Why are our teachers being paid to do 0-30 minutes of teaching every day?

[Anonymous]

I think the better questions is why are our school counselors, librarians, and nurses being paid to do nothing at all right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know where 1:30 teaches but it certainly isn't FCPS. I have worked maybe 5 hours/week since schools closed down (ES classroom teacher).

I work in PWCS and I have done very little mandatory work since school has closed, but I have been spending about 40+ hours a week on doing things for next year, so that hopefully in the future I can have some semblance of a normal life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the better questions is why are our school counselors, librarians, and nurses being paid to do nothing at all right now.

No. Ask instead about who gets to keep all the leftover money in dependent care flexible spending accounts that cannot be used when before/after care and camps are closed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the better questions is why are our school counselors, librarians, and nurses being paid to do nothing at all right now.

Nurses work for the health department. I am pretty sure they are busy right now. Counselors have been making phone calls like crazy to reach students that haven’t checked in yet. They have reached out to a couple hundred families at my school. They still have all the class registration for student schedules for next year to do. Our media specialist has been sending out info about online resources for teachers. You may not see any of this work on a screen at home but all this backend stuff takes a ton of time.

[Anonymous]

I hope MCPS has a better plan for next school year. That said I would not mind having multiple well designed trainings at a normal pace to learn how to navigate the technology and troubleshoot/change platforms when things don’t work. We send one thing from our side but when we do student view something else appears. School Leadership also plays a huge role. Some principals are wary of the situation while others comment on the aesthetics of our work and send articles about not having a fixed mindset. Many of us have been going over the recorded crash courses over and over and asking questions online, without always getting a valid answer to solve the problem. So many of us are all for learning the technology at a normal pace during the summer without getting any monetary compensation.

[Anonymous]

Simple answer. Union. If the school system is modeled like the rest of the world then less work means less pay. Our dance/soccer class canceled so no tuition. Plain and simple. You don’t pay for services not provided. Unionized schools protect its members and often at the expense of progress and what should be the main goal of school - education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in DCPS, but my job these past weeks has been to call every family and talk them through how to access platforms, address technology concerns, help them get free wifi, how/where to pick up packets, many at odd times because parents are still working. And there are still parents that I can't get in touch with or just did in the past few days, so this has been going on for a while. You might not be seeing much teaching yet, but making sure that everyone can access the work, and that everyone's concerns are addressed is the first priority for me right now AND it's a full time job.

Exactly! I have spent countless hours with some parents trying to help them access ZOOM meetings and all of the technology. It is so hard to get through the lessons because so many parents are messaging me asking me to troubleshoot various tech issues. My days have been so long and I still only have about 75% of my class connected. Some people have no idea about what’s going on behind the scenes. They can’t see beyond their own needs. It’s so unfortunate. I don’t know one teacher who is loving this new situation that we all have to face, but we all have to make the best of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Simple answer. Union. If the school system is modeled like the rest of the world then less work means less pay. Our dance/soccer class canceled so no tuition. Plain and simple. You don’t pay for services not provided. Unionized schools protect its members and often at the expense of progress and what should be the main goal of school - education.

Does that mean more hours equals more pay? If so, then I am owed a huge paycheck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Simple answer. Union. If the school system is modeled like the rest of the world then less work means less pay. Our dance/soccer class canceled so no tuition. Plain and simple. You don’t pay for services not provided. Unionized schools protect its members and often at the expense of progress and what should be the main goal of school - education.

Sorry but from MCPS point of view, the main goal of school is "to reduce the achievement gap" and "to provide free food". Education...Hmmmmm maybe the 6th or 7th goal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Goodness, what district is this? That is a lot of of work. What grades do you teach?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. These posts makes me sick. Disgusted. You are not more important than we are. You do not work harder than we do. You are not the only people in the world with children or other people that rely on you. We are in a once in a lifetime global health crisis and you want to criticize and put down teachers??!! Shame! Shame! Shame!

