How is FCPS teacher/staff shortage?

[Anonymous]

Thus comment really gets to the heart of the issue.

“ What comes to mind when you think of public schools in Miami, NYC, LA, Chicago? Horrible? Terrible? That's a common first thought, but ill-informed. Our sheer numbers aren't quite there to match those metro areas yet, but we're right behind them and the number of kids at poverty level here at FCPS is growing fast. It's impossible for a school to avoid issues when they have to serve a poorer, more needy population. There's nothing inherently bad about that, but it's a reality one has to accept. Our area is no longer majority only upper middle class families.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven’t seen this at my school.

Something that has not been widely discussed is that the student population is changing. The number of students in FCPS is falling due to demographics and dissatisfaction with the quality of the education. It only makes sense that teachers are leaving.

Exactly. The percentage of poor students in FCPS has skyrocketed in there past 15 years. Schools can only do so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know more teachers leaving the profession than any other year. There are many things that FCPS could fix now to make teaching a better experience. This is my viewpoint as an ES teacher.


Cap class sizes at 25. No class should be more than this.

Raise teacher pay and make sure teachers get steps every year.

Eliminate useless and repetitive PD.

Do less district wide testing that is useless and takes away from class time.

Eliminate excessive admin tasks that are unnecessary .

Actually discipline kids who are disruptive or have behavior problems.

Put more counselors and ESOL teachers in ES.

Get rid of CLTs and let teachers guide their team planning time.

Require All Gatehouse Employees to sub once a month including the superintendent and school board.

Make it easier to become a sub. Pay subs more pay.


Now with all that… taxes need to increase. If only the meals tax passed a few years ago.

Great list. IMO the 2 most important for improving student results AND the work of being a teacher are capping class sizes at 25 MAX and actually disciplining kids who are disruptive/have bahavior problems.

-MS teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know more teachers leaving the profession than any other year. There are many things that FCPS could fix now to make teaching a better experience. This is my viewpoint as an ES teacher.


Cap class sizes at 25. No class should be more than this.

Raise teacher pay and make sure teachers get steps every year.

Eliminate useless and repetitive PD.

Do less district wide testing that is useless and takes away from class time.

Eliminate excessive admin tasks that are unnecessary .

Actually discipline kids who are disruptive or have behavior problems.

Put more counselors and ESOL teachers in ES.

Get rid of CLTs and let teachers guide their team planning time.

Require All Gatehouse Employees to sub once a month including the superintendent and school board.

Make it easier to become a sub. Pay subs more pay.


Now with all that… taxes need to increase. If only the meals tax passed a few years ago.

Great list. IMO the 2 most important for improving student results AND the work of being a teacher are capping class sizes at 25 MAX and actually disciplining kids who are disruptive/have bahavior problems.

-MS teacher

I am the PP who is an ES teacher. I also think any students over 25, the teacher should get paid more. There are teachers in this county who have 15 kids and some who have over 30. Any additional student over 25 should be an additional stipend per student. They also need to change staffing ratio per grade level in ES. Not 1-6. That is why you have some classes with 20 kids and others with 28-30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know more teachers leaving the profession than any other year. There are many things that FCPS could fix now to make teaching a better experience. This is my viewpoint as an ES teacher.


Cap class sizes at 25. No class should be more than this.

Raise teacher pay and make sure teachers get steps every year.

Eliminate useless and repetitive PD.

Do less district wide testing that is useless and takes away from class time.

Eliminate excessive admin tasks that are unnecessary .

Actually discipline kids who are disruptive or have behavior problems.

Put more counselors and ESOL teachers in ES.

Get rid of CLTs and let teachers guide their team planning time.

Require All Gatehouse Employees to sub once a month including the superintendent and school board.

Make it easier to become a sub. Pay subs more pay.


Now with all that… taxes need to increase. If only the meals tax passed a few years ago.

This list is golden..... Thank you!
-A fellow teacher

I agree. 100%
ES Teacher

[Anonymous]

This is why there should be a teacher representative on the school board.

[Anonymous]

Capping class sizes and paying teachers more cannot fix poverty.

The reality is that large sections of Fairfax County now have a very high proportion of low income children. You can never replace parents who are well-resourced and provide a stable-loving home.

Funds would be better spent on supporting families directly.

[Anonymous]

My kid has 2 subs at this point in a high rated high school - meaning the teachers left in the middle of the year.

[Anonymous]

Our school has no shortage of subs. Plus we had several long term subs for teachers on maternity leave. No vacancies at our school next year. Not worried at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid has 2 subs at this point in a high rated high school - meaning the teachers left in the middle of the year.

This will occur much more next year and probably the year after. There is less of a stigma (than in previous years/decades) in leaving mid-year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school has no shortage of subs. Plus we had several long term subs for teachers on maternity leave. No vacancies at our school next year. Not worried at all.

Cool - 1 school in 200 is all set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school has no shortage of subs. Plus we had several long term subs for teachers on maternity leave. No vacancies at our school next year. Not worried at all.

“No vacancies for next year” seems suspect. Which school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know more teachers leaving the profession than any other year. There are many things that FCPS could fix now to make teaching a better experience. This is my viewpoint as an ES teacher.


Cap class sizes at 25. No class should be more than this.

Raise teacher pay and make sure teachers get steps every year.

Eliminate useless and repetitive PD.

Do less district wide testing that is useless and takes away from class time.

Eliminate excessive admin tasks that are unnecessary .

Actually discipline kids who are disruptive or have behavior problems.

Put more counselors and ESOL teachers in ES.

Get rid of CLTs and let teachers guide their team planning time.

Require All Gatehouse Employees to sub once a month including the superintendent and school board.

Make it easier to become a sub. Pay subs more pay.


Now with all that… taxes need to increase. If only the meals tax passed a few years ago.

“we hear your concerns. Can we interest you instead in an ill-fitting t-shirt with your region on it and an additional AP at every school?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school has no shortage of subs. Plus we had several long term subs for teachers on maternity leave. No vacancies at our school next year. Not worried at all.

Our school is the same. This is most schools in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school has no shortage of subs. Plus we had several long term subs for teachers on maternity leave. No vacancies at our school next year. Not worried at all.

Our school is the same. This is most schools in FCPS.

Serious “Iraqi Information Minister” vibes here. This is absolutely not “most schools in FCPS” - the vacancy list is right there on the website.