Teachers are Vital Public Servants and Should Act Like It

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amen. They are acting like vital public servants in most areas of the country. Just not here for some reason.

And they are dying because of it. And their parts of the country don't care. And if you lived in those parts of the country, and your child or spouse dies of Covid, they won't care either. I know, I've lived there.

This.

After 4 deaths, AEA calls for MPS to reevaluate COVID guidelines
https://www.al.com/news/2021/01/multiple-montgomery-schools-deaths-prompt-aea-call-for-remote-learning-sports-limits.html

You realize Alabama and Georgia are in 5 day a week school with no masks and didn’t vaccinate teachers, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once I accepted that parents didn’t care if I lived or died, it was incredibly freeing. My guilt about not being allowed to do more vanished. I’ve started to regain a work-life balance that I haven’t had since before I switched careers to public education.

High Risk DH is interviewing for a private sector firm tomorrow. It’s a friend’s company and he’s pretty much guaranteed WFH until August. He’s sad about leaving teaching because it was a beloved choice after a military career, but it’s pretty clear that it is 100% on us to protect our health and not leave our kids orphans.

See ya.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really wish I could tell whether this article is wise advice or just another UMC professional working from home who is sick of having his children underfoot (I googled — he has two children). In this debate it is so hard to separate the message from the messenger. People are more than happy to embrace risk when it’s not a risk to them personally.

That was my first impression. His job is writing opinions. Not really an expert on education or pandemics.

Fwiw my nurse friends feel the same way as him.

Are your nurse friends how much they are spending on childcare with schools closed and get back to us. Every parent has an agenda here.

Which is what makes teachers so refreshing. No agenda.

[Anonymous]

I just wish teachers would give kids this “grace,” too. Teachers in our kids’ DL have been sarcastic and unkind. They aren’t modeling this “grace” they want from us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really wish I could tell whether this article is wise advice or just another UMC professional working from home who is sick of having his children underfoot (I googled — he has two children). In this debate it is so hard to separate the message from the messenger. People are more than happy to embrace risk when it’s not a risk to them personally.

That was my first impression. His job is writing opinions. Not really an expert on education or pandemics.

Fwiw my nurse friends feel the same way as him.

Are your nurse friends how much they are spending on childcare with schools closed and get back to us. Every parent has an agenda here.

Which is what makes teachers so refreshing. No agenda.

No agenda except for shaming parents for having the audacity to want to do our jobs and have our kids get an education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once I accepted that parents didn’t care if I lived or died, it was incredibly freeing. My guilt about not being allowed to do more vanished. I’ve started to regain a work-life balance that I haven’t had since before I switched careers to public education.

High Risk DH is interviewing for a private sector firm tomorrow. It’s a friend’s company and he’s pretty much guaranteed WFH until August. He’s sad about leaving teaching because it was a beloved choice after a military career, but it’s pretty clear that it is 100% on us to protect our health and not leave our kids orphans.

Many of us do care and want to continue with DL. We are going to lose good teachers.

At least the timing is right. FCPS enrollment is projected to be down 20,000 kids by June. With more leaving if there isn’t a guarantee of 5 days a week next year. If we don’t lose 12% of the workforce, there will be layoffs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posts and opinion pieces do no one any good. Good teachers are working hard, if not harder and doing their best. What we see is students and parents not doing their part. Today is the last day of the marking period. My kids have been dismissed from all their classes as their work is done to allow other kids to get their outstanding work done vs. failing them like they should. It takes parents teaming with teachers to make DL work. Everyone expects teachers to do everything but they cannot and as a parent you are either part of the problem or solution.

It's almost like...parents have JOBS. That they also have to do. To feed, clothe, and shelter children.

Ok, so you NEED child care. Pay or it or apply for a voucher or other low cost child care. The school is there to educate, not for child care. Child care has been an added bonus but not during a pandemic. You paid for day care when your kids were 0-5, so you pay for it now.

Disclaimer: I am a parent who emailed our school board and superintendent asking them to delay the start of hybrid school, even though I want to send my 6 year old in person because he has lost ALL motivation for DL whatsoever and it's turned into a daily struggle, ecause I want to support our teacher's association and their safety concerns.

