Incentives to Keep Teachers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher in a different county and didn’t read the entire thread but maybe MCPS should go out on a limb and actually ask teachers what would entice them to stay in the classroom. I think the answers would be enlightening.

I don’t think so. MCPS knows what would entice teachers to stay in the classroom. The ability to deliver those enticements is the challenge. Let’s see if teachers agree with the list:

- Smaller class sizes
- More planning time
- Student respect and less discipline issues
- More autonomy
- Career ladder
- Enforcing a cell phone policy
- Relevant Professional Development

The easiest of these to implant is enforcement of cell phone policy. Many others require funding and staff, which we know is short.

Enforcement of the cell phone policy would also require significant funding and staff. If it didn’t, they would have done it already.

Not to mention it's a violation of their rights. Schools can't just cease property on a whim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher in a different county and didn’t read the entire thread but maybe MCPS should go out on a limb and actually ask teachers what would entice them to stay in the classroom. I think the answers would be enlightening.

I don’t think so. MCPS knows what would entice teachers to stay in the classroom. The ability to deliver those enticements is the challenge. Let’s see if teachers agree with the list:

- Smaller class sizes
- More planning time
- Student respect and less discipline issues
- More autonomy
- Career ladder
- Enforcing a cell phone policy
- Relevant Professional Development

The easiest of these to implant is enforcement of cell phone policy. Many others require funding and staff, which we know is short.

Enforcement of the cell phone policy would also require significant funding and staff. If it didn’t, they would have done it already.

Not to mention it's a violation of their rights. Schools can't just cease property on a whim.

I don’t think it requires significant funding or staff it’s requires will. Schools already have in the office places to securely store items. And it’s not ceasing property on a whim, it would be confiscating items after violation of rules and being asked nicely to put it away in an appropriate place by a teacher/staff.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:There are already plenty of incentives. The problem is the grass is always greener, but at least there's no shortage of new teachers to fill in for the unhappy ones who leave.

Exactly. They get really good benefits and there are housing programs already. And after the first few years the pay is decent to good for a ten month employee and they get tuition benefits for a masters or PhD.

And yet we can’t keep teachers in the classroom. Here we are commenting on a thread about how to incentivize people to stay in the profession.

TEACHERS know that the benefits aren’t worth the agony, but DCUM is here to tell teachers that their jobs are amazing. We’ll keep pretending that the teacher shortage isn’t a thing.

I am an MCPS employee. I know the benefits are great and my pay is not bad. I am a few years away from retiring with my full pension and I am leaving at the end of the school year. The stress and constant changes and demands are no longer worth it. I handed in my retirement papers and feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders.

Congratulations! I took 3 years off when my children were younger. The stress, fatigue, and anxiety melted away. I forgot how bad it was, which is why I came back. I won’t be making it much longer and I’ll be kissing full pension goodbye. I don’t care. It isn’t worth my health and happiness.

The posters who love to remind us about the amazing benefits haven’t actually tried the job. The benefits aren’t worth it. At all.

Teaching isn't the only difficult job in the county. Lots of difficult jobs in social service for example. But, you work 10 months, we work 12 months. You get a pension, we don't. You get far better health care than we do, etc. So, yup, try changing jobs to what others do.

Do you work 65-70 hours per week? Teachers do, and that is why they are getting out. The pension isn't enough because the pay isn't enough.

I’m not PP, but, yes, I work 65-70 hours a week. I don’t get paid overtime. I only get 7 federal holidays. I get paged and work on my days off, which are limited. I don’t get good healtcare coverage from my work, but it’s not bad. This is standard in technology. However, I am paid way more than teachers in my present job. That said, at the beginning of my career, I worked even over 100 hours a week and even 36 straight hours before, and I got paid only barely more than my wife, who was a teacher. She’s no longer teaching, but still in the general field. She makes more, but not much more than if she had remained a teacher.

It seems you were in a pretty crummy job situation. What made you stay? For anyone who counters with “but I also do XYZ…” why do you stay in your job that also isn’t great. These are honest questions. All jobs have crappy parts to them but not every career has shortages of people to take those jobs. So if you are in one of the jobs, why do you stay? That could help answer the teacher retention question.

I stay because I am a single parent with two kids going to college in the next few years. I missed the window to leave and now I'm stuck.

I don't get why having high schoolers means you can't get a different job.

It's kind of a great job that has summers off, unlimited sick leave, not to mention a pension!

There is definitely not unlimited sick leave

My kid's ES teachers for the past 2 years have been out for roughly a week every month. That's more sick time than any job I've ever had.

It’s none of your business why she’s out sick and she’s probably either using years of saved sick leave or she’s being forced to use the union bank. Sounds like she’s definitely going through something health wise, but sure, make it all about you and how bad your own life is. Grow up.

