggling because she is after all human. Everyone has conveniently ignored the fact that there is no new material being covered in her child’s class and it’s an upper elementary class. It’s not Kindergarten where a teacher not showing up is not that crucial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand, OP, but your blame should not be on the teacher, it should be on the administration and other grade-level teachers for not providing lesson plans for subs to make sure your kids class stays on pace.

Sorry. I am a teacher who has been doing sub plans all year for another class. I am doing literally two jobs, not getting paid more. I have no control once the sub gets the plans. No blame should happen for grade level team.

DP here, but why are you sorry when you're doing exactly what the PP suggested by helping out another class? I'm sure everyone is so appreciative!

Sidebar: It's only Thursday but my kid has already watched two Disney movies because the teacher has been out and specials teachers have been covering the class during their free periods ("It was the best day ever, we had four subs and watched another movie!").