MCPS Teachers Quitting? Who is replacing them?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I am an mcps educator and send my kids to mcps public schools. What I am seeing is disheartening. Teachers are at their breaking point; the behaviors and needs of the kids are unbelievable; Many are quitting even after many years of service; We are hiring whoever we can get- probably subpar people because at this point we need warm bodies; The education is suffering- I see teachers playing a YouTube video of a book read aloud instead of reading the book themselves; Gym and art teachers running their class with videos instead of good direct instruction- I guess they are tired and this isn't forbidden; I work with my own kids on basic facts because I don't trust the system to do a good job. Too many needy kids, burnt out teachers, poor instructional approaches, a growing lack of resources...the list goes on anc on; I truly believe mcps is sinking ship and will continue to decline year over year

As a parent, we are at our breaking point too. Teachers who don’t teach, grade assignments, review assignments and give feedback, don’t return emails from students or parents and do the absolute minimum. My kids are in tutoring for some subjects more than the actual class time because of the lack of instruction and textbooks to teach your self. You need to work with parents instead of complaining and kids will not thrive without a good support system. And enough with the small group projects and discussions. Get back to teaching.

Teacher here and I can’t do any more than I’m doing. Seriously. I’m being asked to do the work of three people and I devote seven days a week to my job.

And my own kids? I tutor them for the reasons you mentioned above.

The difference between us is I’m not blaming their teachers for the deficiencies I see in their educations. I know those teachers are doing their best in a broken system.

I think the above post really reflects the job creep of teaching over the last 20 years. Email, online grading systems, more demanding students and parents has really made teaching more difficult. Paperwork is more, we are expected to teach SEL, manage more behavior issues, deal with more ESOL and SpEd students. State and local testing regimes. We even do SATs during school hours now instead of on weekends like is was done 20 years ago. Expectations to run clubs and after school events.. It just feels like most of my job isn’t actually teaching. And I get dinged if I don’t do it. Whereas good teaching doesn’t get rewarded at all by the powers that be.

Also, we don't have a choice really in how our classrooms are run. As its been posted in other threads, the district's huge push right now is for small groups. So admin is on teachers to teach for 15-20 minutes max and then rotate small groups. It's ridiculous and it's not helping at all. On top of it, admin seems to forget that teachers also need to manage their classroom during this time, so many times, the small group working with the teacher is routinely interrupted to put out fires happening around the rest of the classroom while the rest of the class works "independently." Small groups are absolutely beneficial but they should not be at the expense of solid, whole group instructional time.

This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just said no? What if you just did the small groups when you thought it made sense, or not run clubs, etc? What would happen if you just worked 8 hours a day, weekdays only, and after that called it quits?

I mean, what if you just refused to do something at your job? We can't just override the people "in charge" of us. However, we can quit if we feel like we aren't doing what is best for our students which is another reason I think a mass exodus from MCPS is definitely going to happen this year. MCPS is failing students and we are sick of helping facilitate that. I'd rather take a paycut to teach in a county that values real education, not just test scores.

DP

I work in government. If I refuse to do something at my job, my boss cannot force me to do it. I mean I guess they could literally hold a gun to my head, but that would be illegal.

Their options would be to not give a step increase, put me on a performance plan and maybe fire me. But firing is extremely rare and very difficult to do. I would really need to be causing them problems for them to actually pursue this. I often don't do things the way my boss told me to, because their direction did not make sense. They've never sanctioned me for that.

Of course, this isn't MCPS. But my point is short of threatening violence nobody can actually force someone else to do something. They can punish you for not doing something, you may as a result feel incentivized to do what they want, but they can't actually force you. I think that might be what the PP's question is getting at.

How clueless are you? Have you not been paying attention to the news at all? Teachers and admin are getting fired left and right in Florida for "not following the rules." It can and will happen. There are 9 weeks left. Most of us would rather just survive with a semblance of peace and get the heck out out of here in June.

So you think MCPS is going the way of Florida? Fascinating.

You truly are too stupid to deal with. It was an example of how right now, in the American educational system, just refusing to do your job won't fly. Maybe MCPS isn't at the degree Florida is now, but it's not easy to see why teachers can't just get away with doing whatever they want. That should have been obvious to you in the first place, but apparently, you're not exactly the brightest person.

If they cut back on the admin CO jobs and just gave classroom teachers greater autonomy it might actually help improve morale.

They need the accountability. We need oversight. We have several teachers who don’t even do the minimum.

I'm the one who originally asked the stupid question, and I disagree that "we need accountability." Right now what we need most is bodies in the classroom. What we need second-most is improved teacher morale, and the worst thing you can do for morale for any profession is micro-manage them in their job. (I can provide sources to this if you want).

And I'm curious what you think is the minimum? As somebody who is't a teacher, I do'nt know everything teachers are asked to do, but I do know that teachers across the board are saying that they are working 55-60 hours a week. My husband is in big law and that's similar to how much he works per week. Are all these teachers just going above and beyond, or is the "minimum" expected of them equivalent to a 55-hour workweek? Because if that is the case, I have no problem with teachers doing much less than the minimum, especially if we are talking about things like response to my non-urgent email within 24 hours. We as parents need to get real and do what we can to be part of the solution instead of the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an mcps educator and send my kids to mcps public schools. What I am seeing is disheartening. Teachers are at their breaking point; the behaviors and needs of the kids are unbelievable; Many are quitting even after many years of service; We are hiring whoever we can get- probably subpar people because at this point we need warm bodies; The education is suffering- I see teachers playing a YouTube video of a book read aloud instead of reading the book themselves; Gym and art teachers running their class with videos instead of good direct instruction- I guess they are tired and this isn't forbidden; I work with my own kids on basic facts because I don't trust the system to do a good job. Too many needy kids, burnt out teachers, poor instructional approaches, a growing lack of resources...the list goes on anc on; I truly believe mcps is sinking ship and will continue to decline year over year

As a parent, we are at our breaking point too. Teachers who don’t teach, grade assignments, review assignments and give feedback, don’t return emails from students or parents and do the absolute minimum. My kids are in tutoring for some subjects more than the actual class time because of the lack of instruction and textbooks to teach your self. You need to work with parents instead of complaining and kids will not thrive without a good support system. And enough with the small group projects and discussions. Get back to teaching.

Teacher here and I can’t do any more than I’m doing. Seriously. I’m being asked to do the work of three people and I devote seven days a week to my job.

And my own kids? I tutor them for the reasons you mentioned above.

The difference between us is I’m not blaming their teachers for the deficiencies I see in their educations. I know those teachers are doing their best in a broken system.

I think the above post really reflects the job creep of teaching over the last 20 years. Email, online grading systems, more demanding students and parents has really made teaching more difficult. Paperwork is more, we are expected to teach SEL, manage more behavior issues, deal with more ESOL and SpEd students. State and local testing regimes. We even do SATs during school hours now instead of on weekends like is was done 20 years ago. Expectations to run clubs and after school events.. It just feels like most of my job isn’t actually teaching. And I get dinged if I don’t do it. Whereas good teaching doesn’t get rewarded at all by the powers that be.

Also, we don't have a choice really in how our classrooms are run. As its been posted in other threads, the district's huge push right now is for small groups. So admin is on teachers to teach for 15-20 minutes max and then rotate small groups. It's ridiculous and it's not helping at all. On top of it, admin seems to forget that teachers also need to manage their classroom during this time, so many times, the small group working with the teacher is routinely interrupted to put out fires happening around the rest of the classroom while the rest of the class works "independently." Small groups are absolutely beneficial but they should not be at the expense of solid, whole group instructional time.

