Teachers in my district leaving mid year

[Anonymous]

Instead of 1-1 aides can’t we just fund special education classrooms. There were multiple 1-1 aides in my Kid’s classroom last year. The teacher was overwhelmed with how large the class was, the meetings required and discipline issues. I think it would have been different if those aides were TAs instead and lowered classroom ratios. The teacher left.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The most passionate teacher I know of (15 year veteran, won national awards) just left to stay at home. Her husband makes a lot of money and they just didn’t need her paltry income with all the stress that comes with it. She was an AP teacher and was routinely getting kids who couldn’t read or write in high school. And discipline problems that derailed her class constantly. She used to be able to kick kids out of her class.

Are you serious that kids in high school can’t read or write? That seems like a pretty big problem, and it also seems outrageous given how much all the teachers here are claiming to spend on testing and grading. Surely we could figure it out before high school.

I'm on my phone and can't link it, but there was just an article in the Post about a charter school in AZ that's failing and had to bring in teachers from the Philippines because the pay is too low and the behavioral and academic needs of the kids are too high to attract American teachers. This area is mostly in a better situation, but yes, there are a bunch of kids who graduate who are functionally illiterate. Some of these kids missed 30-40 days of school per year before Covid and spent most of their class time sleeping, wandering the hallways, playing on their phones, or disrupting class. How do you expect a teacher to remediate that and teach the students who actually want to learn?

I don’t expect them to remediate that in a regular classroom. But I expect them to fail those students and keep them back a level. If they still can’t keep up (with the kids a year younger) then I would expect them to be placed in a special school that’s designed to handle severe learning disorders and/or behavioral issues.

+1

Otherwise, we have this crazy situation where everyone thinks they need to go to college to prove that they’re literate so they can get a job at Walmart or an entry level office job that really shouldn’t need a college degree..

Those schools don’t exist. Exactly how high taxes are you willing to pay? Do you know how much every single one of those schools would cost to build and staff? It’s not realistic.

Every other country has those schools. They don’t keep kids who are 2+ years behind in the same grade just because. It really sounds insane. The money would work out. Do you know that some of those kids get a 1:1 aide?? What a waste of money. And now all the good teachers are leaving because they can’t stand it anymore, putting up with behavioral issues and having the stress of teaching so many levels in one classroom. If the law is a problem then the law needs to be changed. It’s not a written in stone thing. DCUM is full of lawyers and lobbyists. I’m sure that someone could get the ball rolling to change the law.

LOL. What the hell does this mean? “The money will work out” from WHERE.

Putting the high needs kids together means that we can staff those schools with trained people and we don’t need to have people trained for all sorts of specialized issues in every single school. That is definitely cheaper than having special IEPs and 1:1 aides and stopping classes all the time for disruptions. That’s not even considering the teachers leaving that we now need to figure out how to replace.

ok, but that would require changes to decades of legal precedent. I mean, if that's what you're arguing for, and you think that laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Act should be repealed, then ok. but I'm can't tell if you understand what you're actually arguing for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My school lost a veteran special ed teacher due to burnout. She’s gone to work for a company that sells special education materials. On FB, she seems much happier. Her resignation is devastating to her department. The RTSE can’t find a replacement so there are daily subs and a lot of coverage.

Similar pay and benefits? If less, did she not need the same level of pay and benefits? What about retirement?

Veteran ES Teacher

[Anonymous]

I'm on the verge of leaving. My retirement amount will be greatly reduced. We'll deal with that as a family (and I'll find some other kind of job, with less pay and less vacation time). It just doesn't matter anymore as much. Even the golden handcuffs can be cut off when the price is too high to stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the verge of leaving. My retirement amount will be greatly reduced. We'll deal with that as a family (and I'll find some other kind of job, with less pay and less vacation time). It just doesn't matter anymore as much. Even the golden handcuffs can be cut off when the price is too high to stay.

