Teachers in my district leaving mid year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the verge of leaving. My retirement amount will be greatly reduced. We'll deal with that as a family (and I'll find some other kind of job, with less pay and less vacation time). It just doesn't matter anymore as much. Even the golden handcuffs can be cut off when the price is too high to stay.

I mean school is just for 180 days a year, and at least my kid's teachers are out a few days a month. They'd be pressed to work 160 days total. Meanwhile, int he real world the rest of us work 50-60 hour weeks for 260-270 days a year, but I guess the grass is always greener.

180 days for students is 190 or 210 days for adults.

An 8-hour day of teaching equals a 12-hour day of teaching plus planning/grading.

Remove your head from your butt.
It is not a hat.

Thank you for this!
Signed - a teacher who took a rare Saturday off to go to a college football game. I’ll suffer for it on Monday because I can’t get all my grading and planning done in just one day (Sunday).

Long time teacher here and it pains me to read about teachers dedicating their entire weekend to grading and planning. I totally understand that you want to feel prepared for class, but when teachers put this much of their own time into their work, it enables the school system to continue to pile on unnecessary meetings and trainings, because everything is still getting done. Can you have an honest discussion with your admin about the work load? I have been teaching a long time, which helps, but I work contract hours and that is pretty much it. I work very hard while I am at school, but I leave at the end of the day and don't think about it at home. I don't want to burn out before I retire, so I am fiercely protective of my private time and keep tight boundaries. I would encourage other teachers to try to do the same. No job at our salary level is worth giving up weekends.

I am not a teacher, but yes!! Do what you can do in the hours you are paid to do it. And then say “sorry, can’t do more, I have a life”

I do this. I go in an hour early get what I can done. Leave on time and I don't check emails once I leave. I have a family that needs me. I check email once on Sundays to see whats ahead from my admin but communication with families waits until Monday-unless it's something super important but most can absolutely wait. My day starts at 8 and ends at 4:35 then I go home and do my most important job be a parent.

You aren’t doing this if you are going in an hour early.

You are if you work for MCPS, because we are paid for an 8.5 hour day but only required to be in the building for 7.5 hours. (We are not paid for our 30 minute lunch)

Are you paid for 8.5 hours because they assume you are doing work outside of the 7.5 hour day? If you go in an hour early, you are still doing work during the hours you are paid to do it, is that correct?

FCPS Teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unpopular opinion: It is completely impossible to educate children in any way close to how public schools operate. It is economically unsustainable to provide what is expected

Another unpopular opinion: The root cause of ALL of these issues is a breakdown of society/culture...beginning with the parents.


Flame away

my god shut up.

Private schools have teaching shortages as well.

and kids scores and grades have dropped across all socioeconomic lines— as well as mental health.

just shut up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unpopular opinion: It is completely impossible to educate children in any way close to how public schools operate. It is economically unsustainable to provide what is expected

Another unpopular opinion: The root cause of ALL of these issues is a breakdown of society/culture...beginning with the parents.


Flame away

my god shut up.

Private schools have teaching shortages as well.

and kids scores and grades have dropped across all socioeconomic lines— as well as mental health.

Maybe I read PP wrong but it seems like they are just saying that the systems are broken. Chill yourself.

just shut up.

[Anonymous]

i love reading the toxic nature of this group!javascript:void(0);

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The teachers at my schools always say, "What, are they going to fire us?" when we don't meet these insane BS deadlines. Do they understand we don't sit at a desk all day like the ones making the decisions? The planning, grading, etc usually occurs after hours due to the crazy BS meetings that eat up what little planning time we have. Some of my colleagues volunteer to sub during planning for a teacher who is out that day. I don't so I can pick up my kids at daycare by 5pm and not have to pay extra for the hour between 5-6pm.

You are right. I just said this recently-it's not a desk job. We can't go to our office and close a door to get all the paperwork done. Things have to change for teachers.

While you might not get fired, our new principal is going nuts writing people up for missing deadlines because they were assigned coverage or had to attend a meeting during planning. For people who are in an evaluation year, that can be scary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious if school districts can have teachers sign a contract that requires them to stay the entire school year as a way to avoid mid-year exodus?
Otherwise, the teacher will have to pay back benefits, relinquish sign-on bonuses, and other perks previously granted upon hiring.

It tends to work in other professions (at least in mine). I imagine the teachers union would have a tantrum and it would be a deterrent in recruiting, but if this was a normal standard in academics as a whole then the (even bigger ) problem of teachers leaving mid-year would be minimal.

Most districts already have this. It's considered bad form to leave mid-year and other districts will not hire teachers who do. That isn't making as much of an impact anymore, however, because teachers are leaving for other fields instead. We just lost a teacher last week to another career field and we're currently covering her classes since there is no replacement.

