MCPS teachers - what would you tell parents in your class(es) if you could?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you value an “A” more than your child’s moral integrity, as well as emotional, and physical well-being, you are a bad parent. If you refuse to hold your child accountable for their actions, or stymie teachers trying to hold your child accountable for their actions; or if you enable your child to lie and cheat to get ahead, you are also a bad parent whose child will grow up to be a liar and a cheater, or worse.

Also, before you call or email your child’s teacher, take your child’s phone and put it in the garbage disposal. There. You’ve fixed the problem and saved everyone (except the plumber) a lot of grief.

The phone is not the issue. Even if there were no phones, there would be plenty of things to replace it. Ironically some teachers expect kids to have phones and use them for class.

Having the students use the phone in class is an attempt to have them use them for something educational rather than something that disrupts education. While there are a few teachers who will like students to have phones, most would 100% give up the phone.

You don't see the contradiction demanding parents provide phones and then complain parents are sending them. Our school emailed saying that kids need phones for QR codes but in another statement said they may not be out. Which is it? You are demanding we send phones for a QR code check in? Why do they need that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents of middle and HS students - your kids are on their cell phones way more than you think during school despite what they tell you.
Please advocate for tougher cell phone rules in schools. Private schools are doing a much better job of enforcing cell phone rules and their kids are getting a better education because of it. Also, for high school, I don’t mind the early start but period 1 is a waste because kids are either half asleep or arrive late. If I was a high school parent I would advocate for a later high school start time. Many states have adapted to a later start time. I feel so bad for high school kids who look so tired in school but not much I can do about it.

THIS THIS THIS! I can't think of any two changes that would have a bigger impact on my students' success than this.

Honestly, the biggest advantage kids may be getting from a private school education is the ability of privates to restrict phones in the classroom.

-- public high school teacher whose child just graduated from a Catholic school.

If it were not phones it would be something else. Stop blaming phones and learn classroom management. When we grew up teachers were clear of expectations, no non sense and not trying to be our friends.

Tell me what you would like me to do. How should I enforce a no cell phone policy in the classroom? I am constantly telling kids to put away their phone but at my school we are not allowed to take the phone away or deduct any points. We cannot call security or send the kid to the office. We cannot do lunch detention. I don’t think parents want to face the reality of phones in schools. If you cannot control it at home, trust me it is not better at school. And I wish I could invite you to my classroom to see for yourself what first period in high school is like.

DP - does the principal prohibit you from taking away the phone, or is it central office? That policy needs to change. In my view, if a kid has it out and they're not allowed, that phone goes away and they can get it at the end of the day.

DP here. We used to collect phones, but no longer. Quite honestly, I don’t want to. If that phone gets taken out of my desk, I will be held liable and I’ll have to pay the family back. I’ve found students rummaging through my desk on occasion, so this idea isn’t too hard for me to imagine. (I even have clear policies about not going behind my desk and I’m known as a firm teacher. That doesn’t matter anymore since there are students who don’t respect rules or boundaries.)

I would give my kid a fake phone. No way I’d allow them to hand it over. My kids have phones for my needs, not theirs.

And this right here is a huge part of the problem. Parents are actively teaching their kids that the rules don't apply to them and how to skirt the rules. This right here is why I want to quit.

We have had serious safety issues that included an er visit. If I felt teachers would do best and keep my kids safe and communicate and not lie I would not need to send a phone. Nothing like picking up your child from school and seeing them have an allergic reaction because a teacher gave them a treat they could not eat.

Mcps as a whole needs to focus on safety for students and staff.

And hold staff accountable for mistakes.

Then teach your kid that the phone is for emergencies only. True emergencies. Medical emergency, school shooter. And it stays in the bag. And if the teacher sees it the kid is in the wrong because it should stay buried in the bag unless the world is ending. It won't get confiscated if it is in the bag at all times.

Why do you assume we don’t? Phones are not the issue. You need to learn better classroom management. Our kids devices are heavily locked down and monitored. We also monitor their mcps accounts heavily.

Ok so if your kid isn’t using their phone during class then there isn’t a problem. It won’t get confiscated. But if you’re the same poster who said above that you text with them during math class because you’re a better teacher than their teacher, then you’re contradicting yourself.

My kids phones are locked down but if they asked for help as the teacher was not responsive of course I’d help.