I mean school is just for 180 days a year, and at least my kid's teachers are out a few days a month. They'd be pressed to work 160 days total. Meanwhile, int he real world the rest of us work 50-60 hour weeks for 260-270 days a year, but I guess the grass is always greener.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the verge of leaving. My retirement amount will be greatly reduced. We'll deal with that as a family (and I'll find some other kind of job, with less pay and less vacation time). It just doesn't matter anymore as much. Even the golden handcuffs can be cut off when the price is too high to stay.

I mean school is just for 180 days a year, and at least my kid's teachers are out a few days a month. They'd be pressed to work 160 days total. Meanwhile, int he real world the rest of us work 50-60 hour weeks for 260-270 days a year, but I guess the grass is always greener.

You really don't get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the verge of leaving. My retirement amount will be greatly reduced. We'll deal with that as a family (and I'll find some other kind of job, with less pay and less vacation time). It just doesn't matter anymore as much. Even the golden handcuffs can be cut off when the price is too high to stay.

I mean school is just for 180 days a year, and at least my kid's teachers are out a few days a month. They'd be pressed to work 160 days total. Meanwhile, int he real world the rest of us work 50-60 hour weeks for 260-270 days a year, but I guess the grass is always greener.

There are only ~260 weekdays a year... and in case you haven't noticed teachers are also working most weekends. Since it's so cushy you should switch over!

[Anonymous]

I mean school is just for 180 days a year, and at least my kid's teachers are out a few days a month. They'd be pressed to work 160 days total. Meanwhile, int he real world the rest of us work 50-60 hour weeks for 260-270 days a year, but I guess the grass is always greener.

Frustratingly, my administration requires me to be "out" for various trainings, to do individual student assessments, and meetings. I am out far more often for these things than for sick leave, and trust me, I'd rather be teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the verge of leaving. My retirement amount will be greatly reduced. We'll deal with that as a family (and I'll find some other kind of job, with less pay and less vacation time). It just doesn't matter anymore as much. Even the golden handcuffs can be cut off when the price is too high to stay.

I mean school is just for 180 days a year, and at least my kid's teachers are out a few days a month. They'd be pressed to work 160 days total. Meanwhile, int he real world the rest of us work 50-60 hour weeks for 260-270 days a year, but I guess the grass is always greener.

It's okay if you don't understand what it is like to be a real teacher in a real school. No one would expect an outsider to get it. I really, truly wish you the best and I'm not being snarky. In the end, I'm the one who has to live my life and I am not willing to keep teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the verge of leaving. My retirement amount will be greatly reduced. We'll deal with that as a family (and I'll find some other kind of job, with less pay and less vacation time). It just doesn't matter anymore as much. Even the golden handcuffs can be cut off when the price is too high to stay.

I’m considering this as well. I mean truthfully, if it comes to it at 70 when the money runs out if my kids are okay I will do what I have to do. Sell the house go bankrupt to get Medicaid, whatever. At least I’ll have lived my last 25 years in peace. The time between 70-80 seems full of health issues anyway so, I would rather enjoy it now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the verge of leaving. My retirement amount will be greatly reduced. We'll deal with that as a family (and I'll find some other kind of job, with less pay and less vacation time). It just doesn't matter anymore as much. Even the golden handcuffs can be cut off when the price is too high to stay.

I mean school is just for 180 days a year, and at least my kid's teachers are out a few days a month. They'd be pressed to work 160 days total. Meanwhile, int he real world the rest of us work 50-60 hour weeks for 260-270 days a year, but I guess the grass is always greener.

So why aren’t people lining up for those sweet, sweet teacher jobs??

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The most passionate teacher I know of (15 year veteran, won national awards) just left to stay at home. Her husband makes a lot of money and they just didn’t need her paltry income with all the stress that comes with it. She was an AP teacher and was routinely getting kids who couldn’t read or write in high school. And discipline problems that derailed her class constantly. She used to be able to kick kids out of her class.