This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just said no? What if you just did the small groups when you thought it made sense, or not run clubs, etc? What would happen if you just worked 8 hours a day, weekdays only, and after that called it quits?

I mean, what if you just refused to do something at your job? We can't just override the people "in charge" of us. However, we can quit if we feel like we aren't doing what is best for our students which is another reason I think a mass exodus from MCPS is definitely going to happen this year. MCPS is failing students and we are sick of helping facilitate that. I'd rather take a paycut to teach in a county that values real education, not just test scores.

DP

I work in government. If I refuse to do something at my job, my boss cannot force me to do it. I mean I guess they could literally hold a gun to my head, but that would be illegal.

Their options would be to not give a step increase, put me on a performance plan and maybe fire me. But firing is extremely rare and very difficult to do. I would really need to be causing them problems for them to actually pursue this. I often don't do things the way my boss told me to, because their direction did not make sense. They've never sanctioned me for that.

Of course, this isn't MCPS. But my point is short of threatening violence nobody can actually force someone else to do something. They can punish you for not doing something, you may as a result feel incentivized to do what they want, but they can't actually force you. I think that might be what the PP's question is getting at.

How clueless are you? Have you not been paying attention to the news at all? Teachers and admin are getting fired left and right in Florida for "not following the rules." It can and will happen. There are 9 weeks left. Most of us would rather just survive with a semblance of peace and get the heck out out of here in June.

So you think MCPS is going the way of Florida? Fascinating.

You truly are too stupid to deal with. It was an example of how right now, in the American educational system, just refusing to do your job won't fly. Maybe MCPS isn't at the degree Florida is now, but it's not easy to see why teachers can't just get away with doing whatever they want. That should have been obvious to you in the first place, but apparently, you're not exactly the brightest person.

I like how parents on these boards are simultaneously told not to tell teachers what to do (even if we are literally answering a question that was asked about our non teaching jobs, not telling anyone what to do) because we don't know enough about their jobs, and also expected to know everything about how your jobs work. Also shouting "BUT FLORIDA" is not informative or persuasive.

Bc the situations arent analogous. If I refuse to respond to parent emails, I will be dinged points on my evaluation; If I refuse to cover a class, I will be punished for not being a team player; If I refuse to attend a SPED meeting, again, points on my evaluation. Admin is able to weaponize our refusal against us.

Our teachers don’t respond. How would anyone know?

One of my kid's has a teacher who ignores our emails. So do I need to CC the principal to get a response then?

PS We only emailed them once ask if we could schedule a conference. When they didn't get back to us we tried again a few weeks later one more time.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:I am an mcps educator and send my kids to mcps public schools. What I am seeing is disheartening. Teachers are at their breaking point; the behaviors and needs of the kids are unbelievable; Many are quitting even after many years of service; We are hiring whoever we can get- probably subpar people because at this point we need warm bodies; The education is suffering- I see teachers playing a YouTube video of a book read aloud instead of reading the book themselves; Gym and art teachers running their class with videos instead of good direct instruction- I guess they are tired and this isn't forbidden; I work with my own kids on basic facts because I don't trust the system to do a good job. Too many needy kids, burnt out teachers, poor instructional approaches, a growing lack of resources...the list goes on anc on; I truly believe mcps is sinking ship and will continue to decline year over year

As a parent, we are at our breaking point too. Teachers who don’t teach, grade assignments, review assignments and give feedback, don’t return emails from students or parents and do the absolute minimum. My kids are in tutoring for some subjects more than the actual class time because of the lack of instruction and textbooks to teach your self. You need to work with parents instead of complaining and kids will not thrive without a good support system. And enough with the small group projects and discussions. Get back to teaching.

Teacher here and I can’t do any more than I’m doing. Seriously. I’m being asked to do the work of three people and I devote seven days a week to my job.

And my own kids? I tutor them for the reasons you mentioned above.

The difference between us is I’m not blaming their teachers for the deficiencies I see in their educations. I know those teachers are doing their best in a broken system.

I think the above post really reflects the job creep of teaching over the last 20 years. Email, online grading systems, more demanding students and parents has really made teaching more difficult. Paperwork is more, we are expected to teach SEL, manage more behavior issues, deal with more ESOL and SpEd students. State and local testing regimes. We even do SATs during school hours now instead of on weekends like is was done 20 years ago. Expectations to run clubs and after school events.. It just feels like most of my job isn’t actually teaching. And I get dinged if I don’t do it. Whereas good teaching doesn’t get rewarded at all by the powers that be.

Also, we don't have a choice really in how our classrooms are run. As its been posted in other threads, the district's huge push right now is for small groups. So admin is on teachers to teach for 15-20 minutes max and then rotate small groups. It's ridiculous and it's not helping at all. On top of it, admin seems to forget that teachers also need to manage their classroom during this time, so many times, the small group working with the teacher is routinely interrupted to put out fires happening around the rest of the classroom while the rest of the class works "independently." Small groups are absolutely beneficial but they should not be at the expense of solid, whole group instructional time.

This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just said no? What if you just did the small groups when you thought it made sense, or not run clubs, etc? What would happen if you just worked 8 hours a day, weekdays only, and after that called it quits?

I mean, what if you just refused to do something at your job? We can't just override the people "in charge" of us. However, we can quit if we feel like we aren't doing what is best for our students which is another reason I think a mass exodus from MCPS is definitely going to happen this year. MCPS is failing students and we are sick of helping facilitate that. I'd rather take a paycut to teach in a county that values real education, not just test scores.

DP

I work in government. If I refuse to do something at my job, my boss cannot force me to do it. I mean I guess they could literally hold a gun to my head, but that would be illegal.

Their options would be to not give a step increase, put me on a performance plan and maybe fire me. But firing is extremely rare and very difficult to do. I would really need to be causing them problems for them to actually pursue this. I often don't do things the way my boss told me to, because their direction did not make sense. They've never sanctioned me for that.

Of course, this isn't MCPS. But my point is short of threatening violence nobody can actually force someone else to do something. They can punish you for not doing something, you may as a result feel incentivized to do what they want, but they can't actually force you. I think that might be what the PP's question is getting at.

How clueless are you? Have you not been paying attention to the news at all? Teachers and admin are getting fired left and right in Florida for "not following the rules." It can and will happen. There are 9 weeks left. Most of us would rather just survive with a semblance of peace and get the heck out out of here in June.

So you think MCPS is going the way of Florida? Fascinating.

You truly are too stupid to deal with. It was an example of how right now, in the American educational system, just refusing to do your job won't fly. Maybe MCPS isn't at the degree Florida is now, but it's not easy to see why teachers can't just get away with doing whatever they want. That should have been obvious to you in the first place, but apparently, you're not exactly the brightest person.

I like how parents on these boards are simultaneously told not to tell teachers what to do (even if we are literally answering a question that was asked about our non teaching jobs, not telling anyone what to do) because we don't know enough about their jobs, and also expected to know everything about how your jobs work. Also shouting "BUT FLORIDA" is not informative or persuasive.

Bc the situations arent analogous. If I refuse to respond to parent emails, I will be dinged points on my evaluation; If I refuse to cover a class, I will be punished for not being a team player; If I refuse to attend a SPED meeting, again, points on my evaluation. Admin is able to weaponize our refusal against us.

