APS cancels Summer school for many previously qualified students due to lack of staffing

[Anonymous]

Well, originally it was all SWD (approx 13% of APS students) and all EL’s (not sure of the percentage). At my elem school it was about 130 and now it’s about half that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Listen, I’ll help you understand. Bridgets letter started with this:

“Even though we provided financial incentive, teachers were not willing to teach summer school.”

This is blame shifting. Translation: “We tried!! Teachers just won’t do it!’ Be mad at them some more!”

A real leader would have said something like this;

Dear APS Parents and Staff,

As we approach the end of a long and difficult school year, we appreciate the effort everyone in the community has expended to ensure children had as successful a year as possible. Teachers and families have worked together tirelessly this year and we are immensely grateful for all you have done. APS endeavored to create a summer program for students needing additional academic support; however, as previously indicated, the resources available to us were not sufficient to operate a program that could adequately serve the needs of the community. We regret to tell you that APS is unable to provide in person schooling this summer.”

Had she done that, the information would have been conveyed much more professionally and in a way that put the onus on APS and NOT on already drained teachers who are not obligated to teach summers for pennies.

Then parents would have been asking why there weren't sufficient resources, or what resources, and APS would have to say "teachers. We didn't have enough teachers apply. We don't have enough teachers interested in teaching this summer." And we're back to the "teacher blaming."

I think the real problem is that APS invited 62% more elementary students than they could accommodate for summer school. APS should have been able to better predict their staffing for the summer - reversing SS offering for 3300 students is a lot. This is not teachers fault in any way. The administration failed to properly plan AND properly communicate. Many of the communiques since SS was announced in late March did NOT include a caveat on staffing. And when they did it was “some students may need to be waitlisted”. The caveats APS listed were not on par with not being being able to serve 62% of eligible students. That would have said MOST students won’t have a seat.

APS leadership heralded their robust summer school program as the first step towards recovering from the pandemic year AND as the reason they didn’t go four days - bc the kids that need it will be in summer school. It’s an egregious failure.

I disagree that it wasn’t made clear that availability was based on ability to staff the program.

[Anonymous]

My district has hundreds of openings for next fall. Four times what we normally see. We have around 25 sped openings. So far? We've had 6 total applicants and of those, only 4 qualified on paper. Our superintendent has been begging teachers to enroll in sped certificate courses. Looks like we're going to have a lot of classes staffed with rotating subs and some gen ed classes will just get bigger. I typically have around 25 students and if we can't find another teacher for my team it'll be 32+. This isn't only going to affect summer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My district has hundreds of openings for next fall. Four times what we normally see. We have around 25 sped openings. So far? We've had 6 total applicants and of those, only 4 qualified on paper. Our superintendent has been begging teachers to enroll in sped certificate courses. Looks like we're going to have a lot of classes staffed with rotating subs and some gen ed classes will just get bigger. I typically have around 25 students and if we can't find another teacher for my team it'll be 32+. This isn't only going to affect summer

Which school district are you in? I fear that summer school is the least of our problems. A vast teacher shortage hopefully is not on the horizon next fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My district has hundreds of openings for next fall. Four times what we normally see. We have around 25 sped openings. So far? We've had 6 total applicants and of those, only 4 qualified on paper. Our superintendent has been begging teachers to enroll in sped certificate courses. Looks like we're going to have a lot of classes staffed with rotating subs and some gen ed classes will just get bigger. I typically have around 25 students and if we can't find another teacher for my team it'll be 32+. This isn't only going to affect summer

Which school district are you in? I fear that summer school is the least of our problems. A vast teacher shortage hopefully is not on the horizon next fall.

I wonder what APS will look like. They haven’t published any individual jobs just pools. They have a new school to staff too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physician here. An essential worker is an essential! If you want to be in job that isn’t important , requires dedication and sacrifice and very necessary, then don’t be a teacher. I never once complained that my employer asked me go to VHC to take care of Covid patients. I never questioned anyones intentions. I took the proper precautions , followed CDD guidelines and did my job. I am still alive and kicking. There was no need for closing schools and hiding. Everyone who was essential needed to rise up, wear PPE, gloves and work. We are supposed to be in a different class all together and it’s sad teachers didn’t understand that but every other essential worker did. Sorry to break it to you...masks actually work and that was all that was really needed. That is the truth the private schools teachers and the rest of the public schools systems knew already.

Perhaps APS should pay them physician’s wages then.