But at the point where you're saying parents need childcare for school aged children to help with DL, you are basically telling people to enroll in private school. Which exists to provide in person help with education, unlike day care with a desk for DL but little to no oversight of how the kids are doing. Do you really want to say that people should be leaving the public school system? What are the implications? I GET the safety issues, but saying any educational deficiencies are the fault of parents is not honest.

No. It’s become apparent that public school teachers believe that their job is to make and drone through Google slides and not engage with kids 1:1. For that you need to pay a premium. So, wealthy white white families are cough up the money and voting with their feet. FCPS enrollment is down 10%. But that’s almost all ES, b/c Ms/HS parents can’t find seats. So, 20% reduction in ES kids. With more dropping everyday. These are parents who the money or education to do something better. It’s not the ELL kids. COVID is here for a while and no one watch to be the SB’s mercy next year. Or ever again. We’ve all been burned.

White flight from a school system doesn’t end well for the school system. And good luck ever getting bonds through again. But my kids have a ticket out of this he11hole next year. Thank goodness. Never again FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really wish I could tell whether this article is wise advice or just another UMC professional working from home who is sick of having his children underfoot (I googled — he has two children). In this debate it is so hard to separate the message from the messenger. People are more than happy to embrace risk when it’s not a risk to them personally.

How is that parents aren't undertaking any risk? I hear this a lot. If their kids go to school and get COVID, there's a high chance they might pass it on to their parents. Parents are at risk. Interhousehold transmission is high.

I think your point is that parents are willing to take that risk because they will derive a clear and significant benefit from it -- namely a huge increase in the quality of education of their children.

Teachers are not willing to take the risk because there's no such benefit to them, other than general society benefit. It's just human nature than that really isn't a motivating force like personal benefit.

Exactly this. There's no upside for teachers to go to work.

The “upside” to teachers to do their jobs should be that they get paid, and if they don’t do their jobs then they don’t get paid. The requirements of their jobs are clearly described in their employment contracts, and don’t involve sitting at home all day in their pajamas collecting full pay.

They could have offered some new positions to certain teachers for the DL stuff, at half pay. Some people would have done it, and some not. That’s fine. They could have grouped more kids together for the distance “learning”. But teachers should only have been getting full pay for doing their actual job.

You are incorrect that it appears anywhere in our job description to teach in school buildings during a crisis. Teachers will not be accepting half pay because the government has entirely neglected to do THEIR job and control the pandemic. Other countries have done so, and are now returning to normal. The US continues to spiral out of control and experience death and devastation on a staggering scale.

Teachers aren’t going to take the fall for this, although it would be convenient for the inept governors, senators, congressman, and president to push us all back to the buildings so the economy can thrive. The economy never provides for education. IDEA has never been funded-its just a huge unfounded mandate that government threw at our feet. Teachers are never relieved of the burden of purchasing their own supplies and materials in a boom economy. School buildings are in disrepair, without modern ventilation, technology, or sufficient plumbing. Education budgets are slashed again and again as politicians talk about making “tough choices” while giving tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations.

Enough with the “sitting at home in their pajamas” vitriol that is reserved for teachers and not the rest of the remote economy. Parents complain that teachers aren’t doing their jobs while bemoaning the difficulties of managing their own zoom meetings while supervising their kids. I thought you were just relaxing in your pjs? Anyone with half a brain should be able to ensure their children aren’t playing Fortnite during math class if that’s all they’re doing.

Keep rambling. Meanwhile, countless essential workers have been working in-person this entire time — myself included.

if you think a teacher is essential like a doctor - many have the same years of education and training - then pay her like you pay a doctor!!!

No. More like essential like a grocery store worker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posts and opinion pieces do no one any good. Good teachers are working hard, if not harder and doing their best. What we see is students and parents not doing their part. Today is the last day of the marking period. My kids have been dismissed from all their classes as their work is done to allow other kids to get their outstanding work done vs. failing them like they should. It takes parents teaming with teachers to make DL work. Everyone expects teachers to do everything but they cannot and as a parent you are either part of the problem or solution.

It's almost like...parents have JOBS. That they also have to do. To feed, clothe, and shelter children.

Ok, so you NEED child care. Pay or it or apply for a voucher or other low cost child care. The school is there to educate, not for child care. Child care has been an added bonus but not during a pandemic. You paid for day care when your kids were 0-5, so you pay for it now.