Our teachers don’t respond. How would anyone know?

One of my kid's has a teacher who ignores our emails. So do I need to CC the principal to get a response then?

PS We only emailed them once ask if we could schedule a conference. When they didn't get back to us we tried again a few weeks later one more time.

As a teacher I would suggest CC'ing the principal next time. But also, I'd recommend you check your spam account. That has happened to many emails I've sent to parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And I'm curious what you think is the minimum? As somebody who is't a teacher, I do'nt know everything teachers are asked to do, but I do know that teachers across the board are saying that they are working 55-60 hours a week. My husband is in big law and that's similar to how much he works per week. Are all these teachers just going above and beyond, or is the "minimum" expected of them equivalent to a 55-hour workweek? Because if that is the case, I have no problem with teachers doing much less than the minimum, especially if we are talking about things like response to my non-urgent email within 24 hours. We as parents need to get real and do what we can to be part of the solution instead of the problem.

I haven't been teaching for the past 4 years, but at my most recent school, I was required to submit two grades per student per week, which sounds reasonable, unless you have 150 students and teach upper level English classes. Maybe I get one of my planning periods to use each day, assuming I don't have emergency class coverage, an extra meeting, etc. I'd often use that planning period as actual prep time, and sometimes fit some grading in. I'd grade through lunch when I could (except we were required to be in our classrooms to be available to students most of the time). The grading and planning alone could average an extra two hours of work per day per week, and note that the grading includes inputting grades into the system after reading essays, giving feedback.

This is all before any other required tasks, like things my school or department need or want me to submit, or chaperoning events, or responding to emails, or even, yes, taking the time to go fill out my handwritten time sheet, which takes only a minute or two, except it's time to walk to the office, get sidetracked by someone who has a question, and so on. Some of these things could be streamlined. Beyond that, the grading and planning load for many teachers is really just onerous, especially at the upper levels. And yes, I had years of experience and lessons, so "planning" isn't what it was as a first-year teacher, but still, you need to adjust to the students' needs, pace, etc., and also account for interruptions like fire drills, and so on.

[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:I am an mcps educator and send my kids to mcps public schools. What I am seeing is disheartening. Teachers are at their breaking point; the behaviors and needs of the kids are unbelievable; Many are quitting even after many years of service; We are hiring whoever we can get- probably subpar people because at this point we need warm bodies; The education is suffering- I see teachers playing a YouTube video of a book read aloud instead of reading the book themselves; Gym and art teachers running their class with videos instead of good direct instruction- I guess they are tired and this isn't forbidden; I work with my own kids on basic facts because I don't trust the system to do a good job. Too many needy kids, burnt out teachers, poor instructional approaches, a growing lack of resources...the list goes on anc on; I truly believe mcps is sinking ship and will continue to decline year over year

As a parent, we are at our breaking point too. Teachers who don’t teach, grade assignments, review assignments and give feedback, don’t return emails from students or parents and do the absolute minimum. My kids are in tutoring for some subjects more than the actual class time because of the lack of instruction and textbooks to teach your self. You need to work with parents instead of complaining and kids will not thrive without a good support system. And enough with the small group projects and discussions. Get back to teaching.

Teacher here and I can’t do any more than I’m doing. Seriously. I’m being asked to do the work of three people and I devote seven days a week to my job.

And my own kids? I tutor them for the reasons you mentioned above.

The difference between us is I’m not blaming their teachers for the deficiencies I see in their educations. I know those teachers are doing their best in a broken system.

I think the above post really reflects the job creep of teaching over the last 20 years. Email, online grading systems, more demanding students and parents has really made teaching more difficult. Paperwork is more, we are expected to teach SEL, manage more behavior issues, deal with more ESOL and SpEd students. State and local testing regimes. We even do SATs during school hours now instead of on weekends like is was done 20 years ago. Expectations to run clubs and after school events.. It just feels like most of my job isn’t actually teaching. And I get dinged if I don’t do it. Whereas good teaching doesn’t get rewarded at all by the powers that be.

Also, we don't have a choice really in how our classrooms are run. As its been posted in other threads, the district's huge push right now is for small groups. So admin is on teachers to teach for 15-20 minutes max and then rotate small groups. It's ridiculous and it's not helping at all. On top of it, admin seems to forget that teachers also need to manage their classroom during this time, so many times, the small group working with the teacher is routinely interrupted to put out fires happening around the rest of the classroom while the rest of the class works "independently." Small groups are absolutely beneficial but they should not be at the expense of solid, whole group instructional time.

This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just said no? What if you just did the small groups when you thought it made sense, or not run clubs, etc? What would happen if you just worked 8 hours a day, weekdays only, and after that called it quits?

I mean, what if you just refused to do something at your job? We can't just override the people "in charge" of us. However, we can quit if we feel like we aren't doing what is best for our students which is another reason I think a mass exodus from MCPS is definitely going to happen this year. MCPS is failing students and we are sick of helping facilitate that. I'd rather take a paycut to teach in a county that values real education, not just test scores.

DP

I work in government. If I refuse to do something at my job, my boss cannot force me to do it. I mean I guess they could literally hold a gun to my head, but that would be illegal.

Their options would be to not give a step increase, put me on a performance plan and maybe fire me. But firing is extremely rare and very difficult to do. I would really need to be causing them problems for them to actually pursue this. I often don't do things the way my boss told me to, because their direction did not make sense. They've never sanctioned me for that.

Of course, this isn't MCPS. But my point is short of threatening violence nobody can actually force someone else to do something. They can punish you for not doing something, you may as a result feel incentivized to do what they want, but they can't actually force you. I think that might be what the PP's question is getting at.

How clueless are you? Have you not been paying attention to the news at all? Teachers and admin are getting fired left and right in Florida for "not following the rules." It can and will happen. There are 9 weeks left. Most of us would rather just survive with a semblance of peace and get the heck out out of here in June.

So you think MCPS is going the way of Florida? Fascinating.

You truly are too stupid to deal with. It was an example of how right now, in the American educational system, just refusing to do your job won't fly. Maybe MCPS isn't at the degree Florida is now, but it's not easy to see why teachers can't just get away with doing whatever they want. That should have been obvious to you in the first place, but apparently, you're not exactly the brightest person.

I like how parents on these boards are simultaneously told not to tell teachers what to do (even if we are literally answering a question that was asked about our non teaching jobs, not telling anyone what to do) because we don't know enough about their jobs, and also expected to know everything about how your jobs work. Also shouting "BUT FLORIDA" is not informative or persuasive.

Bc the situations arent analogous. If I refuse to respond to parent emails, I will be dinged points on my evaluation; If I refuse to cover a class, I will be punished for not being a team player; If I refuse to attend a SPED meeting, again, points on my evaluation. Admin is able to weaponize our refusal against us.

Thanks for sharing this. I'm curious (if you are willing to share) what you mean by "I will be punished" and how "points on my evaluation" affects your job/compensation. I'm not doubting these happen, it's just since a PP asked, "This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just said no? What if you just did the small groups when you thought it made sense, or not run clubs, etc? What would happen if you just worked 8 hours a day, weekdays only, and after that called it quits?"