It's going to keep happening because teaching is TERRIBLE right now. As an example: I woke up at 6am on Saturday and worked for 10 hours. I only took breaks to drive my kid somewhere and to make dinner. I was up again at 6am today and I'll work through to the evening... probably another 8-10 hours. DCUM is my 5-minute break I give myself between stacks of papers. I can't keep this up. My last day off was September 10th (a Saturday). I've worked at least 7-8 hours every day since then and often much more.

I'm quitting at the end of the year. The only thing keeping me going is the fact I don't want to dump this work on my already too-busy coworkers.

Same exact story here. I teach a math class that is hard to find teachers for, and I love my colleagues and department chair and don't want to make their lives crazier than they are now otherwise I would have left a month ago. My spouse wants me out of this job yesterday and I just hope I make it to the end of the year.
There are way too many bureaucrats in the central office and in Richmond trying to justify their jobs by adding garbage tasks, trainings, meetings and reports to our plate and they have truly lost their mind this year. Can't imagine what they'll think up next year.

[Anonymous]

I heard this story yesterday. A district started doing a 4 day week- test scores and recruitment went up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard this story yesterday. A district started doing a 4 day week- test scores and recruitment went up.

https://www.marketplace.org/2022/10/31/some-texas-school-districts-are-pivoting-to-a-4-day-week/
Probably helps to post the link. Please excuse the teacher the day after Halloween 😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard this story yesterday. A district started doing a 4 day week- test scores and recruitment went up.

https://www.marketplace.org/2022/10/31/some-texas-school-districts-are-pivoting-to-a-4-day-week/
Probably helps to post the link. Please excuse the teacher the day after Halloween 😂

It’s interesting that they lengthened the school day. I’d like to know more about that. Perhaps they have more breaks built in. My third graders have a 30 minute lunch, 30 minute recess, and PE 3 out of 5 days and they have a tough time making it past 1:30 which is 2 hours prior to dismissal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the verge of leaving. My retirement amount will be greatly reduced. We'll deal with that as a family (and I'll find some other kind of job, with less pay and less vacation time). It just doesn't matter anymore as much. Even the golden handcuffs can be cut off when the price is too high to stay.

I mean school is just for 180 days a year, and at least my kid's teachers are out a few days a month. They'd be pressed to work 160 days total. Meanwhile, int he real world the rest of us work 50-60 hour weeks for 260-270 days a year, but I guess the grass is always greener.

180 days for students is 190 or 210 days for adults.

An 8-hour day of teaching equals a 12-hour day of teaching plus planning/grading.

Remove your head from your butt.
It is not a hat.

Is the 8.5 hours of work in the contract? I’m part time and new to MCPS so legitimately trying to understand. So in addition to my 4 hours and 12 minutes in the building (which includes the minimum 27 minutes of planning) I am expected to work another 36 minutes on my own time? Still not possible to get all the work done in that little amount of time.

Thank you for this!
Signed - a teacher who took a rare Saturday off to go to a college football game. I’ll suffer for it on Monday because I can’t get all my grading and planning done in just one day (Sunday).

Long time teacher here and it pains me to read about teachers dedicating their entire weekend to grading and planning. I totally understand that you want to feel prepared for class, but when teachers put this much of their own time into their work, it enables the school system to continue to pile on unnecessary meetings and trainings, because everything is still getting done. Can you have an honest discussion with your admin about the work load? I have been teaching a long time, which helps, but I work contract hours and that is pretty much it. I work very hard while I am at school, but I leave at the end of the day and don't think about it at home. I don't want to burn out before I retire, so I am fiercely protective of my private time and keep tight boundaries. I would encourage other teachers to try to do the same. No job at our salary level is worth giving up weekends.

I am not a teacher, but yes!! Do what you can do in the hours you are paid to do it. And then say “sorry, can’t do more, I have a life”

I do this. I go in an hour early get what I can done. Leave on time and I don't check emails once I leave. I have a family that needs me. I check email once on Sundays to see whats ahead from my admin but communication with families waits until Monday-unless it's something super important but most can absolutely wait. My day starts at 8 and ends at 4:35 then I go home and do my most important job be a parent.

You aren’t doing this if you are going in an hour early.

