Working for FCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does FCPS still have teacher/staffing shortage?
I just heard our school de-staffed.

Please someone tell me.

They always de-staffed teachers. They will be first in line to transfer to a different school. Sometimes that happens because not enough kids sign up to take ART 1 class because it lowers someone GPA, or in elementary school there was a dropped in enrollment for the following school year. I know someone who de-staffed because they were a Multiple Disabilities Teacher for kindergarten, now they working for 6th graders and never been de-staffed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They cut some teaching posititions to pay for raises for gatehouse

+1
The superintendent cut hundreds of school-based instructional positions to ensure that administration would get a 5% raise. Horrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does FCPS still have teacher/staffing shortage?
I just heard our school de-staffed.

Please someone tell me.

They always de-staffed teachers. They will be first in line to transfer to a different school. Sometimes that happens because not enough kids sign up to take ART 1 class because it lowers someone GPA, or in elementary school there was a dropped in enrollment for the following school year. I know someone who de-staffed because they were a Multiple Disabilities Teacher for kindergarten, now they working for 6th graders and never been de-staffed.

Any school that's de-staffing special education teachers needs a hard look unless an entire program is being moved to a different school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They cut some teaching posititions to pay for raises for gatehouse

+1
The superintendent cut hundreds of school-based instructional positions to ensure that administration would get a 5% raise. Horrible.

You could not pay me any amount of money to put up with the dumpster fire FCPS has been turned into.

Reid, the SB, and Gatehouse are to blame. FCPS is circling the drain as a system.

[Anonymous]

I'd say 50-50 on step increases the past few years, think two years in a row without one now .... YMMV

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does FCPS still have teacher/staffing shortage?
I just heard our school de-staffed.

Please someone tell me.

They always de-staffed teachers. They will be first in line to transfer to a different school. Sometimes that happens because not enough kids sign up to take ART 1 class because it lowers someone GPA, or in elementary school there was a dropped in enrollment for the following school year. I know someone who de-staffed because they were a Multiple Disabilities Teacher for kindergarten, now they working for 6th graders and never been de-staffed.

Any school that's de-staffing special education teachers needs a hard look unless an entire program is being moved to a different school.

Principals just can’t keep extra staff around because they want to. If there’s not enough kids, then they move teachers around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd say 50-50 on step increases the past few years, think two years in a row without one now .... YMMV

Fcps staff have had increases every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does FCPS still have teacher/staffing shortage?
I just heard our school de-staffed.

Please someone tell me.

They always de-staffed teachers. They will be first in line to transfer to a different school. Sometimes that happens because not enough kids sign up to take ART 1 class because it lowers someone GPA, or in elementary school there was a dropped in enrollment for the following school year. I know someone who de-staffed because they were a Multiple Disabilities Teacher for kindergarten, now they working for 6th graders and never been de-staffed.

Any school that's de-staffing special education teachers needs a hard look unless an entire program is being moved to a different school.

Principals just can’t keep extra staff around because they want to. If there’s not enough kids, then they move teachers around.

If the number of students who need special education services is significantly down then it's reasonable to de-staff those teachers. If the number of students who need special education services is increased or unchanged then those teachers shouldn't be de-staffed, especially if the remaining special education teachers are going to have huge caseloads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does FCPS still have teacher/staffing shortage?
I just heard our school de-staffed.

Please someone tell me.

They always de-staffed teachers. They will be first in line to transfer to a different school. Sometimes that happens because not enough kids sign up to take ART 1 class because it lowers someone GPA, or in elementary school there was a dropped in enrollment for the following school year. I know someone who de-staffed because they were a Multiple Disabilities Teacher for kindergarten, now they working for 6th graders and never been de-staffed.

Any school that's de-staffing special education teachers needs a hard look unless an entire program is being moved to a different school.

Principals just can’t keep extra staff around because they want to. If there’s not enough kids, then they move teachers around.

If the number of students who need special education services is significantly down then it's reasonable to de-staff those teachers. If the number of students who need special education services is increased or unchanged then those teachers shouldn't be de-staffed, especially if the remaining special education teachers are going to have huge caseloads.

Agreed, what schools is de-staffing when the need exists?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does FCPS still have teacher/staffing shortage?
I just heard our school de-staffed.

Please someone tell me.

They always de-staffed teachers. They will be first in line to transfer to a different school. Sometimes that happens because not enough kids sign up to take ART 1 class because it lowers someone GPA, or in elementary school there was a dropped in enrollment for the following school year. I know someone who de-staffed because they were a Multiple Disabilities Teacher for kindergarten, now they working for 6th graders and never been de-staffed.

Any school that's de-staffing special education teachers needs a hard look unless an entire program is being moved to a different school.

Principals just can’t keep extra staff around because they want to. If there’s not enough kids, then they move teachers around.

If the number of students who need special education services is significantly down then it's reasonable to de-staff those teachers. If the number of students who need special education services is increased or unchanged then those teachers shouldn't be de-staffed, especially if the remaining special education teachers are going to have huge caseloads.