I'm not in MCPS, but in my district, if you don't make your principal happy, she can move your grade level. Every year. Most teachers typically like to pick a grade level and stay in it. Some do like to move after a bunch of years, but most like it to be them going to the admin asking to be moved the following year.
The other thing a principal can do is she can make you move your physical classroom, if not your grade. And all that moving happens on YOUR OWN time. The custodian will likely help move district furniture, but all the rest of it is on you. In my case, moving all my stuff means moving a UHaul's worth (not exaggerating). Or the principal can come and do a bunch of observations, which can feel punitive and overly authoritarian. She can refuse to buy you the few things you request which the school is supposed to pay for. She can write you up for little things. None of these things have ever happened to me, but they have happened to colleagues. About a dozen of us across our district (across several buildings) spoke up about a very specific safety issue. One teacher with a not so great principal is now being moved to another grade level. It's 100% retaliation.

[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:I am an mcps educator and send my kids to mcps public schools. What I am seeing is disheartening. Teachers are at their breaking point; the behaviors and needs of the kids are unbelievable; Many are quitting even after many years of service; We are hiring whoever we can get- probably subpar people because at this point we need warm bodies; The education is suffering- I see teachers playing a YouTube video of a book read aloud instead of reading the book themselves; Gym and art teachers running their class with videos instead of good direct instruction- I guess they are tired and this isn't forbidden; I work with my own kids on basic facts because I don't trust the system to do a good job. Too many needy kids, burnt out teachers, poor instructional approaches, a growing lack of resources...the list goes on anc on; I truly believe mcps is sinking ship and will continue to decline year over year

As a parent, we are at our breaking point too. Teachers who don’t teach, grade assignments, review assignments and give feedback, don’t return emails from students or parents and do the absolute minimum. My kids are in tutoring for some subjects more than the actual class time because of the lack of instruction and textbooks to teach your self. You need to work with parents instead of complaining and kids will not thrive without a good support system. And enough with the small group projects and discussions. Get back to teaching.

Teacher here and I can’t do any more than I’m doing. Seriously. I’m being asked to do the work of three people and I devote seven days a week to my job.

And my own kids? I tutor them for the reasons you mentioned above.

The difference between us is I’m not blaming their teachers for the deficiencies I see in their educations. I know those teachers are doing their best in a broken system.

I think the above post really reflects the job creep of teaching over the last 20 years. Email, online grading systems, more demanding students and parents has really made teaching more difficult. Paperwork is more, we are expected to teach SEL, manage more behavior issues, deal with more ESOL and SpEd students. State and local testing regimes. We even do SATs during school hours now instead of on weekends like is was done 20 years ago. Expectations to run clubs and after school events.. It just feels like most of my job isn’t actually teaching. And I get dinged if I don’t do it. Whereas good teaching doesn’t get rewarded at all by the powers that be.

Also, we don't have a choice really in how our classrooms are run. As its been posted in other threads, the district's huge push right now is for small groups. So admin is on teachers to teach for 15-20 minutes max and then rotate small groups. It's ridiculous and it's not helping at all. On top of it, admin seems to forget that teachers also need to manage their classroom during this time, so many times, the small group working with the teacher is routinely interrupted to put out fires happening around the rest of the classroom while the rest of the class works "independently." Small groups are absolutely beneficial but they should not be at the expense of solid, whole group instructional time.

This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just said no? What if you just did the small groups when you thought it made sense, or not run clubs, etc? What would happen if you just worked 8 hours a day, weekdays only, and after that called it quits?

I mean, what if you just refused to do something at your job? We can't just override the people "in charge" of us. However, we can quit if we feel like we aren't doing what is best for our students which is another reason I think a mass exodus from MCPS is definitely going to happen this year. MCPS is failing students and we are sick of helping facilitate that. I'd rather take a paycut to teach in a county that values real education, not just test scores.

DP

I work in government. If I refuse to do something at my job, my boss cannot force me to do it. I mean I guess they could literally hold a gun to my head, but that would be illegal.

Their options would be to not give a step increase, put me on a performance plan and maybe fire me. But firing is extremely rare and very difficult to do. I would really need to be causing them problems for them to actually pursue this. I often don't do things the way my boss told me to, because their direction did not make sense. They've never sanctioned me for that.

Of course, this isn't MCPS. But my point is short of threatening violence nobody can actually force someone else to do something. They can punish you for not doing something, you may as a result feel incentivized to do what they want, but they can't actually force you. I think that might be what the PP's question is getting at.

How clueless are you? Have you not been paying attention to the news at all? Teachers and admin are getting fired left and right in Florida for "not following the rules." It can and will happen. There are 9 weeks left. Most of us would rather just survive with a semblance of peace and get the heck out out of here in June.

So you think MCPS is going the way of Florida? Fascinating.

You truly are too stupid to deal with. It was an example of how right now, in the American educational system, just refusing to do your job won't fly. Maybe MCPS isn't at the degree Florida is now, but it's not easy to see why teachers can't just get away with doing whatever they want. That should have been obvious to you in the first place, but apparently, you're not exactly the brightest person.

I like how parents on these boards are simultaneously told not to tell teachers what to do (even if we are literally answering a question that was asked about our non teaching jobs, not telling anyone what to do) because we don't know enough about their jobs, and also expected to know everything about how your jobs work. Also shouting "BUT FLORIDA" is not informative or persuasive.

Bc the situations arent analogous. If I refuse to respond to parent emails, I will be dinged points on my evaluation; If I refuse to cover a class, I will be punished for not being a team player; If I refuse to attend a SPED meeting, again, points on my evaluation. Admin is able to weaponize our refusal against us.

Thanks for sharing this. I'm curious (if you are willing to share) what you mean by "I will be punished" and how "points on my evaluation" affects your job/compensation. I'm not doubting these happen, it's just since a PP asked, "This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just said no? What if you just did the small groups when you thought it made sense, or not run clubs, etc? What would happen if you just worked 8 hours a day, weekdays only, and after that called it quits?"

I'm not in MCPS, but in my district, if you don't make your principal happy, she can move your grade level. Every year. Most teachers typically like to pick a grade level and stay in it. Some do like to move after a bunch of years, but most like it to be them going to the admin asking to be moved the following year.
The other thing a principal can do is she can make you move your physical classroom, if not your grade. And all that moving happens on YOUR OWN time. The custodian will likely help move district furniture, but all the rest of it is on you. In my case, moving all my stuff means moving a UHaul's worth (not exaggerating). Or the principal can come and do a bunch of observations, which can feel punitive and overly authoritarian. She can refuse to buy you the few things you request which the school is supposed to pay for. She can write you up for little things. None of these things have ever happened to me, but they have happened to colleagues. About a dozen of us across our district (across several buildings) spoke up about a very specific safety issue. One teacher with a not so great principal is now being moved to another grade level. It's 100% retaliation.

Sorry, thought of more. The other thing a principal can do is to rate you as unsatisfactory or needs improvement, put you on an improvement plan and then fire you. I know a lot of people think that tenured teachers cannot be fired, but I've seen 4 teachers in the last couple of years get fired. 3 deserved it. One did not.

[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:I am an mcps educator and send my kids to mcps public schools. What I am seeing is disheartening. Teachers are at their breaking point; the behaviors and needs of the kids are unbelievable; Many are quitting even after many years of service; We are hiring whoever we can get- probably subpar people because at this point we need warm bodies; The education is suffering- I see teachers playing a YouTube video of a book read aloud instead of reading the book themselves; Gym and art teachers running their class with videos instead of good direct instruction- I guess they are tired and this isn't forbidden; I work with my own kids on basic facts because I don't trust the system to do a good job. Too many needy kids, burnt out teachers, poor instructional approaches, a growing lack of resources...the list goes on anc on; I truly believe mcps is sinking ship and will continue to decline year over year

As a parent, we are at our breaking point too. Teachers who don’t teach, grade assignments, review assignments and give feedback, don’t return emails from students or parents and do the absolute minimum. My kids are in tutoring for some subjects more than the actual class time because of the lack of instruction and textbooks to teach your self. You need to work with parents instead of complaining and kids will not thrive without a good support system. And enough with the small group projects and discussions. Get back to teaching.

