How many teachers are leaving your school next year?

[Anonymous]

They track the staff who leave in and the have it in the last school board meeting of every month. They lost 276 teachers in the summer time last year and lose about 30 teachers a month during the school year. So far this year they have lost 454 teachers post contract/ midyear, not including retirees.

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/D55GQD44BDF6/$file/Monthly%20Separation%20Report%20April%201%2C%202024%20to%20April%2030%2C%202024.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They track the staff who leave in and the have it in the last school board meeting of every month. They lost 276 teachers in the summer time last year and lose about 30 teachers a month during the school year. So far this year they have lost 454 teachers post contract/ midyear, not including retirees.

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/D55GQD44BDF6/$file/Monthly%20Separation%20Report%20April%201%2C%202024%20to%20April%2030%2C%202024.pdf

I meant to say they track staff who leave in board docs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Out of curiosity, how many teachers are leaving your school next year? At my ES there is 10 that we know of so far. Im wondering if the shortage situation is going to be better or worse than last year for the county.

To me this metric is meaningless without additional data. For example, I’d like to know:

the delta between outgoing and incoming (not known until late summer);

the primary reason for leaving (eg, administrative issues, unsuitable match, retirement, career change, etc)

the seniority of the teachers;

and so on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The kids never do anything wrong. Look at the kid who is suing the school for not giving him what he needs.
He gave a teacher a concussion and sent her to the hospital and is suing the school for not stopping him.
The teacher is always to blame (did you make sure they were challenged? Did you make sure he felt secure? Etc).

The situation in Newport News is what happens when you have the trifecta of an unsupportive parent, unsupportive principal, and bad policy. The parent tried to go on national tv and put blame on her because “her son felt ignored” and he has adhd. This is an extreme example, but these behavioral situations are not as rare as we would like to think. Teachers only take 2 or 3 base level psychology classes when they are in college. The behavioral and therapy work that these kids need is far out of our scope of practice but they still end up in our rooms.

+1. I'll add that if a kid is in 5th grade and one teacher between K-5 claims the kid needs a more restrictive placement due to behaviors, it really might not be a great personality match with the kid and that teacher. If a kid is in 5th grade and every teacher since kindergarten has said the same thing, the teachers aren't wrong. It's negligent for schools to gaslight teachers and insinuate it's a failure of classroom management when the same thing has happened with multiple teachers over the years.
Also, there should be a zero tolerance policy for physical assault or threats of physical assault toward staff, especially at the secondary level. That should go to the hearings office the first time it happens with OSS in the meantime. If it's a manifestation of the child's disability, they need to be in a classroom with a crisis response team on constant standby.

I'm an early primary teacher and I think there needs to be a zero tolerance policy towards even our youngest students regarding being physically aggressive with staff or threatening them. Students who do that need more support than can be had in the gen Ed room. Kids who make threats or hit, kick, etc staff members? That should trigger an immediate move to a behavioral sped room. Such students can either learn to self regulate there and then return to gen Ed after a period of time OR they can be diagnosed and treated and if they truly cannot self regulate themselves then great, in the behavior room they stay. I'm sorry, I don't care if they are 5. I've had 5 year olds threaten me and it is no fun wondering if today is the day they actually bring in a weapon. It happens.

Yup. And I had an admin say well what do you want me to do....ummm the child is destroying my room kicking me and scratching my IA and screaming non-stop for 25 minutes-do something anything so I can teach all the other students I have. I'm tired of these students and their parents ruining the school day for everyone. No one wants to teach like this anymore because you know what it's not teaching and the other students are not learning.

I also think parents of special needs kids have too much power. They can deny a placement if they want to. I gave seen parents who refuse to put child in a self contained class or transfer to an ED Center.

Their lawyers and advocates who are making a good living off of SPED families would beg to differ.

[Anonymous]

heard 10

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Out of curiosity, how many teachers are leaving your school next year? At my ES there is 10 that we know of so far. Im wondering if the shortage situation is going to be better or worse than last year for the county.