Disclaimer: I am a parent who emailed our school board and superintendent asking them to delay the start of hybrid school, even though I want to send my 6 year old in person because he has lost ALL motivation for DL whatsoever and it's turned into a daily struggle, ecause I want to support our teacher's association and their safety concerns.

But at the point where you're saying parents need childcare for school aged children to help with DL, you are basically telling people to enroll in private school. Which exists to provide in person help with education, unlike day care with a desk for DL but little to no oversight of how the kids are doing. Do you really want to say that people should be leaving the public school system? What are the implications? I GET the safety issues, but saying any educational deficiencies are the fault of parents is not honest.

m

+1

I don’t want schools to open right now (cases are too high, we missed the window in the fall) but I do not understand the argument I keep seeing that completely devalues public education. Here us a prime opportunity for people to really see and understand the value of public schools, all the things the do for families and for the community. Even people who don’t have kids are seeing how vital they are, as they watch colleagues and neighbors struggle to keep up with this.

What a great opportunity to say look what we do! Look how important we are! Let’s invest in this, not just with money but with the kind of commitment we currently devote to, say, sports teams or attracting development?

Instead I keep seeing the argument that ACTUALLY public school can easily be done from home if parents just provide all the other stuff, which is a great argument for... less money for teachers? Closing schools? Funneling money away from schools to parents?

It is so weird and counterproductive.

Parents have heard this loud and clear. Our children can be adequately educated by Virtual VA. Parents who want the in person small class joy of learning experience pay for private.

I love the idea of money following kids. I’m fine with teachers teaching DL from home forever. Give me my kids per pupil allotment and I’ll add some money and get a great private in person. FCPS teachers go to virtual VA, and everyone’s happy. Teachers don’t have to teach in person. They don’t have to deal with my whiny brat or my awful self. I won’t have to pay so god awful much to live in a good school zone. Win-win. I’m seeing so much excitement over this concept and I love it! Why do we fund school the way be did a century ago? So much has changed. We don’t have to do things the way we always did.

If there an upside to the pandemic it’s they way things have been shaken up. I hope schools never look the same because there a better way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“ A growing consensus finds that children from less-advantaged backgrounds are falling behind academically because remote learning does not work as well for them as for kids from more advantaged families.”

This really annoys me. When will they start writing the truth - that higher SES kids are doing better because they’re learning independently and they have the skills, books, computers, and sometimes parents needed to do that. Public distance learning isn’t working. Period. It’s just that higher SES families don’t really need school at all, even if most of them haven’t figured that out yet.

We’ve figured out we don’t need public schools. I’ll always want my kid to work with an educator. The public school piece is optional. Public schools have gone Lord of the Flies. I don’t want my kid in the cesspool. It isn’t just DCUM. I have a teacher friend I really respected who now sits there and says horrible things about “parents” and “students”. It’s a bad environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once I accepted that parents didn’t care if I lived or died, it was incredibly freeing. My guilt about not being allowed to do more vanished. I’ve started to regain a work-life balance that I haven’t had since before I switched careers to public education.

High Risk DH is interviewing for a private sector firm tomorrow. It’s a friend’s company and he’s pretty much guaranteed WFH until August. He’s sad about leaving teaching because it was a beloved choice after a military career, but it’s pretty clear that it is 100% on us to protect our health and not leave our kids orphans.

Many of us do care and want to continue with DL. We are going to lose good teachers.

At least the timing is right. FCPS enrollment is projected to be down 20,000 kids by June. With more leaving if there isn’t a guarantee of 5 days a week next year. If we don’t lose 12% of the workforce, there will be layoffs.

There are more than 300,000 students in FCPS in a school system built for 2/3rds that. Less 20,000 kids means they can finally get rid of the trailer camps and have normal-sized classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amen. They are acting like vital public servants in most areas of the country. Just not here for some reason.

And they are dying because of it. And their parts of the country don't care. And if you lived in those parts of the country, and your child or spouse dies of Covid, they won't care either. I know, I've lived there.

Yep, WaPo posted that 532 teachers did in 2019 because of COVID.

