HS teacher not grading papers for two straight semesters. Does FCPS have a policy on this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of this really is the result of efforts to achieve equity, even before it was called equity, as represented by scores.

The retakes, the leveled instruction, the IEP meetings, disparate levels and unprepared kids who were pushed through, inability to provide meaningful discipline, IDEA, bahavioral issues related to electronic device culture.

All of this has basically taken the responsibility of the parents and foisted it onto the teachers.

Now not every parent can be as responsible to their kids as some others and therefore there will always be different outcomes, but if the expectation is that someone needs to account for those gaps and it’s not parents, then it’s teachers and here we are.

OMG, the OP asked about a teacher grading nothing for half a year. It's absurd to wait this long for corrections. They mean nothing by this time. Teachers have graded things and provided feedback. This has been figured out by other teachers before you. The fact that you keep giving excuses for this teacher is alarming.

An appeal from a burnt-out, ready-to-quit AP teacher here:

Nobody is making excuses for a teacher who hasn’t graded for 1/2 a year. Several posters have tried to explain what grading looks like for us. I am doing 20 hours of grading a week on top of a 40 hour work week. Every week. I’m home sick today, and I’m grading. I’m always grading. I went to my own kids’ concert last week and graded during the break between sets.

Perhaps if the angry parent on this thread could see that those of us grading are sacrificing hours of our own time DAILY to get comments back, we could get somewhere. Yes, I understand it’s my job… and I am doing it! Stop being nasty and just acknowledge that papers don’t grade themselves. And please don’t send me an email when I don’t get 150 in-class writing responses back within 48 hours. I can’t pause time to get it done.

You are not the first teacher to teach. Do you have any idea what it’s like going through a system for 13 years and hearing the same story excusing bad teaching? Why are you defending this teacher if you are spending so much time grading?

I’m the PP. I wrote “nobody is making excuses” and you interpreted that is “why are you defending this teacher.” It’s clear that you simply want to pick a fight. It looks like you got it. Satisfied? You have good teachers who are sacrificing tons of time with their own families to give you exactly what you want. We DO give back work. Regularly. We simply want you to see that all this work gets done on our own time; we are granted no time during our contract hours to get the bulk of the job done.

I’m within an inch of quitting. Nasty posters like you are not helping. I guarantee you that I AM the teacher you want your kid to have. Why chase me away with your nastiness?

No, I don't. You've posted on here all day. I don't even think you are a teacher in FCPS.

I’ve posted twice. It seems there are other teachers on here who would like to be treated with a small amount of respect.
And yes, I am a teacher, and I attended FCPS as a student. Can you try to be kind? What’s the point of picking on people who are on your side and trying to do the job you want us to do?

What is the point of supporting a teacher who doesn't grade? Why do you support this teacher if they are making teachers look bad?

NP: Because they are doing what I don't have the guts to do--make the job 40 hours so they have a life outside school. It isn't a case of "they could do it during the school day but are choosing other things". Arguably the three most critical parts of our job are teaching, lesson planning, and grading. Only 2 of those can be done in 40 hours. Which do you prefer I give up? Or are you saying the only good teachers are those that are willing to work 60 hours?

If more teachers don't learn how to draw a line, there will be an even greater educator shortage soon.

So now you are advocating for teachers to not grade? This is why people are fed up with FCPS. I think it comes with the territory that lesson planning, grading and teaching are part of the job. A job which also has a shortened day and many days off. You really think parents think sending their kids to a school system that teachers are protesting grading is worthwhile to their child’s development? No grades is not a solution to improving FCPS schools. People will just move if they can’t afford other options.

No, I’m advocating for teachers to make 40 hour weeks, however they get there because otherwise there will be no teachers soon. The county doesn’t seem motivated to change anything, so teachers will have to control it themselves.

Maybe teacher A stops assigning essays entirely.
Maybe teacher B only grades topic sentences instead of whole paragraphs
Maybe teacher C gives partner quizzes so only half as many are graded
Maybe teacher D just gives everyone As so parents and admin and kids are happy
Maybe teacher E only plans 2 lessons a week and the third is “catch up day” where kids play on their phones and the teacher grades
Maybe teacher F makes every single assignment on the computer so it auto grades, or multiple choice everything so it’s fast
Maybe teacher G just stops grading everything except tests and all class work and homework is basically optional now.