Is this what your kid is telling you? That the teacher refuses to help? Cut out the baloney.

No, they don’t tell me, i have seen it. They gave up complaining about bad teachers.

How have you “seen it?” Are you sitting in class with your MS/HS kids? Honestly, with your repeated absurdly helicopter parent replies, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents of middle and HS students - your kids are on their cell phones way more than you think during school despite what they tell you.
Please advocate for tougher cell phone rules in schools. Private schools are doing a much better job of enforcing cell phone rules and their kids are getting a better education because of it. Also, for high school, I don’t mind the early start but period 1 is a waste because kids are either half asleep or arrive late. If I was a high school parent I would advocate for a later high school start time. Many states have adapted to a later start time. I feel so bad for high school kids who look so tired in school but not much I can do about it.

THIS THIS THIS! I can't think of any two changes that would have a bigger impact on my students' success than this.

Honestly, the biggest advantage kids may be getting from a private school education is the ability of privates to restrict phones in the classroom.

-- public high school teacher whose child just graduated from a Catholic school.

If it were not phones it would be something else. Stop blaming phones and learn classroom management. When we grew up teachers were clear of expectations, no non sense and not trying to be our friends.

Tell me what you would like me to do. How should I enforce a no cell phone policy in the classroom? I am constantly telling kids to put away their phone but at my school we are not allowed to take the phone away or deduct any points. We cannot call security or send the kid to the office. We cannot do lunch detention. I don’t think parents want to face the reality of phones in schools. If you cannot control it at home, trust me it is not better at school. And I wish I could invite you to my classroom to see for yourself what first period in high school is like.

DP - does the principal prohibit you from taking away the phone, or is it central office? That policy needs to change. In my view, if a kid has it out and they're not allowed, that phone goes away and they can get it at the end of the day.

That’s a lovely fantasy “in your view.” Now do reality.

We’ll wait.

My child got his phone taken away in class and had to pick it up from that teacher’s class at the end of the day. That only happened once, and he was pretty good about keeping it off and in his pocket after that. My understanding is that usually the teachers just tell the kids to put their phones away if they see them out.

“Your understanding?” Most public school admins doesn’t allow teachers to do this.

Next?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents of middle and HS students - your kids are on their cell phones way more than you think during school despite what they tell you.
Please advocate for tougher cell phone rules in schools. Private schools are doing a much better job of enforcing cell phone rules and their kids are getting a better education because of it. Also, for high school, I don’t mind the early start but period 1 is a waste because kids are either half asleep or arrive late. If I was a high school parent I would advocate for a later high school start time. Many states have adapted to a later start time. I feel so bad for high school kids who look so tired in school but not much I can do about it.

THIS THIS THIS! I can't think of any two changes that would have a bigger impact on my students' success than this.

Honestly, the biggest advantage kids may be getting from a private school education is the ability of privates to restrict phones in the classroom.

-- public high school teacher whose child just graduated from a Catholic school.

If it were not phones it would be something else. Stop blaming phones and learn classroom management. When we grew up teachers were clear of expectations, no non sense and not trying to be our friends.

Tell me what you would like me to do. How should I enforce a no cell phone policy in the classroom? I am constantly telling kids to put away their phone but at my school we are not allowed to take the phone away or deduct any points. We cannot call security or send the kid to the office. We cannot do lunch detention. I don’t think parents want to face the reality of phones in schools. If you cannot control it at home, trust me it is not better at school. And I wish I could invite you to my classroom to see for yourself what first period in high school is like.

DP - does the principal prohibit you from taking away the phone, or is it central office? That policy needs to change. In my view, if a kid has it out and they're not allowed, that phone goes away and they can get it at the end of the day.

That’s a lovely fantasy “in your view.” Now do reality.

We’ll wait.

It doesn't have to be a fantasty - teachers could confiscate if there isn't a policy against it. And a PP said that security comes and does it at one MCPS HS if kid won't put phone away, so it definitely happens somewhere.

Sigh. Are you slow? There IS “a policy against it” coming from above the teacher in the majority of public schools. But please, do go on with your uninformed opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends - if they have an iep? I’d tell them that most of the services are delivered by the general Ed teacher because inclusion spec Ed teachers are stretched too thin and we spend so much time on paperwork and not with kids. I’d also tell them no matter what they “advocate for” in the iep, it doesn’t actually happen during the school day due to limited resources and time so half the time we just agree to make you go away

We know. Thanks for being a failure in your life's work.