Hmm did not know COVID was around in 2019.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The respect for teachers have gone down tremendously after the pandemic. Before, we used to think it is noble profession and they care about teaching and students, blah blah blah. Some of the teacher may still care, but overall it is quite clear that they don't really care about teaching or students well being. Anytime you mention teaching in person, they revert back and tell you that they are not babysitters. The fact of the matter is that no one is expecting them to be babysitters, at least do the job for which you are getting paid which is teaching IN-PERSON.

I think gets to the root of the argument. Our social contract has a fundamental disconnect.

Teachers want to teach. They went into the profession focusing on the teaching. I’m sure they didn’t go into it just so they could watch kids all day.

Many working parents are happy to send their kids to school so they don’t have to pay for childcare anymore. There is an unstated social contract that schools provide childcare for X days/year.

Many teachers can teach via DL and while not ideal circumstances are doing their best to do what they signed up to do. Teach.

Working parents are now left with no childcare and are freaking out.

Teachers and working parents have fundamental differences in what school means to them.

Stay at home parents are also freaking out because their kids aren't getting an education, or at most only a fraction of an education.

Actually, the fundamental disconnect is that many of us thought of school buildings as essential parts of our community, bringing a diverse body of students, educators, families and community members together, not just in the pursuit of learning, but in the spirit of community. That's what school used to be for me.

Whether they are open or remain closed with virtual instruction to protect teacher health and safety, I'm fine with a reasoned decision. Unfortunately, all of you people who say that the move to reopen schools in some way by next fall is all about childcare have opened my eyes to the fact that my version of schools and their connection with community was an illusion. Apparently it is every family for itself, and few are about anyone but themselves. Why argue for health and safety, when you can judge and cut down struggling families and children.

I agree with you that these arguments have been disillusioning. But I think it's best that we forget the rancor and move forward, when schools have reopened. The fear, anxiety and depression by people in this area have made clear thinking and rational discussion nearly impossible.

Schools are a center of community, and soon we'll return to that.

The problem is parents are hard wired to protect their kids. I can’t imagine ever trust one of their teachers again. Not completely. Not if I’m not there. I was thinking the other day that it would be nice to have the daycare room cam back in the ES room. Just so I could make sure it was okay. At least during COVID I could disenroll, homeschool and protect my kids from the school system and the teachers. It all looks so different now. I can’t imagine it ever feeling safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really wish I could tell whether this article is wise advice or just another UMC professional working from home who is sick of having his children underfoot (I googled — he has two children). In this debate it is so hard to separate the message from the messenger. People are more than happy to embrace risk when it’s not a risk to them personally.

How is that parents aren't undertaking any risk? I hear this a lot. If their kids go to school and get COVID, there's a high chance they might pass it on to their parents. Parents are at risk. Interhousehold transmission is high.

I think your point is that parents are willing to take that risk because they will derive a clear and significant benefit from it -- namely a huge increase in the quality of education of their children.

Teachers are not willing to take the risk because there's no such benefit to them, other than general society benefit. It's just human nature than that really isn't a motivating force like personal benefit.

Exactly this. There's no upside for teachers to go to work.

The “upside” to teachers to do their jobs should be that they get paid, and if they don’t do their jobs then they don’t get paid. The requirements of their jobs are clearly described in their employment contracts, and don’t involve sitting at home all day in their pajamas collecting full pay.

They could have offered some new positions to certain teachers for the DL stuff, at half pay. Some people would have done it, and some not. That’s fine. They could have grouped more kids together for the distance “learning”. But teachers should only have been getting full pay for doing their actual job.

You are incorrect that it appears anywhere in our job description to teach in school buildings during a crisis. Teachers will not be accepting half pay because the government has entirely neglected to do THEIR job and control the pandemic. Other countries have done so, and are now returning to normal. The US continues to spiral out of control and experience death and devastation on a staggering scale.

Teachers aren’t going to take the fall for this, although it would be convenient for the inept governors, senators, congressman, and president to push us all back to the buildings so the economy can thrive. The economy never provides for education. IDEA has never been funded-its just a huge unfounded mandate that government threw at our feet. Teachers are never relieved of the burden of purchasing their own supplies and materials in a boom economy. School buildings are in disrepair, without modern ventilation, technology, or sufficient plumbing. Education budgets are slashed again and again as politicians talk about making “tough choices” while giving tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations.