[Anonymous]

Confiscation or “ceasing it” means keeping it permanently. Schools always give them back to parents whom are typically the actual owners of devices. I have never met a student who bought their own phone and pays their own bill.

Lots of others things are banded in schools and are able to collected and returned to parents or turned over to law enforcement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher in a different county and didn’t read the entire thread but maybe MCPS should go out on a limb and actually ask teachers what would entice them to stay in the classroom. I think the answers would be enlightening.

I don’t think so. MCPS knows what would entice teachers to stay in the classroom. The ability to deliver those enticements is the challenge. Let’s see if teachers agree with the list:

- Smaller class sizes
- More planning time
- Student respect and less discipline issues
- More autonomy
- Career ladder
- Enforcing a cell phone policy
- Relevant Professional Development

The easiest of these to implant is enforcement of cell phone policy. Many others require funding and staff, which we know is short.

I like all of these. The only thing I would change is the PD. In all my years about 2% of the PD I've had was worth attending. I don't believe it's worth it to have any PD anymore. Let each teacher choose one professional book to read each year and just cancel all PD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Confiscation or “ceasing it” means keeping it permanently. Schools always give them back to parents whom are typically the actual owners of devices. I have never met a student who bought their own phone and pays their own bill.

Lots of others things are banded in schools and are able to collected and returned to parents or turned over to law enforcement.

The PP who said it was a violation is probably a parent who needs to get in touch with Larla at all times. Eliminating parents like this would go a long way towards improving teacher satisfaction. Parents are very focused on the entitlements and rights of their child rather than what’s best for their child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher in a different county and didn’t read the entire thread but maybe MCPS should go out on a limb and actually ask teachers what would entice them to stay in the classroom. I think the answers would be enlightening.

I don’t think so. MCPS knows what would entice teachers to stay in the classroom. The ability to deliver those enticements is the challenge. Let’s see if teachers agree with the list:

- Smaller class sizes
- More planning time
- Student respect and less discipline issues
- More autonomy
- Career ladder
- Enforcing a cell phone policy
- Relevant Professional Development

The easiest of these to implant is enforcement of cell phone policy. Many others require funding and staff, which we know is short.

Enforcement of the cell phone policy would also require significant funding and staff. If it didn’t, they would have done it already.

Not to mention it's a violation of their rights. Schools can't just cease property on a whim.

I don’t think it requires significant funding or staff it’s requires will. Schools already have in the office places to securely store items. And it’s not ceasing property on a whim, it would be confiscating items after violation of rules and being asked nicely to put it away in an appropriate place by a teacher/staff.

Kid gets two warning. Otherwise teacher takes it, drops it off in the office and parents can pick it up at the end of the day. Done. I'm fine with a teacher taking my kid's phone. I've told teacher they have permission to take it if the behavior continues and I'll get it at the end of the day. If the kid argues with the teacher, it gets shut off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Confiscation or “ceasing it” means keeping it permanently. Schools always give them back to parents whom are typically the actual owners of devices. I have never met a student who bought their own phone and pays their own bill.

Lots of others things are banded in schools and are able to collected and returned to parents or turned over to law enforcement.

The PP who said it was a violation is probably a parent who needs to get in touch with Larla at all times. Eliminating parents like this would go a long way towards improving teacher satisfaction. Parents are very focused on the entitlements and rights of their child rather than what’s best for their child.

I am a parent who likes communication at all times. We've had bad things happen, so be blessed you haven't. But, my kids know I will take it away and they will get a very basic phone if they are told to put it away and they don't.

[Anonymous]

Everyone is so focused on the phones but kids can access most websites, including instagram via their chromebooks so they are all pretty bad.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are already plenty of incentives. The problem is the grass is always greener, but at least there's no shortage of new teachers to fill in for the unhappy ones who leave.

Exactly. They get really good benefits and there are housing programs already. And after the first few years the pay is decent to good for a ten month employee and they get tuition benefits for a masters or PhD.

And yet we can’t keep teachers in the classroom. Here we are commenting on a thread about how to incentivize people to stay in the profession.

TEACHERS know that the benefits aren’t worth the agony, but DCUM is here to tell teachers that their jobs are amazing. We’ll keep pretending that the teacher shortage isn’t a thing.

I am an MCPS employee. I know the benefits are great and my pay is not bad. I am a few years away from retiring with my full pension and I am leaving at the end of the school year. The stress and constant changes and demands are no longer worth it. I handed in my retirement papers and feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders.

Congratulations! I took 3 years off when my children were younger. The stress, fatigue, and anxiety melted away. I forgot how bad it was, which is why I came back. I won’t be making it much longer and I’ll be kissing full pension goodbye. I don’t care. It isn’t worth my health and happiness.

The posters who love to remind us about the amazing benefits haven’t actually tried the job. The benefits aren’t worth it. At all.