The status quo is not sustainable. It is a job, not martyrdom. My own child asked me yesterday, “do you have time to play with me today, or only to grade more?” I understand that all these options suck but so does missing my kid’s childhood and being on antidepressants because the workload is more than a sane person can handle. I’m either going to scale back or quit, and if it’s quitting than good luck—I’m damn good at my job and no one else wants this position.

I hear you, PP, and I root for teachers A-G to take any and all of those strategies. In fact, I root for all teachers to work 40 hour weeks so that the whole system doesn’t depend on so much unpaid labor anymore.

Thank you for what you do, and please go play with your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of this really is the result of efforts to achieve equity, even before it was called equity, as represented by scores.

The retakes, the leveled instruction, the IEP meetings, disparate levels and unprepared kids who were pushed through, inability to provide meaningful discipline, IDEA, bahavioral issues related to electronic device culture.

All of this has basically taken the responsibility of the parents and foisted it onto the teachers.

Now not every parent can be as responsible to their kids as some others and therefore there will always be different outcomes, but if the expectation is that someone needs to account for those gaps and it’s not parents, then it’s teachers and here we are.

OMG, the OP asked about a teacher grading nothing for half a year. It's absurd to wait this long for corrections. They mean nothing by this time. Teachers have graded things and provided feedback. This has been figured out by other teachers before you. The fact that you keep giving excuses for this teacher is alarming.

An appeal from a burnt-out, ready-to-quit AP teacher here:

Nobody is making excuses for a teacher who hasn’t graded for 1/2 a year. Several posters have tried to explain what grading looks like for us. I am doing 20 hours of grading a week on top of a 40 hour work week. Every week. I’m home sick today, and I’m grading. I’m always grading. I went to my own kids’ concert last week and graded during the break between sets.

Perhaps if the angry parent on this thread could see that those of us grading are sacrificing hours of our own time DAILY to get comments back, we could get somewhere. Yes, I understand it’s my job… and I am doing it! Stop being nasty and just acknowledge that papers don’t grade themselves. And please don’t send me an email when I don’t get 150 in-class writing responses back within 48 hours. I can’t pause time to get it done.

You are not the first teacher to teach. Do you have any idea what it’s like going through a system for 13 years and hearing the same story excusing bad teaching? Why are you defending this teacher if you are spending so much time grading?

I’m the PP. I wrote “nobody is making excuses” and you interpreted that is “why are you defending this teacher.” It’s clear that you simply want to pick a fight. It looks like you got it. Satisfied? You have good teachers who are sacrificing tons of time with their own families to give you exactly what you want. We DO give back work. Regularly. We simply want you to see that all this work gets done on our own time; we are granted no time during our contract hours to get the bulk of the job done.

I’m within an inch of quitting. Nasty posters like you are not helping. I guarantee you that I AM the teacher you want your kid to have. Why chase me away with your nastiness?

No, I don't. You've posted on here all day. I don't even think you are a teacher in FCPS.

I’ve posted twice. It seems there are other teachers on here who would like to be treated with a small amount of respect.
And yes, I am a teacher, and I attended FCPS as a student. Can you try to be kind? What’s the point of picking on people who are on your side and trying to do the job you want us to do?

What is the point of supporting a teacher who doesn't grade? Why do you support this teacher if they are making teachers look bad?

NP: Because they are doing what I don't have the guts to do--make the job 40 hours so they have a life outside school. It isn't a case of "they could do it during the school day but are choosing other things". Arguably the three most critical parts of our job are teaching, lesson planning, and grading. Only 2 of those can be done in 40 hours. Which do you prefer I give up? Or are you saying the only good teachers are those that are willing to work 60 hours?

If more teachers don't learn how to draw a line, there will be an even greater educator shortage soon.

So now you are advocating for teachers to not grade? This is why people are fed up with FCPS. I think it comes with the territory that lesson planning, grading and teaching are part of the job. A job which also has a shortened day and many days off. You really think parents think sending their kids to a school system that teachers are protesting grading is worthwhile to their child’s development? No grades is not a solution to improving FCPS schools. People will just move if they can’t afford other options.