You want to know my schedule. Here it is:

8-9 meeting; 9:15-10 Lesson, 10-11 Lesson, 11:15-12:00 Lesson, 12-12:30 (meeting while I eat my lunch); 12:30-1 Lesson, 1-2 Lesson; 2-3 Lesson; 3:15-4:00 Lesson; 4:15-4:45 Lesson; And....(2x a week I do a lesson 4:45-5:15.)

Then, I walk my dog, exercise and eat dinner till 7:30-8 then make lesson plans and videos till 12-2am in the morning because when would I possibly have time to plan???

Then I get up at 7 something and do it all over again. Ive given myself Saturdays off, but plan all day Sunday from around 9am-till 10-11:30pm.

Ive sent my students materials, books, and rewards by mail out of my own pocket. Ive donated money to our school’s fund to pay our low income parents’ rent. I gave away a computer to a family that needed one.

And then there’s the constant barrage of emails. Oh the Emails! Emails from parents telling me everything they are stressed out about and everything Im doing wrong while I play the part of their unpaid therapist and talk them down off the ledge. And what do I get in return? $32 hour for 8hrs a day/40hrs a week for 196 days a year when I easily work 13-15 hrs a day rt now plus 12+ hrs on the weekend for a total of 77+ hrs a week. And, let me tell you, not one parent has asked me how I am doing? Or if my family is Ok? I was sick btw. And both my elderly parents were sick. And oh, my husband is quarantined in Florida while Im here in DC. I haven't seen him in over a month. But you wouldn’t know that because I’m everyone’s teacher, social worker, therapist, ADHD coach, Personal assistant, Technology instructor, Office depot supplier, babysitter, second-class citizen punching bag.

Last but not least, and Im so tired of having to say this: Teachers are 10 month salaried employees. We are not 12 month employees. We get paid for 10 months of 8 hour days. We work many, many, many, more hours than 8 hours a day including late nights and weekends for 8 hrs of pay.

We do NOT receive any payment for the summer weeks off for which we don't work (makes sense).

If you gave you’re hairdresser or your housekeeper or your Nanny or your grub hub delivery guy a big tip, feel free to send over a $25 gift card or better yet a bottle of wine to your teacher. Because unbeknownst to you they are probably sacrificing their own happiness and well being for their students, you’re children, right, now. But if you can’t spare a twenty maybe just try How are you? Or Thank You. Or My child misses you.

Ungrateful, ungrateful, privileged, entitled narcissists. Thank goodness I do this work because it is my passion and my calling. I do it for my students, and certainly not any of you.

Thank you.

I will add that I don’t need the “tip” or even a thank you, Parents, but it would be nice if you put away the cyber pitchforks and torches.

Who is receiving all these lessons PP is teaching? Certainly no one in my school.

+1. Definitely not in my McPS school. Teacher, where exactly are you teaching? I’d like to move there so my kid can get more than 1.5 hours/week of full class instructional time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope MCPS has a better plan for next school year. That said I would not mind having multiple well designed trainings at a normal pace to learn how to navigate the technology and troubleshoot/change platforms when things don’t work. We send one thing from our side but when we do student view something else appears. School Leadership also plays a huge role. Some principals are wary of the situation while others comment on the aesthetics of our work and send articles about not having a fixed mindset. Many of us have been going over the recorded crash courses over and over and asking questions online, without always getting a valid answer to solve the problem. So many of us are all for learning the technology at a normal pace during the summer without getting any monetary compensation.

It's a joke. My kids have not had one zoom conference with any teachers. Apparently, unlike most of their peers, they didn't need to make up any work for the last quarter, so they've had a month off from doing any work.

It's hard to watch all the private school kids sitting down and having actual classes all day online - participating in class, asking questions, etc.

Our kids are just falling further and further behind.