Enough with the “sitting at home in their pajamas” vitriol that is reserved for teachers and not the rest of the remote economy. Parents complain that teachers aren’t doing their jobs while bemoaning the difficulties of managing their own zoom meetings while supervising their kids. I thought you were just relaxing in your pjs? Anyone with half a brain should be able to ensure their children aren’t playing Fortnite during math class if that’s all they’re doing.

Keep rambling. Meanwhile, countless essential workers have been working in-person this entire time — myself included.

if you think a teacher is essential like a doctor - many have the same years of education and training - then pay her like you pay a doctor!!!

Exactly, teachers weren't considered essential workers till Trump announced it last fall. We're not essential workers. We do not meet the definition of essential workers. The requirements for our job can still be met from home, whether or not the parents are happy with that service is a completely different thing.

I accept that you should be teaching from home to keep you safe. To say that the requirements of your job can be met from home is an untruth, and absolutely undermines your professional credibility and the level respect that teachers deserve.

According to DCUM, teachers do not deserve any respect. Remember, you thought the job was so effortless on 3/13/20 that the dumbest people could do it. Now, you think so it’s incredibly complex?

Not that complex at all. I’m doing it while practicing law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posts and opinion pieces do no one any good. Good teachers are working hard, if not harder and doing their best. What we see is students and parents not doing their part. Today is the last day of the marking period. My kids have been dismissed from all their classes as their work is done to allow other kids to get their outstanding work done vs. failing them like they should. It takes parents teaming with teachers to make DL work. Everyone expects teachers to do everything but they cannot and as a parent you are either part of the problem or solution.

It's almost like...parents have JOBS. That they also have to do. To feed, clothe, and shelter children.

Ok, so you NEED child care. Pay or it or apply for a voucher or other low cost child care. The school is there to educate, not for child care. Child care has been an added bonus but not during a pandemic. You paid for day care when your kids were 0-5, so you pay for it now.

Disclaimer: I am a parent who emailed our school board and superintendent asking them to delay the start of hybrid school, even though I want to send my 6 year old in person because he has lost ALL motivation for DL whatsoever and it's turned into a daily struggle, ecause I want to support our teacher's association and their safety concerns.

But at the point where you're saying parents need childcare for school aged children to help with DL, you are basically telling people to enroll in private school. Which exists to provide in person help with education, unlike day care with a desk for DL but little to no oversight of how the kids are doing. Do you really want to say that people should be leaving the public school system? What are the implications? I GET the safety issues, but saying any educational deficiencies are the fault of parents is not honest.

m

+1

I don’t want schools to open right now (cases are too high, we missed the window in the fall) but I do not understand the argument I keep seeing that completely devalues public education. Here us a prime opportunity for people to really see and understand the value of public schools, all the things the do for families and for the community. Even people who don’t have kids are seeing how vital they are, as they watch colleagues and neighbors struggle to keep up with this.

What a great opportunity to say look what we do! Look how important we are! Let’s invest in this, not just with money but with the kind of commitment we currently devote to, say, sports teams or attracting development?

Instead I keep seeing the argument that ACTUALLY public school can easily be done from home if parents just provide all the other stuff, which is a great argument for... less money for teachers? Closing schools? Funneling money away from schools to parents?

It is so weird and counterproductive.

Parents have heard this loud and clear. Our children can be adequately educated by Virtual VA. Parents who want the in person small class joy of learning experience pay for private.

I love the idea of money following kids. I’m fine with teachers teaching DL from home forever. Give me my kids per pupil allotment and I’ll add some money and get a great private in person. FCPS teachers go to virtual VA, and everyone’s happy. Teachers don’t have to teach in person. They don’t have to deal with my whiny brat or my awful self. I won’t have to pay so god awful much to live in a good school zone. Win-win. I’m seeing so much excitement over this concept and I love it! Why do we fund school the way be did a century ago? So much has changed. We don’t have to do things the way we always did.

If there an upside to the pandemic it’s they way things have been shaken up. I hope schools never look the same because there a better way.

The fact that you think you're getting vouchers is just so amusing. There are 1 million students in the DMV and nowhere near enough private schools to take even 10% of them.

Private school applications in the area have already gone up 200% in the 2021 school year for parents who can full pay. Sorry you're just a cog in a wheel. Enjoy.