Teacher here and I can’t do any more than I’m doing. Seriously. I’m being asked to do the work of three people and I devote seven days a week to my job.

And my own kids? I tutor them for the reasons you mentioned above.

The difference between us is I’m not blaming their teachers for the deficiencies I see in their educations. I know those teachers are doing their best in a broken system.

I think the above post really reflects the job creep of teaching over the last 20 years. Email, online grading systems, more demanding students and parents has really made teaching more difficult. Paperwork is more, we are expected to teach SEL, manage more behavior issues, deal with more ESOL and SpEd students. State and local testing regimes. We even do SATs during school hours now instead of on weekends like is was done 20 years ago. Expectations to run clubs and after school events.. It just feels like most of my job isn’t actually teaching. And I get dinged if I don’t do it. Whereas good teaching doesn’t get rewarded at all by the powers that be.

Also, we don't have a choice really in how our classrooms are run. As its been posted in other threads, the district's huge push right now is for small groups. So admin is on teachers to teach for 15-20 minutes max and then rotate small groups. It's ridiculous and it's not helping at all. On top of it, admin seems to forget that teachers also need to manage their classroom during this time, so many times, the small group working with the teacher is routinely interrupted to put out fires happening around the rest of the classroom while the rest of the class works "independently." Small groups are absolutely beneficial but they should not be at the expense of solid, whole group instructional time.

This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just said no? What if you just did the small groups when you thought it made sense, or not run clubs, etc? What would happen if you just worked 8 hours a day, weekdays only, and after that called it quits?

I mean, what if you just refused to do something at your job? We can't just override the people "in charge" of us. However, we can quit if we feel like we aren't doing what is best for our students which is another reason I think a mass exodus from MCPS is definitely going to happen this year. MCPS is failing students and we are sick of helping facilitate that. I'd rather take a paycut to teach in a county that values real education, not just test scores.

DP

I work in government. If I refuse to do something at my job, my boss cannot force me to do it. I mean I guess they could literally hold a gun to my head, but that would be illegal.

Their options would be to not give a step increase, put me on a performance plan and maybe fire me. But firing is extremely rare and very difficult to do. I would really need to be causing them problems for them to actually pursue this. I often don't do things the way my boss told me to, because their direction did not make sense. They've never sanctioned me for that.

Of course, this isn't MCPS. But my point is short of threatening violence nobody can actually force someone else to do something. They can punish you for not doing something, you may as a result feel incentivized to do what they want, but they can't actually force you. I think that might be what the PP's question is getting at.

How clueless are you? Have you not been paying attention to the news at all? Teachers and admin are getting fired left and right in Florida for "not following the rules." It can and will happen. There are 9 weeks left. Most of us would rather just survive with a semblance of peace and get the heck out out of here in June.

So you think MCPS is going the way of Florida? Fascinating.

You truly are too stupid to deal with. It was an example of how right now, in the American educational system, just refusing to do your job won't fly. Maybe MCPS isn't at the degree Florida is now, but it's not easy to see why teachers can't just get away with doing whatever they want. That should have been obvious to you in the first place, but apparently, you're not exactly the brightest person.

If they cut back on the admin CO jobs and just gave classroom teachers greater autonomy it might actually help improve morale.

They need the accountability. We need oversight. We have several teachers who don’t even do the minimum.

I'm the one who originally asked the stupid question, and I disagree that "we need accountability." Right now what we need most is bodies in the classroom. What we need second-most is improved teacher morale, and the worst thing you can do for morale for any profession is micro-manage them in their job. (I can provide sources to this if you want).

And I'm curious what you think is the minimum? As somebody who is't a teacher, I do'nt know everything teachers are asked to do, but I do know that teachers across the board are saying that they are working 55-60 hours a week. My husband is in big law and that's similar to how much he works per week. Are all these teachers just going above and beyond, or is the "minimum" expected of them equivalent to a 55-hour workweek? Because if that is the case, I have no problem with teachers doing much less than the minimum, especially if we are talking about things like response to my non-urgent email within 24 hours. We as parents need to get real and do what we can to be part of the solution instead of the problem.

Most people don't work a 40 hour work week but there is a big difference between big law and teachers. That isn't comparable.

There is a huge mix of teachers - some good, some great and some seem meh and several who should be fired. I don't just want a warm body. That's not good enough for our kids.

Teachers and parents need to work together. Our experience in MCPS is they don't want parent involvement and complain about parents not being involved. Everyone needs to work together.

[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:I am an mcps educator and send my kids to mcps public schools. What I am seeing is disheartening. Teachers are at their breaking point; the behaviors and needs of the kids are unbelievable; Many are quitting even after many years of service; We are hiring whoever we can get- probably subpar people because at this point we need warm bodies; The education is suffering- I see teachers playing a YouTube video of a book read aloud instead of reading the book themselves; Gym and art teachers running their class with videos instead of good direct instruction- I guess they are tired and this isn't forbidden; I work with my own kids on basic facts because I don't trust the system to do a good job. Too many needy kids, burnt out teachers, poor instructional approaches, a growing lack of resources...the list goes on anc on; I truly believe mcps is sinking ship and will continue to decline year over year

As a parent, we are at our breaking point too. Teachers who don’t teach, grade assignments, review assignments and give feedback, don’t return emails from students or parents and do the absolute minimum. My kids are in tutoring for some subjects more than the actual class time because of the lack of instruction and textbooks to teach your self. You need to work with parents instead of complaining and kids will not thrive without a good support system. And enough with the small group projects and discussions. Get back to teaching.

Teacher here and I can’t do any more than I’m doing. Seriously. I’m being asked to do the work of three people and I devote seven days a week to my job.

And my own kids? I tutor them for the reasons you mentioned above.

The difference between us is I’m not blaming their teachers for the deficiencies I see in their educations. I know those teachers are doing their best in a broken system.

I think the above post really reflects the job creep of teaching over the last 20 years. Email, online grading systems, more demanding students and parents has really made teaching more difficult. Paperwork is more, we are expected to teach SEL, manage more behavior issues, deal with more ESOL and SpEd students. State and local testing regimes. We even do SATs during school hours now instead of on weekends like is was done 20 years ago. Expectations to run clubs and after school events.. It just feels like most of my job isn’t actually teaching. And I get dinged if I don’t do it. Whereas good teaching doesn’t get rewarded at all by the powers that be.

Also, we don't have a choice really in how our classrooms are run. As its been posted in other threads, the district's huge push right now is for small groups. So admin is on teachers to teach for 15-20 minutes max and then rotate small groups. It's ridiculous and it's not helping at all. On top of it, admin seems to forget that teachers also need to manage their classroom during this time, so many times, the small group working with the teacher is routinely interrupted to put out fires happening around the rest of the classroom while the rest of the class works "independently." Small groups are absolutely beneficial but they should not be at the expense of solid, whole group instructional time.

This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just said no? What if you just did the small groups when you thought it made sense, or not run clubs, etc? What would happen if you just worked 8 hours a day, weekdays only, and after that called it quits?

