Steps and years of experience

[Anonymous]

Help your daughter to find a different field instead. This is a horrible time to enter the teaching profession.

[Anonymous]

I’m in my 18th year of teaching. I’ve has my steps frozen 2 years in FCPS and one year in APS. Plus there have been at least 2 years in which the new step kicked in halfway through the school year. We’ve gotten COLAs about 5-6 times. I wouldn’t base the initial choice on future salary projections—she can always switch counties later on (I increased my salary by about 10k when I moved counties). More important is finding a school that is a good fit. Also, as others have said, encourage her to pursue other options after a few years if she doesn’t love the job. For many, it doesn’t get much easier 5, 10, or 20 years in, so she should have a pretty good idea after a few years as to whether she should hang in there for the long haul.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in my 18th year of teaching. I’ve has my steps frozen 2 years in FCPS and one year in APS. Plus there have been at least 2 years in which the new step kicked in halfway through the school year. We’ve gotten COLAs about 5-6 times. I wouldn’t base the initial choice on future salary projections—she can always switch counties later on (I increased my salary by about 10k when I moved counties). More important is finding a school that is a good fit. Also, as others have said, encourage her to pursue other options after a few years if she doesn’t love the job. For many, it doesn’t get much easier 5, 10, or 20 years in, so she should have a pretty good idea after a few years as to whether she should hang in there for the long haul.

Only 5-6 COLAs in 18 years? That's...nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in my 18th year of teaching. I’ve has my steps frozen 2 years in FCPS and one year in APS. Plus there have been at least 2 years in which the new step kicked in halfway through the school year. We’ve gotten COLAs about 5-6 times. I wouldn’t base the initial choice on future salary projections—she can always switch counties later on (I increased my salary by about 10k when I moved counties). More important is finding a school that is a good fit. Also, as others have said, encourage her to pursue other options after a few years if she doesn’t love the job. For many, it doesn’t get much easier 5, 10, or 20 years in, so she should have a pretty good idea after a few years as to whether she should hang in there for the long haul.

Only 5-6 COLAs in 18 years? That's...nuts.

And people wonder why teachers are leaving the profession. Between the pay inequities, the parent hate, and now Covid ... it is a wonder anyone is willing to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Experienced teacher here- my advice, tell her although she’s years into her degree it’s not too late to change. Switch majors. I would discourage my own children from entering this field if any had an interest in teaching. It’s not remotely the same as it was 20 years ago.

If she does want to do this, it doesn’t matter. Pick any district. She can always change later. It’s good to get different perspectives from different places after a few years. Steps and benefits always change.

Whatever you do, do not go to help her set up her classroom. We have seen a couple of first year teachers bring their mothers to help decorate their rooms before school starts. It doesn’t look good. She’s an adult. She should reach out to the other staff for help, not mom.

Oh my gosh! Yes! I had a colleague who did that one year. It’s not a good look.

Totally disagree. Why is it wrong if a parent wants to help? There is a lot of preparation and not enough time during preservice week. The “it doesn’t look good” comment… unnecessary. Who cares?

Same! At our school it is all hands on deck. We've had moms, dads, cousins, kids, next door neighbors, people from down the street, literally everyone and anyone coming in to help. All are welcome! We can always use a free hand before school starts!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Experienced teacher here- my advice, tell her although she’s years into her degree it’s not too late to change. Switch majors. I would discourage my own children from entering this field if any had an interest in teaching. It’s not remotely the same as it was 20 years ago.

If she does want to do this, it doesn’t matter. Pick any district. She can always change later. It’s good to get different perspectives from different places after a few years. Steps and benefits always change.

Whatever you do, do not go to help her set up her classroom. We have seen a couple of first year teachers bring their mothers to help decorate their rooms before school starts. It doesn’t look good. She’s an adult. She should reach out to the other staff for help, not mom.

Oh my gosh! Yes! I had a colleague who did that one year. It’s not a good look.

Totally disagree. Why is it wrong if a parent wants to help? There is a lot of preparation and not enough time during preservice week. The “it doesn’t look good” comment… unnecessary. Who cares?