To me this metric is meaningless without additional data. For example, I’d like to know:

the delta between outgoing and incoming (not known until late summer);

the primary reason for leaving (eg, administrative issues, unsuitable match, retirement, career change, etc)

the seniority of the teachers;

and so on.

Most of this is meaningless. The key points are that more are leaving the system than entering, and those entering are largely new and inexperienced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Out of curiosity, how many teachers are leaving your school next year? At my ES there is 10 that we know of so far. Im wondering if the shortage situation is going to be better or worse than last year for the county.

To me this metric is meaningless without additional data. For example, I’d like to know:

the delta between outgoing and incoming (not known until late summer);

the primary reason for leaving (eg, administrative issues, unsuitable match, retirement, career change, etc)

the seniority of the teachers;

and so on.

You should get on that research. Actual teachers know why people are leaving....admin knows too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Out of curiosity, how many teachers are leaving your school next year? At my ES there is 10 that we know of so far. Im wondering if the shortage situation is going to be better or worse than last year for the county.

To me this metric is meaningless without additional data. For example, I’d like to know:

the delta between outgoing and incoming (not known until late summer);

the primary reason for leaving (eg, administrative issues, unsuitable match, retirement, career change, etc)

the seniority of the teachers;

and so on.

Most of this is meaningless. The key points are that more are leaving the system than entering, and those entering are largely new and inexperienced.

This we just hired another "teacher trainee"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Out of curiosity, how many teachers are leaving your school next year? At my ES there is 10 that we know of so far. Im wondering if the shortage situation is going to be better or worse than last year for the county.

To me this metric is meaningless without additional data. For example, I’d like to know:

the delta between outgoing and incoming (not known until late summer);

the primary reason for leaving (eg, administrative issues, unsuitable match, retirement, career change, etc)

the seniority of the teachers;

and so on.

Most of this is meaningless. The key points are that more are leaving the system than entering, and those entering are largely new and inexperienced.

This we just hired another "teacher trainee"

Lots of warm bodies that will not be supported and burn out fast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The kids never do anything wrong. Look at the kid who is suing the school for not giving him what he needs.
He gave a teacher a concussion and sent her to the hospital and is suing the school for not stopping him.
The teacher is always to blame (did you make sure they were challenged? Did you make sure he felt secure? Etc).

The situation in Newport News is what happens when you have the trifecta of an unsupportive parent, unsupportive principal, and bad policy. The parent tried to go on national tv and put blame on her because “her son felt ignored” and he has adhd. This is an extreme example, but these behavioral situations are not as rare as we would like to think. Teachers only take 2 or 3 base level psychology classes when they are in college. The behavioral and therapy work that these kids need is far out of our scope of practice but they still end up in our rooms.

+1. I'll add that if a kid is in 5th grade and one teacher between K-5 claims the kid needs a more restrictive placement due to behaviors, it really might not be a great personality match with the kid and that teacher. If a kid is in 5th grade and every teacher since kindergarten has said the same thing, the teachers aren't wrong. It's negligent for schools to gaslight teachers and insinuate it's a failure of classroom management when the same thing has happened with multiple teachers over the years.
Also, there should be a zero tolerance policy for physical assault or threats of physical assault toward staff, especially at the secondary level. That should go to the hearings office the first time it happens with OSS in the meantime. If it's a manifestation of the child's disability, they need to be in a classroom with a crisis response team on constant standby.

I'm an early primary teacher and I think there needs to be a zero tolerance policy towards even our youngest students regarding being physically aggressive with staff or threatening them. Students who do that need more support than can be had in the gen Ed room. Kids who make threats or hit, kick, etc staff members? That should trigger an immediate move to a behavioral sped room. Such students can either learn to self regulate there and then return to gen Ed after a period of time OR they can be diagnosed and treated and if they truly cannot self regulate themselves then great, in the behavior room they stay. I'm sorry, I don't care if they are 5. I've had 5 year olds threaten me and it is no fun wondering if today is the day they actually bring in a weapon. It happens.