I mean, what if you just refused to do something at your job? We can't just override the people "in charge" of us. However, we can quit if we feel like we aren't doing what is best for our students which is another reason I think a mass exodus from MCPS is definitely going to happen this year. MCPS is failing students and we are sick of helping facilitate that. I'd rather take a paycut to teach in a county that values real education, not just test scores.

DP

I work in government. If I refuse to do something at my job, my boss cannot force me to do it. I mean I guess they could literally hold a gun to my head, but that would be illegal.

Their options would be to not give a step increase, put me on a performance plan and maybe fire me. But firing is extremely rare and very difficult to do. I would really need to be causing them problems for them to actually pursue this. I often don't do things the way my boss told me to, because their direction did not make sense. They've never sanctioned me for that.

Of course, this isn't MCPS. But my point is short of threatening violence nobody can actually force someone else to do something. They can punish you for not doing something, you may as a result feel incentivized to do what they want, but they can't actually force you. I think that might be what the PP's question is getting at.

How clueless are you? Have you not been paying attention to the news at all? Teachers and admin are getting fired left and right in Florida for "not following the rules." It can and will happen. There are 9 weeks left. Most of us would rather just survive with a semblance of peace and get the heck out out of here in June.

So you think MCPS is going the way of Florida? Fascinating.

You truly are too stupid to deal with. It was an example of how right now, in the American educational system, just refusing to do your job won't fly. Maybe MCPS isn't at the degree Florida is now, but it's not easy to see why teachers can't just get away with doing whatever they want. That should have been obvious to you in the first place, but apparently, you're not exactly the brightest person.

I like how parents on these boards are simultaneously told not to tell teachers what to do (even if we are literally answering a question that was asked about our non teaching jobs, not telling anyone what to do) because we don't know enough about their jobs, and also expected to know everything about how your jobs work. Also shouting "BUT FLORIDA" is not informative or persuasive.

Bc the situations arent analogous. If I refuse to respond to parent emails, I will be dinged points on my evaluation; If I refuse to cover a class, I will be punished for not being a team player; If I refuse to attend a SPED meeting, again, points on my evaluation. Admin is able to weaponize our refusal against us.

Thanks for sharing this. I'm curious (if you are willing to share) what you mean by "I will be punished" and how "points on my evaluation" affects your job/compensation. I'm not doubting these happen, it's just since a PP asked, "This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just said no? What if you just did the small groups when you thought it made sense, or not run clubs, etc? What would happen if you just worked 8 hours a day, weekdays only, and after that called it quits?"

I'm not in MCPS, but in my district, if you don't make your principal happy, she can move your grade level. Every year. Most teachers typically like to pick a grade level and stay in it. Some do like to move after a bunch of years, but most like it to be them going to the admin asking to be moved the following year.
The other thing a principal can do is she can make you move your physical classroom, if not your grade. And all that moving happens on YOUR OWN time. The custodian will likely help move district furniture, but all the rest of it is on you. In my case, moving all my stuff means moving a UHaul's worth (not exaggerating). Or the principal can come and do a bunch of observations, which can feel punitive and overly authoritarian. She can refuse to buy you the few things you request which the school is supposed to pay for. She can write you up for little things. None of these things have ever happened to me, but they have happened to colleagues. About a dozen of us across our district (across several buildings) spoke up about a very specific safety issue. One teacher with a not so great principal is now being moved to another grade level. It's 100% retaliation.

This stuff happens in MCPS either way.

[Anonymous]

A big part of the problem is parent expectations. People have kids and think public school = free day care and then free social services and supports when Junior gets older. And there is hell to pay if Junior is disciplined in any way whatsoever. The behavior of these kids is so bad - it is clear the parents either don’t care or expect teachers to clean up their disaster. Perhaps a starting point for better schools is for parents to actually invest their time and energy into their kids that is necessary so that Junior shows up to school with respect for others and a focus on learning. A public school isn’t reaching your kid values - you should be doing that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A big part of the problem is parent expectations. People have kids and think public school = free day care and then free social services and supports when Junior gets older. And there is hell to pay if Junior is disciplined in any way whatsoever. The behavior of these kids is so bad - it is clear the parents either don’t care or expect teachers to clean up their disaster. Perhaps a starting point for better schools is for parents to actually invest their time and energy into their kids that is necessary so that Junior shows up to school with respect for others and a focus on learning. A public school isn’t reaching your kid values - you should be doing that.

While this is very true, and parents expect schools to be replacement parents, many of us are involved but we cannot support the teachers as they refuse to communicate with us. I want to know and it will be dealt with at home. But, if I don't know its happening, I cannot deal with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A big part of the problem is parent expectations. People have kids and think public school = free day care and then free social services and supports when Junior gets older. And there is hell to pay if Junior is disciplined in any way whatsoever. The behavior of these kids is so bad - it is clear the parents either don’t care or expect teachers to clean up their disaster. Perhaps a starting point for better schools is for parents to actually invest their time and energy into their kids that is necessary so that Junior shows up to school with respect for others and a focus on learning. A public school isn’t reaching your kid values - you should be doing that.

While this is very true, and parents expect schools to be replacement parents, many of us are involved but we cannot support the teachers as they refuse to communicate with us. I want to know and it will be dealt with at home. But, if I don't know its happening, I cannot deal with it.

It's not your kid that's the problem. No news is good news. The other little brats take up soooooo much time.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:I am an mcps educator and send my kids to mcps public schools. What I am seeing is disheartening. Teachers are at their breaking point; the behaviors and needs of the kids are unbelievable; Many are quitting even after many years of service; We are hiring whoever we can get- probably subpar people because at this point we need warm bodies; The education is suffering- I see teachers playing a YouTube video of a book read aloud instead of reading the book themselves; Gym and art teachers running their class with videos instead of good direct instruction- I guess they are tired and this isn't forbidden; I work with my own kids on basic facts because I don't trust the system to do a good job. Too many needy kids, burnt out teachers, poor instructional approaches, a growing lack of resources...the list goes on anc on; I truly believe mcps is sinking ship and will continue to decline year over year

As a parent, we are at our breaking point too. Teachers who don’t teach, grade assignments, review assignments and give feedback, don’t return emails from students or parents and do the absolute minimum. My kids are in tutoring for some subjects more than the actual class time because of the lack of instruction and textbooks to teach your self. You need to work with parents instead of complaining and kids will not thrive without a good support system. And enough with the small group projects and discussions. Get back to teaching.

Teacher here and I can’t do any more than I’m doing. Seriously. I’m being asked to do the work of three people and I devote seven days a week to my job.

And my own kids? I tutor them for the reasons you mentioned above.

The difference between us is I’m not blaming their teachers for the deficiencies I see in their educations. I know those teachers are doing their best in a broken system.

I think the above post really reflects the job creep of teaching over the last 20 years. Email, online grading systems, more demanding students and parents has really made teaching more difficult. Paperwork is more, we are expected to teach SEL, manage more behavior issues, deal with more ESOL and SpEd students. State and local testing regimes. We even do SATs during school hours now instead of on weekends like is was done 20 years ago. Expectations to run clubs and after school events.. It just feels like most of my job isn’t actually teaching. And I get dinged if I don’t do it. Whereas good teaching doesn’t get rewarded at all by the powers that be.