It’s not wrong, it just looks a little off. There are not many teachers who have their parents come in and decorate their rooms. The only time I’ve seen it are where it’s an overly involved parent who now has an adult child and trying to Pinterest the room. It inhibits the new teacher from meeting new colleagues and bonding with their department/team. If mom wanted to come in on a weekend or evening and help it would be different. I’m saying not to do it during the workday when all of the other teachers are around. It makes the new teacher look like a kid instead of an adult.

I think you're projecting.

[Anonymous]

There seems to be some who think it’s fine to have parents come in and help and others that think it’s extremely unprofessional. I’m wondering if it differs by grade level. I said it’s not a good look and work in a high school. When new teachers do this, we often think they should be asking the department rather than bringing mom to work. It makes them look like children themselves.

Are the posters who think it’s fine elementary teachers or secondary teachers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be some who think it’s fine to have parents come in and help and others that think it’s extremely unprofessional. I’m wondering if it differs by grade level. I said it’s not a good look and work in a high school. When new teachers do this, we often think they should be asking the department rather than bringing mom to work. It makes them look like children themselves.

Are the posters who think it’s fine elementary teachers or secondary teachers?

Asking the department to help me move around furniture or cover bulletin boards? They are busy setting up their own spaces.
-elementary teacher who occasionally has my son or husband come to help me unload/unpack (common at my school)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be some who think it’s fine to have parents come in and help and others that think it’s extremely unprofessional. I’m wondering if it differs by grade level. I said it’s not a good look and work in a high school. When new teachers do this, we often think they should be asking the department rather than bringing mom to work. It makes them look like children themselves.

Are the posters who think it’s fine elementary teachers or secondary teachers?

Asking the department to help me move around furniture or cover bulletin boards? They are busy setting up their own spaces.
-elementary teacher who occasionally has my son or husband come to help me unload/unpack (common at my school)

There’s the difference. I’m not moving around furniture or covering bulletin boards in my high school classroom, ever. I see why you need help. Our needs are different. The focus for us is content planning and we often do so together in any spare time we can find, not the decoration. The little kids definitely need a nicely decorated classroom on the first day. My high schoolers made decorations themselves and hung them up throughout the first semester. That’s how my room always gets decorated.

[Anonymous]

OP, while I agree that your daughter should be driving this and making decisions, it's also helpful for parents with more experience with financial issues to give advice--most especially, to look at the retirement and health insurance benefits once she signs her contract so she can make wise financial decisions. As she compares counties, consider her salary lane--some ES teachers only have a bachelor's and that affects their entire career's earning potential. The pay at MA+15 and MA+30 are worth the extra coursework, over the course of 20-30 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be some who think it’s fine to have parents come in and help and others that think it’s extremely unprofessional. I’m wondering if it differs by grade level. I said it’s not a good look and work in a high school. When new teachers do this, we often think they should be asking the department rather than bringing mom to work. It makes them look like children themselves.

Are the posters who think it’s fine elementary teachers or secondary teachers?

I am an elementary teacher with an elementary school teacher mom. Having her help and give me ideas when I started made me a stronger teacher and I am glad she did because the mentoring in our profession is almost zero. If other colleagues thought less of me that’s their problem. I would do it all over again! And when my younger colleagues bring someone to help them I love it. My principal doesn’t care. Why should she or anyone else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be some who think it’s fine to have parents come in and help and others that think it’s extremely unprofessional. I’m wondering if it differs by grade level. I said it’s not a good look and work in a high school. When new teachers do this, we often think they should be asking the department rather than bringing mom to work. It makes them look like children themselves.

Are the posters who think it’s fine elementary teachers or secondary teachers?

I am an elementary teacher with an elementary school teacher mom. Having her help and give me ideas when I started made me a stronger teacher and I am glad she did because the mentoring in our profession is almost zero. If other colleagues thought less of me that’s their problem. I would do it all over again! And when my younger colleagues bring someone to help them I love it. My principal doesn’t care. Why should she or anyone else?

Great, but these posts are besides the point. OP wasn’t asking about decorating.