Are you serious that kids in high school can’t read or write? That seems like a pretty big problem, and it also seems outrageous given how much all the teachers here are claiming to spend on testing and grading. Surely we could figure it out before high school.

I'm on my phone and can't link it, but there was just an article in the Post about a charter school in AZ that's failing and had to bring in teachers from the Philippines because the pay is too low and the behavioral and academic needs of the kids are too high to attract American teachers. This area is mostly in a better situation, but yes, there are a bunch of kids who graduate who are functionally illiterate. Some of these kids missed 30-40 days of school per year before Covid and spent most of their class time sleeping, wandering the hallways, playing on their phones, or disrupting class. How do you expect a teacher to remediate that and teach the students who actually want to learn?

I don’t expect them to remediate that in a regular classroom. But I expect them to fail those students and keep them back a level. If they still can’t keep up (with the kids a year younger) then I would expect them to be placed in a special school that’s designed to handle severe learning disorders and/or behavioral issues.

Otherwise, we have this crazy situation where everyone thinks they need to go to college to prove that they’re literate so they can get a job at Walmart or an entry level office job that really shouldn’t need a college degree..

Those schools don’t exist. Exactly how high taxes are you willing to pay? Do you know how much every single one of those schools would cost to build and staff? It’s not realistic.

Every other country has those schools. They don’t keep kids who are 2+ years behind in the same grade just because. It really sounds insane. The money would work out. Do you know that some of those kids get a 1:1 aide?? What a waste of money. And now all the good teachers are leaving because they can’t stand it anymore, putting up with behavioral issues and having the stress of teaching so many levels in one classroom. If the law is a problem then the law needs to be changed. It’s not a written in stone thing. DCUM is full of lawyers and lobbyists. I’m sure that someone could get the ball rolling to change the law.

LOL. What the hell does this mean? “The money will work out” from WHERE.

Putting the high needs kids together means that we can staff those schools with trained people and we don’t need to have people trained for all sorts of specialized issues in every single school. That is definitely cheaper than having special IEPs and 1:1 aides and stopping classes all the time for disruptions. That’s not even considering the teachers leaving that we now need to figure out how to replace.

ROFL. Do you know how little those aides are paid?

Building and staffing even ONE of these fictional schools you want is a multi, multimillion dollar process. No, the money will not “work out” — not even close — but hey, keep dreaming.

Call me a pessimist, but I think this has a good chance of becoming a “separate but equal” situation. I know you have good intentions, but chances are high that such schools would become understaffed and underfunded. The average politician largely doesn’t care about special needs kids and won’t put in the extra effort needed to support such a school.

Also, special needs kids might want to be around normal kids too. Are you going to segregate them against their will?

Why are you relying to me? I saying that these “separate schools” cannot and will not be built, to someone who keeps insisting they can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the verge of leaving. My retirement amount will be greatly reduced. We'll deal with that as a family (and I'll find some other kind of job, with less pay and less vacation time). It just doesn't matter anymore as much. Even the golden handcuffs can be cut off when the price is too high to stay.

I mean school is just for 180 days a year, and at least my kid's teachers are out a few days a month. They'd be pressed to work 160 days total. Meanwhile, int he real world the rest of us work 50-60 hour weeks for 260-270 days a year, but I guess the grass is always greener.

If teaching is such a sweet, sweet gig, feel free to quit your high paying job and show them how it’s done. Think of all those days off!

[Anonymous]

I work is a school that is short-staffed. Two people who were new hires this year have quit already.

The new guidelines/expectations are very hard, and the administrators take for granted that teachers will work outside of school hours. More paperwork due "first thing in the morning" and "can we meet up after the last child leaves" is code for "I expect you to work 50 hours instead of 40".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most passionate teacher I know of (15 year veteran, won national awards) just left to stay at home. Her husband makes a lot of money and they just didn’t need her paltry income with all the stress that comes with it. She was an AP teacher and was routinely getting kids who couldn’t read or write in high school. And discipline problems that derailed her class constantly. She used to be able to kick kids out of her class.

