My 4th grader has no teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Very unlikely the Reading Specialist will teach the literacy block - new guidance from MCPS stating Staff Development Teachers and Reading Specialists are not to be pulled to cover classes this year.

Why not? That’s how my middle school dealt with a long term math sub situation last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- the 29 kids is one class. That class stays together. Here’s their schedule-

8:40- breakfast and morning circle with an “extra teacher” I think she teaches something else after she sees them.

9:15- this is reading time. They don’t know who is teaching it. They said they will try to get subs and the reading specialist will help when she can. If they don’t have a sub, it will be whomever is available.

11:15- lunch/recess

12:25- Specials. They are hoping to keep this class together and not with the not hired yet teachers.

1:10- Math with the math specialist. Once a teacher gets hired, they will be broken up into smaller classes.

2:30- Sci/SsThey don’t know who will cover. They are hoping for daily subs until they can find someone. Until then, it will most likely be a different teacher or para than reading as the teachers also all have different jobs.

The other classes get to just stay with 1 teacher all day. I know you all say that I should just think this is fine and normal, but different teachers all day and each day being different is not going to create the community that my child needs. And it will be a completely different experience than the other 4th grade classes.

Teacher here. Clearly many folks commenting have no idea how ES runs. It’s actually okay if the class has different teachers during the day, and actually pretty great if the reading specialist covers reading and math specialist covers math. They are the best trained in those subjects and are supposed to help other teachers. In fact, this is what I would advocate for - until a permanent teacher or long term substitute is hired to take on the whole day, then the class has the two math and reading specialists as primary teacher every day. Daily substitutes or a consistent para can cover homeroom and follow the SS/Science lessons given by the other grade level teachers. Specials should just happen normally.

The reading teacher helping when she can is not her teaching the class. It sounds like 2/3 of core subjects will be taught by floaters. That isn't a good plan. At least language arts should have an actual teacher, not paras, subs, and the reading specialist dropping in and out.

You didn’t read what I wrote. I said that OP should advocate for the reading specialist to BE the teacher for the reading block until a permanent teacher is found. Same for the math specialist. Not “helping out”. This type of coverage has happened with my kids when a teacher was out for 6 weeks due to illness.

Too many people are focused on blame. OP needs a solution. What I suggested is specific, feasible, and operationally under the control of the principal.

It's sounds like the more likely option is asking one of the other grade level teachers cover Language Arts for the teacher-less class. Her class can have science and social studies with the same sub as OP's class. It shouldn't be one class that bears the entire brunt of this mess.

[Anonymous]

Can you share this memo?

[Anonymous]

OP, how did it go today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Very unlikely the Reading Specialist will teach the literacy block - new guidance from MCPS stating Staff Development Teachers and Reading Specialists are not to be pulled to cover classes this year.

Why not? That’s how my middle school dealt with a long term math sub situation last year.

It’s new for this year. Our reading specialist also had to cover last year (along with many others).

[Anonymous]

I’m a little nervous because my second grader had a sub today…
We COSAed into the school and I’ll be so irritated if there’s no teacher. (Not irritated at anyone in particular btw. I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to fill positions at my job as well, so I know how things are these days.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Very unlikely the Reading Specialist will teach the literacy block - new guidance from MCPS stating Staff Development Teachers and Reading Specialists are not to be pulled to cover classes this year.

Great. We will have lots of planning and training accomplished but we won’t actually teach the kids or even provide them with a human educator.