Also, we don't have a choice really in how our classrooms are run. As its been posted in other threads, the district's huge push right now is for small groups. So admin is on teachers to teach for 15-20 minutes max and then rotate small groups. It's ridiculous and it's not helping at all. On top of it, admin seems to forget that teachers also need to manage their classroom during this time, so many times, the small group working with the teacher is routinely interrupted to put out fires happening around the rest of the classroom while the rest of the class works "independently." Small groups are absolutely beneficial but they should not be at the expense of solid, whole group instructional time.

This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just said no? What if you just did the small groups when you thought it made sense, or not run clubs, etc? What would happen if you just worked 8 hours a day, weekdays only, and after that called it quits?

I mean, what if you just refused to do something at your job? We can't just override the people "in charge" of us. However, we can quit if we feel like we aren't doing what is best for our students which is another reason I think a mass exodus from MCPS is definitely going to happen this year. MCPS is failing students and we are sick of helping facilitate that. I'd rather take a paycut to teach in a county that values real education, not just test scores.

DP

I work in government. If I refuse to do something at my job, my boss cannot force me to do it. I mean I guess they could literally hold a gun to my head, but that would be illegal.

Their options would be to not give a step increase, put me on a performance plan and maybe fire me. But firing is extremely rare and very difficult to do. I would really need to be causing them problems for them to actually pursue this. I often don't do things the way my boss told me to, because their direction did not make sense. They've never sanctioned me for that.

Of course, this isn't MCPS. But my point is short of threatening violence nobody can actually force someone else to do something. They can punish you for not doing something, you may as a result feel incentivized to do what they want, but they can't actually force you. I think that might be what the PP's question is getting at.

How clueless are you? Have you not been paying attention to the news at all? Teachers and admin are getting fired left and right in Florida for "not following the rules." It can and will happen. There are 9 weeks left. Most of us would rather just survive with a semblance of peace and get the heck out out of here in June.

So you think MCPS is going the way of Florida? Fascinating.

You truly are too stupid to deal with. It was an example of how right now, in the American educational system, just refusing to do your job won't fly. Maybe MCPS isn't at the degree Florida is now, but it's not easy to see why teachers can't just get away with doing whatever they want. That should have been obvious to you in the first place, but apparently, you're not exactly the brightest person.

I like how parents on these boards are simultaneously told not to tell teachers what to do (even if we are literally answering a question that was asked about our non teaching jobs, not telling anyone what to do) because we don't know enough about their jobs, and also expected to know everything about how your jobs work. Also shouting "BUT FLORIDA" is not informative or persuasive.

Bc the situations arent analogous. If I refuse to respond to parent emails, I will be dinged points on my evaluation; If I refuse to cover a class, I will be punished for not being a team player; If I refuse to attend a SPED meeting, again, points on my evaluation. Admin is able to weaponize our refusal against us.

Our teachers don’t respond. How would anyone know?

One of my kid's has a teacher who ignores our emails. So do I need to CC the principal to get a response then?

PS We only emailed them once ask if we could schedule a conference. When they didn't get back to us we tried again a few weeks later one more time.

What grade is your child in and what do you want? Do you realize how busy the teacher is and how much they are dreading having to meet with you when they could be doing something else? Imagine if every parent wanted conferences all the time. Send your kid to private school if you want that level of service. This is why the teacher is ignoring your email!

[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:I am an mcps educator and send my kids to mcps public schools. What I am seeing is disheartening. Teachers are at their breaking point; the behaviors and needs of the kids are unbelievable; Many are quitting even after many years of service; We are hiring whoever we can get- probably subpar people because at this point we need warm bodies; The education is suffering- I see teachers playing a YouTube video of a book read aloud instead of reading the book themselves; Gym and art teachers running their class with videos instead of good direct instruction- I guess they are tired and this isn't forbidden; I work with my own kids on basic facts because I don't trust the system to do a good job. Too many needy kids, burnt out teachers, poor instructional approaches, a growing lack of resources...the list goes on anc on; I truly believe mcps is sinking ship and will continue to decline year over year

As a parent, we are at our breaking point too. Teachers who don’t teach, grade assignments, review assignments and give feedback, don’t return emails from students or parents and do the absolute minimum. My kids are in tutoring for some subjects more than the actual class time because of the lack of instruction and textbooks to teach your self. You need to work with parents instead of complaining and kids will not thrive without a good support system. And enough with the small group projects and discussions. Get back to teaching.

Teacher here and I can’t do any more than I’m doing. Seriously. I’m being asked to do the work of three people and I devote seven days a week to my job.

And my own kids? I tutor them for the reasons you mentioned above.

The difference between us is I’m not blaming their teachers for the deficiencies I see in their educations. I know those teachers are doing their best in a broken system.

I think the above post really reflects the job creep of teaching over the last 20 years. Email, online grading systems, more demanding students and parents has really made teaching more difficult. Paperwork is more, we are expected to teach SEL, manage more behavior issues, deal with more ESOL and SpEd students. State and local testing regimes. We even do SATs during school hours now instead of on weekends like is was done 20 years ago. Expectations to run clubs and after school events.. It just feels like most of my job isn’t actually teaching. And I get dinged if I don’t do it. Whereas good teaching doesn’t get rewarded at all by the powers that be.

Also, we don't have a choice really in how our classrooms are run. As its been posted in other threads, the district's huge push right now is for small groups. So admin is on teachers to teach for 15-20 minutes max and then rotate small groups. It's ridiculous and it's not helping at all. On top of it, admin seems to forget that teachers also need to manage their classroom during this time, so many times, the small group working with the teacher is routinely interrupted to put out fires happening around the rest of the classroom while the rest of the class works "independently." Small groups are absolutely beneficial but they should not be at the expense of solid, whole group instructional time.

This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just said no? What if you just did the small groups when you thought it made sense, or not run clubs, etc? What would happen if you just worked 8 hours a day, weekdays only, and after that called it quits?

I mean, what if you just refused to do something at your job? We can't just override the people "in charge" of us. However, we can quit if we feel like we aren't doing what is best for our students which is another reason I think a mass exodus from MCPS is definitely going to happen this year. MCPS is failing students and we are sick of helping facilitate that. I'd rather take a paycut to teach in a county that values real education, not just test scores.

DP

I work in government. If I refuse to do something at my job, my boss cannot force me to do it. I mean I guess they could literally hold a gun to my head, but that would be illegal.

Their options would be to not give a step increase, put me on a performance plan and maybe fire me. But firing is extremely rare and very difficult to do. I would really need to be causing them problems for them to actually pursue this. I often don't do things the way my boss told me to, because their direction did not make sense. They've never sanctioned me for that.

Of course, this isn't MCPS. But my point is short of threatening violence nobody can actually force someone else to do something. They can punish you for not doing something, you may as a result feel incentivized to do what they want, but they can't actually force you. I think that might be what the PP's question is getting at.

How clueless are you? Have you not been paying attention to the news at all? Teachers and admin are getting fired left and right in Florida for "not following the rules." It can and will happen. There are 9 weeks left. Most of us would rather just survive with a semblance of peace and get the heck out out of here in June.

So you think MCPS is going the way of Florida? Fascinating.

You truly are too stupid to deal with. It was an example of how right now, in the American educational system, just refusing to do your job won't fly. Maybe MCPS isn't at the degree Florida is now, but it's not easy to see why teachers can't just get away with doing whatever they want. That should have been obvious to you in the first place, but apparently, you're not exactly the brightest person.