Likewise for being a failure at actual life. (Lack of empathy is the first sign of being a psychopath)

"I decided to use an anonymous forum to taunt distraught parents of special needs kids in a blasé manner about how we fail their children. But you're the psychopath! Poor me!"
PP

The thread is what we would tell parents if we could. I appreciated that teachers transparency and didn't read it as a taunt. You're clearly dissatisfied with your child's service, but you're lashing out to someone who is telling you there is literally nothing they can do to solve your problem.

I’m the one who posted about spec Ed. Not a taunt just the hard truth. And I’m not a failure at my job, I’m actually a really good spec Ed teacher and I advocate hard for the kids on my caseload. But these are the truths of the conditions in mcps and that’s what the thread asked about. Sometimes I wish parents knew so they didn’t believe the BS . That being said, parents should not be angry at the teachers - it’s the system and lack of appropriate resources

If you really wanted parents to know, why not tell them instead of lying to them to get them to “go away”? I don’t get it. That’s something that is absolutely in your power to do, and doesn’t even take a lot of effort.

You really “don’t get it?” Really? Are you simple, or merely being disingenuous?

No, I really don’t. I’ve absolutely had IEP teams refuse to provide services, and to put down their poor justification in wriring. And I’ve had members describe the process for requesting additional resources from central as a prerequisite for being able to provide one.

I really don’t get what the pp thinks she can’t say those things. She obviously can- she’s choosing not to out of a fear that it could complicate matters for herself.

“WAH! Why don’t you say this so I can sue the school?”

You’re absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another issue with cell phones is that students use them to cheat. Kids are constantly texting each other answers to test questions and also try to google answers. Cheating has become an epidemic in MCPS high schools

Right because there was never cheating before phones. Just more creativity.

You are right. There was always cheating. This did not start with phones. However, since phones have become so common, it is much, much worse.

Then, as a teacher take back your classroom and start by communicating with those parents interested.

I suspect you’re the same parent who has been combative throughout this thread.

You clearly know how to do our job. I encourage you to join us in the classroom and show us how it’s done. Come “take back a classroom” and put the disruptive students and unsupportive admin in line.

(You won’t, of course. Deep down, you know it’s bad and you know teachers are overworked and abused. Your combativeness does serve a purpose, fortunately. You’re demonstrating one of a teacher’s many frustrations: parents who think this job is easy simply because they sat in a classroom themselves decades ago.)

I’d be happy to volunteer in school but our school does not allow parent volunteers. However, even with all that, your job is to manage your classroom and complaining about things that will not change doesn’t help.

No, no, no. Not “volunteer.” Quit your job, take the pay cut and come teach full time. We’ll wait.

[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:Parents of middle and HS students - your kids are on their cell phones way more than you think during school despite what they tell you.
Please advocate for tougher cell phone rules in schools. Private schools are doing a much better job of enforcing cell phone rules and their kids are getting a better education because of it. Also, for high school, I don’t mind the early start but period 1 is a waste because kids are either half asleep or arrive late. If I was a high school parent I would advocate for a later high school start time. Many states have adapted to a later start time. I feel so bad for high school kids who look so tired in school but not much I can do about it.

THIS THIS THIS! I can't think of any two changes that would have a bigger impact on my students' success than this.

Honestly, the biggest advantage kids may be getting from a private school education is the ability of privates to restrict phones in the classroom.

-- public high school teacher whose child just graduated from a Catholic school.

If it were not phones it would be something else. Stop blaming phones and learn classroom management. When we grew up teachers were clear of expectations, no non sense and not trying to be our friends.

Tell me what you would like me to do. How should I enforce a no cell phone policy in the classroom? I am constantly telling kids to put away their phone but at my school we are not allowed to take the phone away or deduct any points. We cannot call security or send the kid to the office. We cannot do lunch detention. I don’t think parents want to face the reality of phones in schools. If you cannot control it at home, trust me it is not better at school. And I wish I could invite you to my classroom to see for yourself what first period in high school is like.

DP - does the principal prohibit you from taking away the phone, or is it central office? That policy needs to change. In my view, if a kid has it out and they're not allowed, that phone goes away and they can get it at the end of the day.