There is NO school out there laying off sped teachers. They might have to move them from one building to another, but lay them off? No. Every year, all schools lose sped teachers due to quitting, retiring or leaving the profession or they move back into gen Ed. There are always sped openings within a district. ALWAYS. Every school, every district, every state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does FCPS still have teacher/staffing shortage?
I just heard our school de-staffed.

Please someone tell me.

They always de-staffed teachers. They will be first in line to transfer to a different school. Sometimes that happens because not enough kids sign up to take ART 1 class because it lowers someone GPA, or in elementary school there was a dropped in enrollment for the following school year. I know someone who de-staffed because they were a Multiple Disabilities Teacher for kindergarten, now they working for 6th graders and never been de-staffed.

It's different this year though. Generally destaffing notices come around spring break (at the secondary level at least) since future enrollment is known early. Teachers have months to find a new position within the county, can be a little bit picky where they interview, and still quit by the June 15th deadline if they aren't happy and want to go out of county.

This year, destaff notices literally came the last week of school. The deadline to quit without prejudice (allowing another county in VA to hire you) was only a week later. That's not enough time to interview and evaluate your options. If they don't have another school lined up by July 1, they will be automatically assigned somewhere. A teacher who lived and worked in Alexandria could be assigned to a school in Herndon, and they have no say. If they quit, they are ineligible to be hired in surrounding counties for 3 years. The staff facebook page was full teachers bemoaning the situation. This isn't (solely) enrollment based, it's because Reid changed the staffing ratio at the last minute so principals had to scramble last minute to make more cuts. Classes are going to be absolutely packed next year at my school, I assume it will be the same elsewhere.

So when FCPS crows about how they are "fully staffed" going into fall, know that it's because they basically trapped a lot of people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does FCPS still have teacher/staffing shortage?
I just heard our school de-staffed.

Please someone tell me.

They always de-staffed teachers. They will be first in line to transfer to a different school. Sometimes that happens because not enough kids sign up to take ART 1 class because it lowers someone GPA, or in elementary school there was a dropped in enrollment for the following school year. I know someone who de-staffed because they were a Multiple Disabilities Teacher for kindergarten, now they working for 6th graders and never been de-staffed.

It's different this year though. Generally destaffing notices come around spring break (at the secondary level at least) since future enrollment is known early. Teachers have months to find a new position within the county, can be a little bit picky where they interview, and still quit by the June 15th deadline if they aren't happy and want to go out of county.

This year, destaff notices literally came the last week of school. The deadline to quit without prejudice (allowing another county in VA to hire you) was only a week later. That's not enough time to interview and evaluate your options. If they don't have another school lined up by July 1, they will be automatically assigned somewhere. A teacher who lived and worked in Alexandria could be assigned to a school in Herndon, and they have no say. If they quit, they are ineligible to be hired in surrounding counties for 3 years. The staff facebook page was full teachers bemoaning the situation. This isn't (solely) enrollment based, it's because Reid changed the staffing ratio at the last minute so principals had to scramble last minute to make more cuts. Classes are going to be absolutely packed next year at my school, I assume it will be the same elsewhere.

So when FCPS crows about how they are "fully staffed" going into fall, know that it's because they basically trapped a lot of people.

The staffing ratio changed because the budget actually passed and teachers got their 6% raises.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does FCPS still have teacher/staffing shortage?
I just heard our school de-staffed.

Please someone tell me.

They always de-staffed teachers. They will be first in line to transfer to a different school. Sometimes that happens because not enough kids sign up to take ART 1 class because it lowers someone GPA, or in elementary school there was a dropped in enrollment for the following school year. I know someone who de-staffed because they were a Multiple Disabilities Teacher for kindergarten, now they working for 6th graders and never been de-staffed.

Any school that's de-staffing special education teachers needs a hard look unless an entire program is being moved to a different school.

Principals just can’t keep extra staff around because they want to. If there’s not enough kids, then they move teachers around.

If the number of students who need special education services is significantly down then it's reasonable to de-staff those teachers. If the number of students who need special education services is increased or unchanged then those teachers shouldn't be de-staffed, especially if the remaining special education teachers are going to have huge caseloads.

There is NO school out there laying off sped teachers. They might have to move them from one building to another, but lay them off? No. Every year, all schools lose sped teachers due to quitting, retiring or leaving the profession or they move back into gen Ed. There are always sped openings within a district. ALWAYS. Every school, every district, every state.

No one said anything about laying people off. We're talking about de-staffing. I'm a Special Education teacher and I know Special Education teachers who were de-staffed. Most already got hired by surrounding counties. The rest of us will have huge caseloads next year. At least central office got a raise too!

[Anonymous]

FYI, in Arlington teachers are now guaranteed a step increase every year. It’s part of the collective bargaining agreement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, the failed principal to Gatehouse pipeline is alive and well. That hasn't changed.

+1. And it adds to the non-teaching staff overhead. Just imagine if that money were spent in actual education. So much waste at Gatehouse.