Are you serious that kids in high school can’t read or write? That seems like a pretty big problem, and it also seems outrageous given how much all the teachers here are claiming to spend on testing and grading. Surely we could figure it out before high school.

I'm on my phone and can't link it, but there was just an article in the Post about a charter school in AZ that's failing and had to bring in teachers from the Philippines because the pay is too low and the behavioral and academic needs of the kids are too high to attract American teachers. This area is mostly in a better situation, but yes, there are a bunch of kids who graduate who are functionally illiterate. Some of these kids missed 30-40 days of school per year before Covid and spent most of their class time sleeping, wandering the hallways, playing on their phones, or disrupting class. How do you expect a teacher to remediate that and teach the students who actually want to learn?

I don’t expect them to remediate that in a regular classroom. But I expect them to fail those students and keep them back a level. If they still can’t keep up (with the kids a year younger) then I would expect them to be placed in a special school that’s designed to handle severe learning disorders and/or behavioral issues.

Otherwise, we have this crazy situation where everyone thinks they need to go to college to prove that they’re literate so they can get a job at Walmart or an entry level office job that really shouldn’t need a college degree..

Those schools don’t exist. Exactly how high taxes are you willing to pay? Do you know how much every single one of those schools would cost to build and staff? It’s not realistic.

Every other country has those schools. They don’t keep kids who are 2+ years behind in the same grade just because. It really sounds insane. The money would work out. Do you know that some of those kids get a 1:1 aide?? What a waste of money. And now all the good teachers are leaving because they can’t stand it anymore, putting up with behavioral issues and having the stress of teaching so many levels in one classroom. If the law is a problem then the law needs to be changed. It’s not a written in stone thing. DCUM is full of lawyers and lobbyists. I’m sure that someone could get the ball rolling to change the law.

LOL. What the hell does this mean? “The money will work out” from WHERE.

Putting the high needs kids together means that we can staff those schools with trained people and we don’t need to have people trained for all sorts of specialized issues in every single school. That is definitely cheaper than having special IEPs and 1:1 aides and stopping classes all the time for disruptions. That’s not even considering the teachers leaving that we now need to figure out how to replace.

ROFL. Do you know how little those aides are paid?

Building and staffing even ONE of these fictional schools you want is a multi, multimillion dollar process. No, the money will not “work out” — not even close — but hey, keep dreaming.

Call me a pessimist, but I think this has a good chance of becoming a “separate but equal” situation. I know you have good intentions, but chances are high that such schools would become understaffed and underfunded. The average politician largely doesn’t care about special needs kids and won’t put in the extra effort needed to support such a school.

Also, special needs kids might want to be around normal kids too. Are you going to segregate them against their will?

Why are you relying to me? I saying that these “separate schools” cannot and will not be built, to someone who keeps insisting they can.

I'm responding to the "call me a pessimist" poster. We already have a separate but equal school system in this country if you look around at how segregated schools are in most of the nation.

But, outside of that, from my perspective, I'm 100% behind Least Restrictive Environment for any student with disabilities, even mild to moderate behavioral or emotional disabilities (or those that manifest that way). But LRE for students who are out of control, who throw things in the classroom, turn over chairs and tables, injure staff or students seriously or regularly or who disrupt or prevent everyone else from learning? LRE for those students is a different class or a different school. LRE cannot mean that things that disrupt safety and learning are allowed. I've got a kid who talks so loudly during my lessons, even with another staff member there to try and keep him from hurting others or himself and disrupting learning, that I can't hear myself talk. On Friday, he did injure another student even with the support person. He doesn't have an IEP but needs one and definitely needs a different classroom. But, no, the sped team wants to put in weeks, months or years of interventions if recent history is any guide and they only care about this student's needs, everyone else be damned.