DP here. We used to collect phones, but no longer. Quite honestly, I don’t want to. If that phone gets taken out of my desk, I will be held liable and I’ll have to pay the family back. I’ve found students rummaging through my desk on occasion, so this idea isn’t too hard for me to imagine. (I even have clear policies about not going behind my desk and I’m known as a firm teacher. That doesn’t matter anymore since there are students who don’t respect rules or boundaries.)

I would give my kid a fake phone. No way I’d allow them to hand it over. My kids have phones for my needs, not theirs.

And this right here is a huge part of the problem. Parents are actively teaching their kids that the rules don't apply to them and how to skirt the rules. This right here is why I want to quit.

We have had serious safety issues that included an er visit. If I felt teachers would do best and keep my kids safe and communicate and not lie I would not need to send a phone. Nothing like picking up your child from school and seeing them have an allergic reaction because a teacher gave them a treat they could not eat.

Mcps as a whole needs to focus on safety for students and staff.

And hold staff accountable for mistakes.

Then teach your kid that the phone is for emergencies only. True emergencies. Medical emergency, school shooter. And it stays in the bag. And if the teacher sees it the kid is in the wrong because it should stay buried in the bag unless the world is ending. It won't get confiscated if it is in the bag at all times.

Why do you assume we don’t? Phones are not the issue. You need to learn better classroom management. Our kids devices are heavily locked down and monitored. We also monitor their mcps accounts heavily.

Ok so if your kid isn’t using their phone during class then there isn’t a problem. It won’t get confiscated. But if you’re the same poster who said above that you text with them during math class because you’re a better teacher than their teacher, then you’re contradicting yourself.

My kids phones are locked down but if they asked for help as the teacher was not responsive of course I’d help.

Is this what your kid is telling you? That the teacher refuses to help? Cut out the baloney.

No, they don’t tell me, i have seen it. They gave up complaining about bad teachers.

How have you “seen it?” Are you sitting in class with your MS/HS kids? Honestly, with your repeated absurdly helicopter parent replies, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were.

Well, yes, we generally have a parent in the room or nearby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another issue with cell phones is that students use them to cheat. Kids are constantly texting each other answers to test questions and also try to google answers. Cheating has become an epidemic in MCPS high schools

Right because there was never cheating before phones. Just more creativity.

You are right. There was always cheating. This did not start with phones. However, since phones have become so common, it is much, much worse.

Then, as a teacher take back your classroom and start by communicating with those parents interested.

I suspect you’re the same parent who has been combative throughout this thread.

You clearly know how to do our job. I encourage you to join us in the classroom and show us how it’s done. Come “take back a classroom” and put the disruptive students and unsupportive admin in line.

(You won’t, of course. Deep down, you know it’s bad and you know teachers are overworked and abused. Your combativeness does serve a purpose, fortunately. You’re demonstrating one of a teacher’s many frustrations: parents who think this job is easy simply because they sat in a classroom themselves decades ago.)

I’d be happy to volunteer in school but our school does not allow parent volunteers. However, even with all that, your job is to manage your classroom and complaining about things that will not change doesn’t help.

No, no, no. Not “volunteer.” Quit your job, take the pay cut and come teach full time. We’ll wait.

Why don't you teach?

[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:Depends - if they have an iep? I’d tell them that most of the services are delivered by the general Ed teacher because inclusion spec Ed teachers are stretched too thin and we spend so much time on paperwork and not with kids. I’d also tell them no matter what they “advocate for” in the iep, it doesn’t actually happen during the school day due to limited resources and time so half the time we just agree to make you go away

We know. Thanks for being a failure in your life's work.

Likewise for being a failure at actual life. (Lack of empathy is the first sign of being a psychopath)

"I decided to use an anonymous forum to taunt distraught parents of special needs kids in a blasé manner about how we fail their children. But you're the psychopath! Poor me!"
PP

Try working in the corporate world. Teaching is so much easier.

The thread is what we would tell parents if we could. I appreciated that teachers transparency and didn't read it as a taunt. You're clearly dissatisfied with your child's service, but you're lashing out to someone who is telling you there is literally nothing they can do to solve your problem.

I’m the one who posted about spec Ed. Not a taunt just the hard truth. And I’m not a failure at my job, I’m actually a really good spec Ed teacher and I advocate hard for the kids on my caseload. But these are the truths of the conditions in mcps and that’s what the thread asked about. Sometimes I wish parents knew so they didn’t believe the BS . That being said, parents should not be angry at the teachers - it’s the system and lack of appropriate resources

If you really wanted parents to know, why not tell them instead of lying to them to get them to “go away”? I don’t get it. That’s something that is absolutely in your power to do, and doesn’t even take a lot of effort.