Teaching isn't the only difficult job in the county. Lots of difficult jobs in social service for example. But, you work 10 months, we work 12 months. You get a pension, we don't. You get far better health care than we do, etc. So, yup, try changing jobs to what others do.

Do you work 65-70 hours per week? Teachers do, and that is why they are getting out. The pension isn't enough because the pay isn't enough.

I’m not PP, but, yes, I work 65-70 hours a week. I don’t get paid overtime. I only get 7 federal holidays. I get paged and work on my days off, which are limited. I don’t get good healtcare coverage from my work, but it’s not bad. This is standard in technology. However, I am paid way more than teachers in my present job. That said, at the beginning of my career, I worked even over 100 hours a week and even 36 straight hours before, and I got paid only barely more than my wife, who was a teacher. She’s no longer teaching, but still in the general field. She makes more, but not much more than if she had remained a teacher.

It seems you were in a pretty crummy job situation. What made you stay? For anyone who counters with “but I also do XYZ…” why do you stay in your job that also isn’t great. These are honest questions. All jobs have crappy parts to them but not every career has shortages of people to take those jobs. So if you are in one of the jobs, why do you stay? That could help answer the teacher retention question.

I stay because I am a single parent with two kids going to college in the next few years. I missed the window to leave and now I'm stuck.

I don't get why having high schoolers means you can't get a different job.

It's kind of a great job that has summers off, unlimited sick leave, not to mention a pension!

There is definitely not unlimited sick leave

My kid's ES teachers for the past 2 years have been out for roughly a week every month. That's more sick time than any job I've ever had.

It’s none of your business why she’s out sick and she’s probably either using years of saved sick leave or she’s being forced to use the union bank. Sounds like she’s definitely going through something health wise, but sure, make it all about you and how bad your own life is. Grow up.

Why is none of their business but it impacts the child's education and if you are out that much, you should take the year off. They are probably leave without pay.

[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:There are already plenty of incentives. The problem is the grass is always greener, but at least there's no shortage of new teachers to fill in for the unhappy ones who leave.

Exactly. They get really good benefits and there are housing programs already. And after the first few years the pay is decent to good for a ten month employee and they get tuition benefits for a masters or PhD.

And yet we can’t keep teachers in the classroom. Here we are commenting on a thread about how to incentivize people to stay in the profession.

TEACHERS know that the benefits aren’t worth the agony, but DCUM is here to tell teachers that their jobs are amazing. We’ll keep pretending that the teacher shortage isn’t a thing.

I am an MCPS employee. I know the benefits are great and my pay is not bad. I am a few years away from retiring with my full pension and I am leaving at the end of the school year. The stress and constant changes and demands are no longer worth it. I handed in my retirement papers and feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders.

Congratulations! I took 3 years off when my children were younger. The stress, fatigue, and anxiety melted away. I forgot how bad it was, which is why I came back. I won’t be making it much longer and I’ll be kissing full pension goodbye. I don’t care. It isn’t worth my health and happiness.

The posters who love to remind us about the amazing benefits haven’t actually tried the job. The benefits aren’t worth it. At all.

Teaching isn't the only difficult job in the county. Lots of difficult jobs in social service for example. But, you work 10 months, we work 12 months. You get a pension, we don't. You get far better health care than we do, etc. So, yup, try changing jobs to what others do.

Do you work 65-70 hours per week? Teachers do, and that is why they are getting out. The pension isn't enough because the pay isn't enough.

I’m not PP, but, yes, I work 65-70 hours a week. I don’t get paid overtime. I only get 7 federal holidays. I get paged and work on my days off, which are limited. I don’t get good healtcare coverage from my work, but it’s not bad. This is standard in technology. However, I am paid way more than teachers in my present job. That said, at the beginning of my career, I worked even over 100 hours a week and even 36 straight hours before, and I got paid only barely more than my wife, who was a teacher. She’s no longer teaching, but still in the general field. She makes more, but not much more than if she had remained a teacher.

It seems you were in a pretty crummy job situation. What made you stay? For anyone who counters with “but I also do XYZ…” why do you stay in your job that also isn’t great. These are honest questions. All jobs have crappy parts to them but not every career has shortages of people to take those jobs. So if you are in one of the jobs, why do you stay? That could help answer the teacher retention question.

I stay because I am a single parent with two kids going to college in the next few years. I missed the window to leave and now I'm stuck.

I don't get why having high schoolers means you can't get a different job.

It's kind of a great job that has summers off, unlimited sick leave, not to mention a pension!

You clearly don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, but go off because you’re mad you work 12 months a year. It’s seriously so pathetic and honestly, just a tired, uneducated sentiment at this point. You’re embarrassing.

It's a 10 month job so technically summers are off but they are unpaid so you need to factor pay being 10 months vs. 12. There is no unlimited sick leave but they are the only job in the county that still gets a pension so it is pretty cushy.