I like how parents on these boards are simultaneously told not to tell teachers what to do (even if we are literally answering a question that was asked about our non teaching jobs, not telling anyone what to do) because we don't know enough about their jobs, and also expected to know everything about how your jobs work. Also shouting "BUT FLORIDA" is not informative or persuasive.

Bc the situations arent analogous. If I refuse to respond to parent emails, I will be dinged points on my evaluation; If I refuse to cover a class, I will be punished for not being a team player; If I refuse to attend a SPED meeting, again, points on my evaluation. Admin is able to weaponize our refusal against us.

Our teachers don’t respond. How would anyone know?

One of my kid's has a teacher who ignores our emails. So do I need to CC the principal to get a response then?

Actually, yes. That’s the appropriate thing to do.

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Anonymous wrote:I am an mcps educator and send my kids to mcps public schools. What I am seeing is disheartening. Teachers are at their breaking point; the behaviors and needs of the kids are unbelievable; Many are quitting even after many years of service; We are hiring whoever we can get- probably subpar people because at this point we need warm bodies; The education is suffering- I see teachers playing a YouTube video of a book read aloud instead of reading the book themselves; Gym and art teachers running their class with videos instead of good direct instruction- I guess they are tired and this isn't forbidden; I work with my own kids on basic facts because I don't trust the system to do a good job. Too many needy kids, burnt out teachers, poor instructional approaches, a growing lack of resources...the list goes on anc on; I truly believe mcps is sinking ship and will continue to decline year over year

As a parent, we are at our breaking point too. Teachers who don’t teach, grade assignments, review assignments and give feedback, don’t return emails from students or parents and do the absolute minimum. My kids are in tutoring for some subjects more than the actual class time because of the lack of instruction and textbooks to teach your self. You need to work with parents instead of complaining and kids will not thrive without a good support system. And enough with the small group projects and discussions. Get back to teaching.

Teacher here and I can’t do any more than I’m doing. Seriously. I’m being asked to do the work of three people and I devote seven days a week to my job.

And my own kids? I tutor them for the reasons you mentioned above.

The difference between us is I’m not blaming their teachers for the deficiencies I see in their educations. I know those teachers are doing their best in a broken system.

I think the above post really reflects the job creep of teaching over the last 20 years. Email, online grading systems, more demanding students and parents has really made teaching more difficult. Paperwork is more, we are expected to teach SEL, manage more behavior issues, deal with more ESOL and SpEd students. State and local testing regimes. We even do SATs during school hours now instead of on weekends like is was done 20 years ago. Expectations to run clubs and after school events.. It just feels like most of my job isn’t actually teaching. And I get dinged if I don’t do it. Whereas good teaching doesn’t get rewarded at all by the powers that be.

Also, we don't have a choice really in how our classrooms are run. As its been posted in other threads, the district's huge push right now is for small groups. So admin is on teachers to teach for 15-20 minutes max and then rotate small groups. It's ridiculous and it's not helping at all. On top of it, admin seems to forget that teachers also need to manage their classroom during this time, so many times, the small group working with the teacher is routinely interrupted to put out fires happening around the rest of the classroom while the rest of the class works "independently." Small groups are absolutely beneficial but they should not be at the expense of solid, whole group instructional time.

This is probably a stupid question, but what if you just said no? What if you just did the small groups when you thought it made sense, or not run clubs, etc? What would happen if you just worked 8 hours a day, weekdays only, and after that called it quits?

I mean, what if you just refused to do something at your job? We can't just override the people "in charge" of us. However, we can quit if we feel like we aren't doing what is best for our students which is another reason I think a mass exodus from MCPS is definitely going to happen this year. MCPS is failing students and we are sick of helping facilitate that. I'd rather take a paycut to teach in a county that values real education, not just test scores.

DP

I work in government. If I refuse to do something at my job, my boss cannot force me to do it. I mean I guess they could literally hold a gun to my head, but that would be illegal.

Their options would be to not give a step increase, put me on a performance plan and maybe fire me. But firing is extremely rare and very difficult to do. I would really need to be causing them problems for them to actually pursue this. I often don't do things the way my boss told me to, because their direction did not make sense. They've never sanctioned me for that.

Of course, this isn't MCPS. But my point is short of threatening violence nobody can actually force someone else to do something. They can punish you for not doing something, you may as a result feel incentivized to do what they want, but they can't actually force you. I think that might be what the PP's question is getting at.

How clueless are you? Have you not been paying attention to the news at all? Teachers and admin are getting fired left and right in Florida for "not following the rules." It can and will happen. There are 9 weeks left. Most of us would rather just survive with a semblance of peace and get the heck out out of here in June.

So you think MCPS is going the way of Florida? Fascinating.

You truly are too stupid to deal with. It was an example of how right now, in the American educational system, just refusing to do your job won't fly. Maybe MCPS isn't at the degree Florida is now, but it's not easy to see why teachers can't just get away with doing whatever they want. That should have been obvious to you in the first place, but apparently, you're not exactly the brightest person.

I like how parents on these boards are simultaneously told not to tell teachers what to do (even if we are literally answering a question that was asked about our non teaching jobs, not telling anyone what to do) because we don't know enough about their jobs, and also expected to know everything about how your jobs work. Also shouting "BUT FLORIDA" is not informative or persuasive.

Bc the situations arent analogous. If I refuse to respond to parent emails, I will be dinged points on my evaluation; If I refuse to cover a class, I will be punished for not being a team player; If I refuse to attend a SPED meeting, again, points on my evaluation. Admin is able to weaponize our refusal against us.

Our teachers don’t respond. How would anyone know?

One of my kid's has a teacher who ignores our emails. So do I need to CC the principal to get a response then?

PS We only emailed them once ask if we could schedule a conference. When they didn't get back to us we tried again a few weeks later one more time.

What grade is your child in and what do you want? Do you realize how busy the teacher is and how much they are dreading having to meet with you when they could be doing something else? Imagine if every parent wanted conferences all the time. Send your kid to private school if you want that level of service. This is why the teacher is ignoring your email!

This is what frustrates parents. Wanting a conference with the teacher to discuss their child or heck even a weekly message about what is going on in class is the base level expectation that most parents have. Parent involvement starts with parents knowing what’s going on with their kid/the class.. The no news is good news isn’t helpful, especially when that isn’t explained. I’ve heard more than one parent describe school like a black hole they send their kid to. Very little information comes out, no one explains everything, but if something goes bad parents are expected to jump.

Prime example, the 100th day of school. My kids Kindergarten year(and honestly every year since) I was like why is this a thing. We didn’t celebrate 50, or 75, or even 90 which is half way through the year. So I had to ask a teacher family member because it made zero sense.

I’m an easy going parent. I understand teachers are busy and respect the profession. However, I felt on more than one occasion like teachers want involvement but also want to be the ones that determine the level and type of involvement. Yes you should be trusted but at the same time you are a complete stranger to my child and definitely to me. My trust comes from the expectation that at any point I can reach out and expect a response. That when I feel like something is not right for my child we’ll partner together so we both have understanding and work towards the best result. While I understand you teacher are dealing with kids with bad behavior and no parental involvement, that problem should be raised loudly and consistently with Administrators, MCEA, and CO (everyday, multiple times a day if needed) until something is done. That doesn’t mean I nor my child should lower our expectations of quality educational service.

[Anonymous]

I communicate regularly with parents as does my school. Many parents have made it clear that it’s too much and they don’t want it. One weekly email/Dojo message from me is too much. Oh well. We can’t win.