And get fired ? Or written up by my boss/ supervisor for telling you that? No way

People outside teaching have no idea what pressures teachers face. No idea at all. I wish it were as simple as the PPs suggest re: just talking to parents.

Please, you have a job for life. It's almost impossible to get fired.
The union has captured the Democratic Party.

I see you didn’t actually address the point:
You have NO IDEA what teachers face. I had a prospective teacher shadow me for two days. He left saying he had no idea that’s what a teacher’s day is actually like. He then went back to school and joined another profession.

Shadow for two days. It’ll open your eyes.

Try working in the corporate world. Teaching is a joke compared to the stress and lack of job security in a high level corporate job or Big Law.

Oh, STFU. You are so pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you value an “A” more than your child’s moral integrity, as well as emotional, and physical well-being, you are a bad parent. If you refuse to hold your child accountable for their actions, or stymie teachers trying to hold your child accountable for their actions; or if you enable your child to lie and cheat to get ahead, you are also a bad parent whose child will grow up to be a liar and a cheater, or worse.

Also, before you call or email your child’s teacher, take your child’s phone and put it in the garbage disposal. There. You’ve fixed the problem and saved everyone (except the plumber) a lot of grief.

The phone is not the issue. Even if there were no phones, there would be plenty of things to replace it. Ironically some teachers expect kids to have phones and use them for class.

Having the students use the phone in class is an attempt to have them use them for something educational rather than something that disrupts education. While there are a few teachers who will like students to have phones, most would 100% give up the phone.

You don't see the contradiction demanding parents provide phones and then complain parents are sending them. Our school emailed saying that kids need phones for QR codes but in another statement said they may not be out. Which is it? You are demanding we send phones for a QR code check in? Why do they need that?

Your public school did not “demand” your kid have a phone. So when you contacted the teacher and said “my child doesn’t have a cellphone. What is the alternate way they can access the curriculum,” they said “there isn’t one. You must buy them a smartphone?”

Liar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another issue with cell phones is that students use them to cheat. Kids are constantly texting each other answers to test questions and also try to google answers. Cheating has become an epidemic in MCPS high schools

Right because there was never cheating before phones. Just more creativity.

You are right. There was always cheating. This did not start with phones. However, since phones have become so common, it is much, much worse.

Then, as a teacher take back your classroom and start by communicating with those parents interested.

I suspect you’re the same parent who has been combative throughout this thread.

You clearly know how to do our job. I encourage you to join us in the classroom and show us how it’s done. Come “take back a classroom” and put the disruptive students and unsupportive admin in line.

(You won’t, of course. Deep down, you know it’s bad and you know teachers are overworked and abused. Your combativeness does serve a purpose, fortunately. You’re demonstrating one of a teacher’s many frustrations: parents who think this job is easy simply because they sat in a classroom themselves decades ago.)

I’d be happy to volunteer in school but our school does not allow parent volunteers. However, even with all that, your job is to manage your classroom and complaining about things that will not change doesn’t help.

No, no, no. Not “volunteer.” Quit your job, take the pay cut and come teach full time. We’ll wait.

Why don't you teach?

I’m not the one vomiting all over DCUM whining about and bashing teachers. You are.

Now that we’ve covered that, stop deflecting and get in that classroom. Go show those losers how it’s done!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you value an “A” more than your child’s moral integrity, as well as emotional, and physical well-being, you are a bad parent. If you refuse to hold your child accountable for their actions, or stymie teachers trying to hold your child accountable for their actions; or if you enable your child to lie and cheat to get ahead, you are also a bad parent whose child will grow up to be a liar and a cheater, or worse.

Also, before you call or email your child’s teacher, take your child’s phone and put it in the garbage disposal. There. You’ve fixed the problem and saved everyone (except the plumber) a lot of grief.

The phone is not the issue. Even if there were no phones, there would be plenty of things to replace it. Ironically some teachers expect kids to have phones and use them for class.

Having the students use the phone in class is an attempt to have them use them for something educational rather than something that disrupts education. While there are a few teachers who will like students to have phones, most would 100% give up the phone.