You are if you work for MCPS, because we are paid for an 8.5 hour day but only required to be in the building for 7.5 hours. (We are not paid for our 30 minute lunch)

[Anonymous]

I came back this year after taking a few years off to care for an elderly parent. I came back because I love teaching and the kids. If I'm being honest, I do very little teaching. I do a lot of paperwork, sit in meetings about meetings, and complete pointless assessments. Assessments are good to a point but we have so much data my team doesn't even know where to begin with it or how to use it. Each day seems like a lot more busy work and zero time to plan or teach. Teachers are unhappy and I'm seeing a disregard for professionalism teacher to teacher-I'm sure it's exhaustion and low morale. I feel micromanaged by the county and in turn the admin. Kids are not getting what they need-teachers feel unseen, disrespected, and disregarded. Nothing is being done for morale.....just more and more to do- less and less actual planning and teaching. The shortage will get worse. I've been in education for 20 years and this is the worst I've seen it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious if school districts can have teachers sign a contract that requires them to stay the entire school year as a way to avoid mid-year exodus?
Otherwise, the teacher will have to pay back benefits, relinquish sign-on bonuses, and other perks previously granted upon hiring.

It tends to work in other professions (at least in mine). I imagine the teachers union would have a tantrum and it would be a deterrent in recruiting, but if this was a normal standard in academics as a whole then the (even bigger ) problem of teachers leaving mid-year would be minimal.

Most districts already have this. It's considered bad form to leave mid-year and other districts will not hire teachers who do. That isn't making as much of an impact anymore, however, because teachers are leaving for other fields instead. We just lost a teacher last week to another career field and we're currently covering her classes since there is no replacement.

It's going to keep happening because teaching is TERRIBLE right now. As an example: I woke up at 6am on Saturday and worked for 10 hours. I only took breaks to drive my kid somewhere and to make dinner. I was up again at 6am today and I'll work through to the evening... probably another 8-10 hours. DCUM is my 5-minute break I give myself between stacks of papers. I can't keep this up. My last day off was September 10th (a Saturday). I've worked at least 7-8 hours every day since then and often much more.

I'm quitting at the end of the year. The only thing keeping me going is the fact I don't want to dump this work on my already too-busy coworkers.

Same exact story here. I teach a math class that is hard to find teachers for, and I love my colleagues and department chair and don't want to make their lives crazier than they are now otherwise I would have left a month ago. My spouse wants me out of this job yesterday and I just hope I make it to the end of the year.
There are way too many bureaucrats in the central office and in Richmond trying to justify their jobs by adding garbage tasks, trainings, meetings and reports to our plate and they have truly lost their mind this year. Can't imagine what they'll think up next year.

I'm feeling similar feelings....trying to hold on till June. It's not ok and teachers are not ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I came back this year after taking a few years off to care for an elderly parent. I came back because I love teaching and the kids. If I'm being honest, I do very little teaching. I do a lot of paperwork, sit in meetings about meetings, and complete pointless assessments. Assessments are good to a point but we have so much data my team doesn't even know where to begin with it or how to use it. Each day seems like a lot more busy work and zero time to plan or teach. Teachers are unhappy and I'm seeing a disregard for professionalism teacher to teacher-I'm sure it's exhaustion and low morale. I feel micromanaged by the county and in turn the admin. Kids are not getting what they need-teachers feel unseen, disrespected, and disregarded. Nothing is being done for morale.....just more and more to do- less and less actual planning and teaching. The shortage will get worse. I've been in education for 20 years and this is the worst I've seen it.

Can you elaborate on “ disregard for professionalism teacher to teacher”? My school is seeing unprescedebted burnout, but we are still respecting and supporting each other for the most part. If things go south, what might I see?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I came back this year after taking a few years off to care for an elderly parent. I came back because I love teaching and the kids. If I'm being honest, I do very little teaching. I do a lot of paperwork, sit in meetings about meetings, and complete pointless assessments. Assessments are good to a point but we have so much data my team doesn't even know where to begin with it or how to use it. Each day seems like a lot more busy work and zero time to plan or teach. Teachers are unhappy and I'm seeing a disregard for professionalism teacher to teacher-I'm sure it's exhaustion and low morale. I feel micromanaged by the county and in turn the admin. Kids are not getting what they need-teachers feel unseen, disrespected, and disregarded. Nothing is being done for morale.....just more and more to do- less and less actual planning and teaching. The shortage will get worse. I've been in education for 20 years and this is the worst I've seen it.

Can you elaborate on “ disregard for professionalism teacher to teacher”? My school is seeing unprescedebted burnout, but we are still respecting and supporting each other for the most part. If things go south, what might I see?

^unprecedented.
Sorry, fat finger, small screen.

[Anonymous]

Group students by skill set

Use direct instruction in early elementary

Give every teacher a teaching assistant, 2 for very young grades

Hire more admin than Can do things like lunch duty, bus duty, etc

Hire permanent floaters instead of substitutes

Disciplinary standards enforced

Dress codes enforced

Increase sense of school spirit, community, people helping people.