No, I’m advocating for teachers to make 40 hour weeks, however they get there because otherwise there will be no teachers soon. The county doesn’t seem motivated to change anything, so teachers will have to control it themselves.

Maybe teacher A stops assigning essays entirely.
Maybe teacher B only grades topic sentences instead of whole paragraphs
Maybe teacher C gives partner quizzes so only half as many are graded
Maybe teacher D just gives everyone As so parents and admin and kids are happy
Maybe teacher E only plans 2 lessons a week and the third is “catch up day” where kids play on their phones and the teacher grades
Maybe teacher F makes every single assignment on the computer so it auto grades, or multiple choice everything so it’s fast
Maybe teacher G just stops grading everything except tests and all class work and homework is basically optional now.

The status quo is not sustainable. It is a job, not martyrdom. My own child asked me yesterday, “do you have time to play with me today, or only to grade more?” I understand that all these options suck but so does missing my kid’s childhood and being on antidepressants because the workload is more than a sane person can handle. I’m either going to scale back or quit, and if it’s quitting than good luck—I’m damn good at my job and no one else wants this position.

I hear you, PP, and I root for teachers A-G to take any and all of those strategies. In fact, I root for all teachers to work 40 hour weeks so that the whole system doesn’t depend on so much unpaid labor anymore.

Thank you for what you do, and please go play with your child.

Yes, please do. But recognize that you're not doing your job then. And failing the students. I get no OT for when I engage in "unpaid labor" and I'd be fired if I didn't do it.
I wholeheartedly agree that the current structure is unsustainable. But, maybe it's the breaking point needed. And I'd rather know that there is no one there and not assume a teacher is actually teaching my kid when they're not. I can do something about the former, but not the latter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of this really is the result of efforts to achieve equity, even before it was called equity, as represented by scores.

The retakes, the leveled instruction, the IEP meetings, disparate levels and unprepared kids who were pushed through, inability to provide meaningful discipline, IDEA, bahavioral issues related to electronic device culture.

All of this has basically taken the responsibility of the parents and foisted it onto the teachers.

Now not every parent can be as responsible to their kids as some others and therefore there will always be different outcomes, but if the expectation is that someone needs to account for those gaps and it’s not parents, then it’s teachers and here we are.

OMG, the OP asked about a teacher grading nothing for half a year. It's absurd to wait this long for corrections. They mean nothing by this time. Teachers have graded things and provided feedback. This has been figured out by other teachers before you. The fact that you keep giving excuses for this teacher is alarming.

An appeal from a burnt-out, ready-to-quit AP teacher here:

Nobody is making excuses for a teacher who hasn’t graded for 1/2 a year. Several posters have tried to explain what grading looks like for us. I am doing 20 hours of grading a week on top of a 40 hour work week. Every week. I’m home sick today, and I’m grading. I’m always grading. I went to my own kids’ concert last week and graded during the break between sets.

Perhaps if the angry parent on this thread could see that those of us grading are sacrificing hours of our own time DAILY to get comments back, we could get somewhere. Yes, I understand it’s my job… and I am doing it! Stop being nasty and just acknowledge that papers don’t grade themselves. And please don’t send me an email when I don’t get 150 in-class writing responses back within 48 hours. I can’t pause time to get it done.

You are not the first teacher to teach. Do you have any idea what it’s like going through a system for 13 years and hearing the same story excusing bad teaching? Why are you defending this teacher if you are spending so much time grading?

I’m the PP. I wrote “nobody is making excuses” and you interpreted that is “why are you defending this teacher.” It’s clear that you simply want to pick a fight. It looks like you got it. Satisfied? You have good teachers who are sacrificing tons of time with their own families to give you exactly what you want. We DO give back work. Regularly. We simply want you to see that all this work gets done on our own time; we are granted no time during our contract hours to get the bulk of the job done.

I’m within an inch of quitting. Nasty posters like you are not helping. I guarantee you that I AM the teacher you want your kid to have. Why chase me away with your nastiness?