You don't see the contradiction demanding parents provide phones and then complain parents are sending them. Our school emailed saying that kids need phones for QR codes but in another statement said they may not be out. Which is it? You are demanding we send phones for a QR code check in? Why do they need that?

Where do you see someone demanding students have phones? The PP was suggesting that, since they are on them anyway, they may as well use them educationally. No one is demanding they have phones.

[Anonymous]

I would tell parents of students with disabilities to listen to their teacher and special Ed teacher carefully during meetings when we invite central office staff. It is so hard to get them to even show up at the meeting that if they are there, we are trying to communicate about a need we cannot meet within our school resources. We are often advocating highly for your child internally but being silenced by central.

I am always on your child’s side, I know their needs, and I care about their progress. I am also understaffed and overwhelmed. Last year I taught an intervention before school started, worked with a student that was struggling during my lunch, and spent countless hours modifying materials for students before and after school. I was still blamed by two parent when their students didn’t make much progress. I was told I was unethical, heartless, and was breaking the law. I finally got central to show up to one of those student’s fifth meeting of the year to attempt to get more resources. Central and the parent blamed me and nothing changed. This year, I will be taking my planning time and my lunch because no matter what I do, there are parents that will demand more and there is no way for me to actually succeed in this job, at least not in 2023.

Please understand that I am telling you what you need to hear. Stop the whole, “ the law says my kid is the most important”. Of course your child is important to you but all 20 kids (including yours) on my caseload are important to me and their parents. I have taught special Ed for 25 years. I’m good at my job, my kids make progress. There was a time I loved my job. That said, I will quit before a child with small accommodation needs get more hours of my time than the child with significant needs simply because the parent is not advocating. In my building, everyone gets equitable treatment. Unfortunately, that is not how district works and I WILL fail again this year no matter how hard I try. I have submitted paperwork for early retirement and my biggest hope is that we can fill the open positions quickly enough so that I can try to train someone new before leaving.

[Anonymous]

THIS!!!!!!! I work in special education and one or two parents can really wreck your whole year. I have seen really good teachers be threatened by parents. This is what is driving many special educators out. I saw an amazing special ed teacher driven out because the parent called state licensing to complain because they felt the teacher didn't do enough for their child. In reality, this teacher did all she could and it wasn't enough for them (these are parents that will never be happy but made it their mission to make the teacher squirm). I'm so sorry this happened to you PP. I get it.

Anonymous wrote:I would tell parents of students with disabilities to listen to their teacher and special Ed teacher carefully during meetings when we invite central office staff. It is so hard to get them to even show up at the meeting that if they are there, we are trying to communicate about a need we cannot meet within our school resources. We are often advocating highly for your child internally but being silenced by central.

I am always on your child’s side, I know their needs, and I care about their progress. I am also understaffed and overwhelmed. Last year I taught an intervention before school started, worked with a student that was struggling during my lunch, and spent countless hours modifying materials for students before and after school. I was still blamed by two parent when their students didn’t make much progress. I was told I was unethical, heartless, and was breaking the law. I finally got central to show up to one of those student’s fifth meeting of the year to attempt to get more resources. Central and the parent blamed me and nothing changed. This year, I will be taking my planning time and my lunch because no matter what I do, there are parents that will demand more and there is no way for me to actually succeed in this job, at least not in 2023.

Please understand that I am telling you what you need to hear. Stop the whole, “ the law says my kid is the most important”. Of course your child is important to you but all 20 kids (including yours) on my caseload are important to me and their parents. I have taught special Ed for 25 years. I’m good at my job, my kids make progress. There was a time I loved my job. That said, I will quit before a child with small accommodation needs get more hours of my time than the child with significant needs simply because the parent is not advocating. In my building, everyone gets equitable treatment. Unfortunately, that is not how district works and I WILL fail again this year no matter how hard I try. I have submitted paperwork for early retirement and my biggest hope is that we can fill the open positions quickly enough so that I can try to train someone new before leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As we gear up for another school year, I would love to know from MCPS teachers what they wish they could tell parents.

I am not stupid, uneducated, or lazy. I love your kids, I love my job, I am working very hard at it, and I am trying to refine my skills to be even better even after decades in the profession. If I contact you with a concern, it’s because I want to help your child. I don’t want an adversarial relationship with you, I want to partner with you. Please, please, please read to and with your kid every day (elementary). It really makes a difference.