And if parents and kids can't use zoom, MoCo should have one specialist available to do demos for them. It's not rocket science, any kid who can play a video game (which is all of them) can figure out zoom. You click a button and you're on.

[Anonymous]

ENOUGH! Parents today are too lazy to be true. How were children educated several hundred years ago? Hint: There were actual things with pieces of paper inside them and actual persons connecting in meaningful intellectual ways with those who needed to learn. Books + dedicated interaction resulted in learning. It is a total myth that children need many different things to learn. The technology that people rely on is mainly a crutch. Yes, I said it. I taught three children to read at home with -- sharp intake of breath -- nothing more than books, paper, and pencils. But it did take time and a willingness to engage with them. This is how the children of nobility were taught in centuries past. Queen Elizabeth spoke more than four languages fluently by the time she was 12 years old and was accomplished in many other areas. Even one hundred years ago the language in books for children was far more advanced that it is today. If you care so much about your kids' education be willing to invest it in personally. Read Little Women to them before you let them watch the movie. Talk to them about the allegory of the cave or Bertrand Russell. They can listen and understand if you will take the time and have faith in their abilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ENOUGH! Parents today are too lazy to be true. How were children educated several hundred years ago? Hint: There were actual things with pieces of paper inside them and actual persons connecting in meaningful intellectual ways with those who needed to learn. Books + dedicated interaction resulted in learning. It is a total myth that children need many different things to learn. The technology that people rely on is mainly a crutch. Yes, I said it. I taught three children to read at home with -- sharp intake of breath -- nothing more than books, paper, and pencils. But it did take time and a willingness to engage with them. This is how the children of nobility were taught in centuries past. Queen Elizabeth spoke more than four languages fluently by the time she was 12 years old and was accomplished in many other areas. Even one hundred years ago the language in books for children was far more advanced that it is today. If you care so much about your kids' education be willing to invest it in personally. Read Little Women to them before you let them watch the movie. Talk to them about the allegory of the cave or Bertrand Russell. They can listen and understand if you will take the time and have faith in their abilities.

What’s your point? That the teaching profession shouldn’t exist? We can teach our children. But why do we pay taxes for a school system when that system can’t function during this time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ENOUGH! Parents today are too lazy to be true. How were children educated several hundred years ago? Hint: There were actual things with pieces of paper inside them and actual persons connecting in meaningful intellectual ways with those who needed to learn. Books + dedicated interaction resulted in learning. It is a total myth that children need many different things to learn. The technology that people rely on is mainly a crutch. Yes, I said it. I taught three children to read at home with -- sharp intake of breath -- nothing more than books, paper, and pencils. But it did take time and a willingness to engage with them. This is how the children of nobility were taught in centuries past. Queen Elizabeth spoke more than four languages fluently by the time she was 12 years old and was accomplished in many other areas. Even one hundred years ago the language in books for children was far more advanced that it is today. If you care so much about your kids' education be willing to invest it in personally. Read Little Women to them before you let them watch the movie. Talk to them about the allegory of the cave or Bertrand Russell. They can listen and understand if you will take the time and have faith in their abilities.

What’s your point? That the teaching profession shouldn’t exist? We can teach our children. But why do we pay taxes for a school system when that system can’t function during this time.

Be careful what you wish for...it is very possible that the system could become very well run and then what would be the incentive for schools to return to normal...they are saving money on utilities, fuel, etc...you could have your taxes reduced, but home with your kids could become the new normal...essentially it seems that parents want babysitters for their kids...that’s not the purpose of education...
If teachers weren’t getting paid right now, what would be the incentive for them to stay...why come back to a system in the fall that would turn their backs on them...the teacher shortage is already very real...that would only make it worse...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the better questions is why are our school counselors, librarians, and nurses being paid to do nothing at all right now.

I'm a media Specialist who is still teaching lessons, helping kids use databases and ebooks, helping staff with tech support and is the school webmaster.

The school counselor is doing group sessions via Zoom and helping with interventions.