No, I don't. You've posted on here all day. I don't even think you are a teacher in FCPS.

I’ve posted twice. It seems there are other teachers on here who would like to be treated with a small amount of respect.
And yes, I am a teacher, and I attended FCPS as a student. Can you try to be kind? What’s the point of picking on people who are on your side and trying to do the job you want us to do?

What is the point of supporting a teacher who doesn't grade? Why do you support this teacher if they are making teachers look bad?

NP: Because they are doing what I don't have the guts to do--make the job 40 hours so they have a life outside school. It isn't a case of "they could do it during the school day but are choosing other things". Arguably the three most critical parts of our job are teaching, lesson planning, and grading. Only 2 of those can be done in 40 hours. Which do you prefer I give up? Or are you saying the only good teachers are those that are willing to work 60 hours?

If more teachers don't learn how to draw a line, there will be an even greater educator shortage soon.

So now you are advocating for teachers to not grade? This is why people are fed up with FCPS. I think it comes with the territory that lesson planning, grading and teaching are part of the job. A job which also has a shortened day and many days off. You really think parents think sending their kids to a school system that teachers are protesting grading is worthwhile to their child’s development? No grades is not a solution to improving FCPS schools. People will just move if they can’t afford other options.

No, I’m advocating for teachers to make 40 hour weeks, however they get there because otherwise there will be no teachers soon. The county doesn’t seem motivated to change anything, so teachers will have to control it themselves.

Maybe teacher A stops assigning essays entirely.
Maybe teacher B only grades topic sentences instead of whole paragraphs
Maybe teacher C gives partner quizzes so only half as many are graded
Maybe teacher D just gives everyone As so parents and admin and kids are happy
Maybe teacher E only plans 2 lessons a week and the third is “catch up day” where kids play on their phones and the teacher grades
Maybe teacher F makes every single assignment on the computer so it auto grades, or multiple choice everything so it’s fast
Maybe teacher G just stops grading everything except tests and all class work and homework is basically optional now.

The status quo is not sustainable. It is a job, not martyrdom. My own child asked me yesterday, “do you have time to play with me today, or only to grade more?” I understand that all these options suck but so does missing my kid’s childhood and being on antidepressants because the workload is more than a sane person can handle. I’m either going to scale back or quit, and if it’s quitting than good luck—I’m damn good at my job and no one else wants this position.

I hear you, PP, and I root for teachers A-G to take any and all of those strategies. In fact, I root for all teachers to work 40 hour weeks so that the whole system doesn’t depend on so much unpaid labor anymore.

Thank you for what you do, and please go play with your child.

Yes, please do. But recognize that you're not doing your job then. And failing the students. I get no OT for when I engage in "unpaid labor" and I'd be fired if I didn't do it.
I wholeheartedly agree that the current structure is unsustainable. But, maybe it's the breaking point needed. And I'd rather know that there is no one there and not assume a teacher is actually teaching my kid when they're not. I can do something about the former, but not the latter.

So are you telling us that you work 5 to 6 hours a day of overtime?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of this really is the result of efforts to achieve equity, even before it was called equity, as represented by scores.

The retakes, the leveled instruction, the IEP meetings, disparate levels and unprepared kids who were pushed through, inability to provide meaningful discipline, IDEA, bahavioral issues related to electronic device culture.

All of this has basically taken the responsibility of the parents and foisted it onto the teachers.

Now not every parent can be as responsible to their kids as some others and therefore there will always be different outcomes, but if the expectation is that someone needs to account for those gaps and it’s not parents, then it’s teachers and here we are.

OMG, the OP asked about a teacher grading nothing for half a year. It's absurd to wait this long for corrections. They mean nothing by this time. Teachers have graded things and provided feedback. This has been figured out by other teachers before you. The fact that you keep giving excuses for this teacher is alarming.

An appeal from a burnt-out, ready-to-quit AP teacher here:

Nobody is making excuses for a teacher who hasn’t graded for 1/2 a year. Several posters have tried to explain what grading looks like for us. I am doing 20 hours of grading a week on top of a 40 hour work week. Every week. I’m home sick today, and I’m grading. I’m always grading. I went to my own kids’ concert last week and graded during the break between sets.

