Enough already

[Anonymous]

Yes, it is a contracted job but if a teacher doesn't care about being hired as a teacher elsewhere in the state, they can quit without any ramifications. That's how you know it's such a crappy job when people are willing to quit midyear. It means they probably are leaving teaching altogether.

[Anonymous]

Amen demand answers or claw back their pay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amen demand answers or claw back their pay

LOL claw back pay for months already worked? You are cray

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people, and teachers, are truly selfless and that is an amazing and wonderful thing... but no one is obligated to be, and that is totally okay. How exactly would you enforce 'not being allowed to quit?' Chain them to a desk? Everyone is free, and that is even more important than how you or your child feel about it. Turn it into a life lesson opportunity, OP

At one time, people took pride in their professions, and contracts were written in a way to enforce that for those who didn't. Getting blacklisted was a real threat and deterrent. But over the past recent decades, companies have demonstrated their lack of loyalty to their employees and employees have learned to have no loyalty in return. It has taken additional time but the same shift has now finally happened in teaching. Professionalism is no longer the norm, in either direction, blacklisting is no longer a threat, and now contracts are no longer sacrosanct. They're breakable. And getting broken.

Specific to teaching: Public school teaching now requires more paperwork and meetings than actual teaching. There is very little time allotted to course prep or grading, which means teachers have to do both on their time, which decreases the quality of instruction, OR decreases the teacher's quality of life. On top of that, being a teacher is not a respected profession anymore. Parents yell at teachers, demand special treatment for their kids, bully them to change a B to an A because entry to private high school or entry to college has gotten cut-throat competitive...

... so teachers can't win. They are asked to do the impossible, every day. And during the 2020 lockdowns, on this very board, teachers were excoriated by a good number of you, called all sorts of names, and generally reviled and despised, because they were afraid for their lives before vaccines were distributed. As a result of aggressive parental pressure, so many fled the profession that there is now a dire nationwide teacher shortage.

OP, shame on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people, and teachers, are truly selfless and that is an amazing and wonderful thing... but no one is obligated to be, and that is totally okay. How exactly would you enforce 'not being allowed to quit?' Chain them to a desk? Everyone is free, and that is even more important than how you or your child feel about it. Turn it into a life lesson opportunity, OP

At one time, people took pride in their professions, and contracts were written in a way to enforce that for those who didn't. Getting blacklisted was a real threat and deterrent. But over the past recent decades, companies have demonstrated their lack of loyalty to their employees and employees have learned to have no loyalty in return. It has taken additional time but the same shift has now finally happened in teaching. Professionalism is no longer the norm, in either direction, blacklisting is no longer a threat, and now contracts are no longer sacrosanct. They're breakable. And getting broken.

Specific to teaching: Public school teaching now requires more paperwork and meetings than actual teaching. There is very little time allotted to course prep or grading, which means teachers have to do both on their time, which decreases the quality of instruction, OR decreases the teacher's quality of life. On top of that, being a teacher is not a respected profession anymore. Parents yell at teachers, demand special treatment for their kids, bully them to change a B to an A because entry to private high school or entry to college has gotten cut-throat competitive...

... so teachers can't win. They are asked to do the impossible, every day. And during the 2020 lockdowns, on this very board, teachers were excoriated by a good number of you, called all sorts of names, and generally reviled and despised, because they were afraid for their lives before vaccines were distributed. As a result of aggressive parental pressure, so many fled the profession that there is now a dire nationwide teacher shortage.

OP, shame on you.

No, OP is not doing anything wrong by saying that her DC is being hurt by the decision of a teacher to quit midyear. The teacher has made her decision, for whatever good or bad reason, and there are consequences. Is that teacher reading this board, will that teacher be hurt by this post? Probably not. If so, so be it.

[Anonymous]

I can't wait until so many teachers quit that DCUM parents scramble to get their kids into private schools. That should be quite a sight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't wait until so many teachers quit that DCUM parents scramble to get their kids into private schools. That should be quite a sight.

Yay! The collapse of public school is such good entertainment! Bring your popcorn!!!

Yep. It's entirely predictable and preventable.

Preventable? Obama tried to fix the NCLB problem. Didn't succeed.

But you can fix it. Just tell us how. Tell your principal, tell the superintendent and school board, tell Youngkin and the DOE, tell Biden and the Department of Education. Fox the teacher crisis.

[Anonymous]

Op, I understand your anger. I am both a teacher and a parent. Last year my son had a math teacher quit. He is at a highly regarded magnet in our city. He went half the year without a teacher. I was and still am pissed.

Throughout my career, I have seen this happen quite often. It always makes me angry. First, for the kids. The class without the teacher turns into chaos. These students lose valuable instruction. As a staff member, we are left to try to pick up the pieces.

Teaching is hard. I put a lot of blame on the teacher prep programs. Every teacher I know agrees that none of us were prepared to teach in a classroom after graduating. We learned on the job with little help. That is why you should respect older teachers. They survived the most difficult years and returned.

I have no advice. You could and should complain but the admin can't fix the problem.

[Anonymous]

They’re under contract and should be expected to fulfill their responsibilities. It’s not an at-will job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They’re under contract and should be expected to fulfill their responsibilities. It’s not an at-will job.

Plenty of posters on this thread and this board think it is. They don't understand the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They’re under contract and should be expected to fulfill their responsibilities. It’s not an at-will job.

What we're trying to say is that you've made this profession so inhospitable that no one cares about breaking their contract because they have no intention of returning.

1) Raise pay
2) Demand increased planning time and flexibility
3) Remove barriers to focusing on TEACHING
4) Respect the profession through words and deeds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re under contract and should be expected to fulfill their responsibilities. It’s not an at-will job.

What we're trying to say is that you've made this profession so inhospitable that no one cares about breaking their contract because they have no intention of returning.

1) Raise pay
2) Demand increased planning time and flexibility
3) Remove barriers to focusing on TEACHING
4) Respect the profession through words and deeds

And in the meantime, the kids like OP's DC and the poster's kid above are just talking points, not actual kids on the receiving end of these decisions.

(DCPS has tried raising pay and has had lots of teachers leaving midyear for a long time, years before the pandemic. Raising pay sounds nice but that's not the solution.)

[Anonymous]

Good for the teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS high school biology teacher isn’t coming back, she was young and I’m not sure why she is going to do with her life now, or she going to go back to mommy and daddy house, but a teacher shouldn’t be allowed to quit halfway though the year. Student loved and her, and to one paragraph email saying you’re quitting isn’t okay in my book.

Maybe parents like you and their kids should have treated her better. It's a job. She has no obligation to stay through the school year and she doesn't owe anyone an explanation as to why.

[Anonymous]

OP, the great thing is now there is a position you can personally fill. Thanks for stepping up!