[Anonymous]

It's too bad there are no more unions.

Teachers could go on strike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cap classes at 20 students. That would make the job more effective and enjoyable

Great idea, but who will foot the bill for this?

We're all footing the bill for poor educational outcomes. Better to just invest upfront. But yes, it would require more revenue from the state and county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher in a different county and didn’t read the entire thread but maybe MCPS should go out on a limb and actually ask teachers what would entice them to stay in the classroom. I think the answers would be enlightening.

I don’t think so. MCPS knows what would entice teachers to stay in the classroom. The ability to deliver those enticements is the challenge. Let’s see if teachers agree with the list:

- Smaller class sizes
- More planning time
- Student respect and less discipline issues
- More autonomy
- Career ladder
- Enforcing a cell phone policy
- Relevant Professional Development

The easiest of these to implant is enforcement of cell phone policy. Many others require funding and staff, which we know is short.

Enforcement of the cell phone policy would also require significant funding and staff. If it didn’t, they would have done it already.

Not to mention it's a violation of their rights. Schools can't just cease property on a whim.

Not sure where that "right" is listed. Kids agree to follow the mcps student's code of conduct. They violate it and the phone goes to the office. In our school, they get it back the first time at the end of the day. Second time a parent has to come in to get it.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:There are already plenty of incentives. The problem is the grass is always greener, but at least there's no shortage of new teachers to fill in for the unhappy ones who leave.

Exactly. They get really good benefits and there are housing programs already. And after the first few years the pay is decent to good for a ten month employee and they get tuition benefits for a masters or PhD.

And yet we can’t keep teachers in the classroom. Here we are commenting on a thread about how to incentivize people to stay in the profession.

TEACHERS know that the benefits aren’t worth the agony, but DCUM is here to tell teachers that their jobs are amazing. We’ll keep pretending that the teacher shortage isn’t a thing.

I am an MCPS employee. I know the benefits are great and my pay is not bad. I am a few years away from retiring with my full pension and I am leaving at the end of the school year. The stress and constant changes and demands are no longer worth it. I handed in my retirement papers and feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders.

Congratulations! I took 3 years off when my children were younger. The stress, fatigue, and anxiety melted away. I forgot how bad it was, which is why I came back. I won’t be making it much longer and I’ll be kissing full pension goodbye. I don’t care. It isn’t worth my health and happiness.

The posters who love to remind us about the amazing benefits haven’t actually tried the job. The benefits aren’t worth it. At all.

Teaching isn't the only difficult job in the county. Lots of difficult jobs in social service for example. But, you work 10 months, we work 12 months. You get a pension, we don't. You get far better health care than we do, etc. So, yup, try changing jobs to what others do.

Do you work 65-70 hours per week? Teachers do, and that is why they are getting out. The pension isn't enough because the pay isn't enough.

I’m not PP, but, yes, I work 65-70 hours a week. I don’t get paid overtime. I only get 7 federal holidays. I get paged and work on my days off, which are limited. I don’t get good healtcare coverage from my work, but it’s not bad. This is standard in technology. However, I am paid way more than teachers in my present job. That said, at the beginning of my career, I worked even over 100 hours a week and even 36 straight hours before, and I got paid only barely more than my wife, who was a teacher. She’s no longer teaching, but still in the general field. She makes more, but not much more than if she had remained a teacher.

It seems you were in a pretty crummy job situation. What made you stay? For anyone who counters with “but I also do XYZ…” why do you stay in your job that also isn’t great. These are honest questions. All jobs have crappy parts to them but not every career has shortages of people to take those jobs. So if you are in one of the jobs, why do you stay? That could help answer the teacher retention question.

I stay because I am a single parent with two kids going to college in the next few years. I missed the window to leave and now I'm stuck.

I don't get why having high schoolers means you can't get a different job.

It's kind of a great job that has summers off, unlimited sick leave, not to mention a pension!

You clearly don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, but go off because you’re mad you work 12 months a year. It’s seriously so pathetic and honestly, just a tired, uneducated sentiment at this point. You’re embarrassing.

It's a 10 month job so technically summers are off but they are unpaid so you need to factor pay being 10 months vs. 12. There is no unlimited sick leave but they are the only job in the county that still gets a pension so it is pretty cushy.

Nobody thinks teaching is cushy. Nobody. There’s a reason there’s a major teacher shortage. The unpaid summers and the promise of a full pension if you can actually endure 3O+ years in the classroom aren’t enticing enough.

Students know it isn’t cushy, too. They aren’t choosing education as a major. Careers came up in my senior class recently. I pointedly asked if any would consider teaching. The class laughed and one student said, “why would we take a job that pays crap just so we can put up with what you have to put up with?” Fair point.

The only people who think teaching is cushy are adults who have a nostalgic idea of the classroom and no clue what modern teaching is like.