Perhaps if the angry parent on this thread could see that those of us grading are sacrificing hours of our own time DAILY to get comments back, we could get somewhere. Yes, I understand it’s my job… and I am doing it! Stop being nasty and just acknowledge that papers don’t grade themselves. And please don’t send me an email when I don’t get 150 in-class writing responses back within 48 hours. I can’t pause time to get it done.

You are not the first teacher to teach. Do you have any idea what it’s like going through a system for 13 years and hearing the same story excusing bad teaching? Why are you defending this teacher if you are spending so much time grading?

I’m the PP. I wrote “nobody is making excuses” and you interpreted that is “why are you defending this teacher.” It’s clear that you simply want to pick a fight. It looks like you got it. Satisfied? You have good teachers who are sacrificing tons of time with their own families to give you exactly what you want. We DO give back work. Regularly. We simply want you to see that all this work gets done on our own time; we are granted no time during our contract hours to get the bulk of the job done.

I’m within an inch of quitting. Nasty posters like you are not helping. I guarantee you that I AM the teacher you want your kid to have. Why chase me away with your nastiness?

No, I don't. You've posted on here all day. I don't even think you are a teacher in FCPS.

I’ve posted twice. It seems there are other teachers on here who would like to be treated with a small amount of respect.
And yes, I am a teacher, and I attended FCPS as a student. Can you try to be kind? What’s the point of picking on people who are on your side and trying to do the job you want us to do?

What is the point of supporting a teacher who doesn't grade? Why do you support this teacher if they are making teachers look bad?

NP: Because they are doing what I don't have the guts to do--make the job 40 hours so they have a life outside school. It isn't a case of "they could do it during the school day but are choosing other things". Arguably the three most critical parts of our job are teaching, lesson planning, and grading. Only 2 of those can be done in 40 hours. Which do you prefer I give up? Or are you saying the only good teachers are those that are willing to work 60 hours?

If more teachers don't learn how to draw a line, there will be an even greater educator shortage soon.

So now you are advocating for teachers to not grade? This is why people are fed up with FCPS. I think it comes with the territory that lesson planning, grading and teaching are part of the job. A job which also has a shortened day and many days off. You really think parents think sending their kids to a school system that teachers are protesting grading is worthwhile to their child’s development? No grades is not a solution to improving FCPS schools. People will just move if they can’t afford other options.

No, I’m advocating for teachers to make 40 hour weeks, however they get there because otherwise there will be no teachers soon. The county doesn’t seem motivated to change anything, so teachers will have to control it themselves.

Maybe teacher A stops assigning essays entirely.
Maybe teacher B only grades topic sentences instead of whole paragraphs
Maybe teacher C gives partner quizzes so only half as many are graded
Maybe teacher D just gives everyone As so parents and admin and kids are happy
Maybe teacher E only plans 2 lessons a week and the third is “catch up day” where kids play on their phones and the teacher grades
Maybe teacher F makes every single assignment on the computer so it auto grades, or multiple choice everything so it’s fast
Maybe teacher G just stops grading everything except tests and all class work and homework is basically optional now.

The status quo is not sustainable. It is a job, not martyrdom. My own child asked me yesterday, “do you have time to play with me today, or only to grade more?” I understand that all these options suck but so does missing my kid’s childhood and being on antidepressants because the workload is more than a sane person can handle. I’m either going to scale back or quit, and if it’s quitting than good luck—I’m damn good at my job and no one else wants this position.

I hear you, PP, and I root for teachers A-G to take any and all of those strategies. In fact, I root for all teachers to work 40 hour weeks so that the whole system doesn’t depend on so much unpaid labor anymore.

Thank you for what you do, and please go play with your child.

Yes, please do. But recognize that you're not doing your job then. And failing the students. I get no OT for when I engage in "unpaid labor" and I'd be fired if I didn't do it.
I wholeheartedly agree that the current structure is unsustainable. But, maybe it's the breaking point needed. And I'd rather know that there is no one there and not assume a teacher is actually teaching my kid when they're not. I can do something about the former, but not the latter.

This teacher isn't failing the students. The system is.