Yup. And I had an admin say well what do you want me to do....ummm the child is destroying my room kicking me and scratching my IA and screaming non-stop for 25 minutes-do something anything so I can teach all the other students I have. I'm tired of these students and their parents ruining the school day for everyone. No one wants to teach like this anymore because you know what it's not teaching and the other students are not learning.

I also think parents of special needs kids have too much power. They can deny a placement if they want to. I gave seen parents who refuse to put child in a self contained class or transfer to an ED Center.

Their lawyers and advocates who are making a good living off of SPED families would beg to differ.

Yup....IEP=billable hours and taking teachers away from their classrooms. Vicious circle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Out of curiosity, how many teachers are leaving your school next year? At my ES there is 10 that we know of so far. Im wondering if the shortage situation is going to be better or worse than last year for the county.

To me this metric is meaningless without additional data. For example, I’d like to know:

the delta between outgoing and incoming (not known until late summer);

the primary reason for leaving (eg, administrative issues, unsuitable match, retirement, career change, etc)

the seniority of the teachers;

and so on.

Most of this is meaningless. The key points are that more are leaving the system than entering, and those entering are largely new and inexperienced.

This we just hired another "teacher trainee"

We are seeing the decline of the “career educator” who majors in education in college and stays all the way through retirement. More and more people are coming in through Alternative Certification programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Out of curiosity, how many teachers are leaving your school next year? At my ES there is 10 that we know of so far. Im wondering if the shortage situation is going to be better or worse than last year for the county.

To me this metric is meaningless without additional data. For example, I’d like to know:

the delta between outgoing and incoming (not known until late summer);

the primary reason for leaving (eg, administrative issues, unsuitable match, retirement, career change, etc)

the seniority of the teachers;

and so on.

Most of this is meaningless. The key points are that more are leaving the system than entering, and those entering are largely new and inexperienced.

This we just hired another "teacher trainee"

We are seeing the decline of the “career educator” who majors in education in college and stays all the way through retirement. More and more people are coming in through Alternative Certification programs.

The only requirement to be a SPED trainee is any degree and signing up for an intro to SPED class AFTER they are hired. Those are the standards to work with our most vulnerable populations. All teacher trainees are not bad, many are just switching in from working at privates or charters, but still the requirements are absurd.

https://www.fcps.edu/teacher-trainee

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Out of curiosity, how many teachers are leaving your school next year? At my ES there is 10 that we know of so far. Im wondering if the shortage situation is going to be better or worse than last year for the county.

To me this metric is meaningless without additional data. For example, I’d like to know:

the delta between outgoing and incoming (not known until late summer);

the primary reason for leaving (eg, administrative issues, unsuitable match, retirement, career change, etc)

the seniority of the teachers;

and so on.

Most of this is meaningless. The key points are that more are leaving the system than entering, and those entering are largely new and inexperienced.

This we just hired another "teacher trainee"

We are seeing the decline of the “career educator” who majors in education in college and stays all the way through retirement. More and more people are coming in through Alternative Certification programs.

The only requirement to be a SPED trainee is any degree and signing up for an intro to SPED class AFTER they are hired. Those are the standards to work with our most vulnerable populations. All teacher trainees are not bad, many are just switching in from working at privates or charters, but still the requirements are absurd.

https://www.fcps.edu/teacher-trainee

Well when no one wants the job, you have to lower the hiring criteria.

[Anonymous]

until SPED has its own payscale that is different and more than the regular teacher payscale, no one should take a SPED teacher position.

SPED teachers have to be a teacher + case manager + following IEP goals and accommodations/modifications + in some cases has to be collaborative teacher in team taught classes thus sharing teaching roles with gen ed teachers.

SPED teachers are severely underpaid.

[Anonymous]

They need to pay SPED teachers 80k as a starting salary. Public schools simply are not attracting the best and the brightest. Think about it, if you were a high school valedictorian right now would you be majoring in education?