Perhaps teachers’ degrees should be harder to obtain. As it stands, it’s one of the easiest degrees to get.

PP is a physician, but I am a nurse that also had to go in. Hospital custodians, and hell, even Costco workers, went to work without complaint. The entire time.
Without sufficient PPE. Was it stressful? Absolutely! But we are essential workers, just as teachers are.

So cut the crap about having “the worst year ever”. It’s a bit tone deaf when WE ALL HAVE HAD THE FIRST YEAR EVER.

Or fine, take the summer break, and then don’t ever complain about your low salaries ever again.

They didn’t go in without complaint. Be clear. You’re literally here complaining that you, a nurse, had to handle a health crisis. Teachers did not ever sign up to teach in summer and don’t get paid to. It’s not the same.

I went to work without complaint. My complaints are with others that are too lazy to do their jobs.

Who didn’t do their job? I just got home from school. I’ve been working since August when we returned. Your argument is invalid. Teachers worked the whole year.

Bahahahahahaha

Oh, you're a child. Got it.

Oh, you’re lazy and mistakenly think you’re able to do your job well from home. Got it.

It is laughable that a nurse is telling teachers their degrees are too easy to get. It is also laughable that a nurse is pretending that your colleagues across the country haven’t gone on strike multiple times in the past year.
Nurses are just patient care techs with egos. You guys are not medical providers.

Don't do this. Don't make fun of nurses at the nursing profession. They are profession that has worked extremely hard over the last year and always and are constantly underrated with what they bring to the table.

However you should make fun of this nurse who posted ignorant things

You’re right, they should be allowed to say horrible things about other female driven professions but you’ve crossed a line if you dare point out their hypocrisy. And I’m sorry, but they aren’t. They can’t write prescriptions, develop treatment plans, or perform procedures. They aren’t even qualified to suture. But sure, “Nurses are heroes!”

[Anonymous]

Don’t be a dick to nurses.

This particular one is a horrible person but don’t disparage the whole profession because of her.

[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:Physician here. An essential worker is an essential! If you want to be in job that isn’t important , requires dedication and sacrifice and very necessary, then don’t be a teacher. I never once complained that my employer asked me go to VHC to take care of Covid patients. I never questioned anyones intentions. I took the proper precautions , followed CDD guidelines and did my job. I am still alive and kicking. There was no need for closing schools and hiding. Everyone who was essential needed to rise up, wear PPE, gloves and work. We are supposed to be in a different class all together and it’s sad teachers didn’t understand that but every other essential worker did. Sorry to break it to you...masks actually work and that was all that was really needed. That is the truth the private schools teachers and the rest of the public schools systems knew already.

Perhaps APS should pay them physician’s wages then.

Perhaps teachers’ degrees should be harder to obtain. As it stands, it’s one of the easiest degrees to get.

PP is a physician, but I am a nurse that also had to go in. Hospital custodians, and hell, even Costco workers, went to work without complaint. The entire time.
Without sufficient PPE. Was it stressful? Absolutely! But we are essential workers, just as teachers are.

So cut the crap about having “the worst year ever”. It’s a bit tone deaf when WE ALL HAVE HAD THE FIRST YEAR EVER.

Or fine, take the summer break, and then don’t ever complain about your low salaries ever again.

They didn’t go in without complaint. Be clear. You’re literally here complaining that you, a nurse, had to handle a health crisis. Teachers did not ever sign up to teach in summer and don’t get paid to. It’s not the same.

I went to work without complaint. My complaints are with others that are too lazy to do their jobs.

Who didn’t do their job? I just got home from school. I’ve been working since August when we returned. Your argument is invalid. Teachers worked the whole year.

Bahahahahahaha

Oh, you're a child. Got it.

Oh, you’re lazy and mistakenly think you’re able to do your job well from home. Got it.

It is laughable that a nurse is telling teachers their degrees are too easy to get. It is also laughable that a nurse is pretending that your colleagues across the country haven’t gone on strike multiple times in the past year.
Nurses are just patient care techs with egos. You guys are not medical providers.

Don't do this. Don't make fun of nurses at the nursing profession. They are profession that has worked extremely hard over the last year and always and are constantly underrated with what they bring to the table.

However you should make fun of this nurse who posted ignorant things

You’re right, they should be allowed to say horrible things about other female driven professions but you’ve crossed a line if you dare point out their hypocrisy. And I’m sorry, but they aren’t. They can’t write prescriptions, develop treatment plans, or perform procedures. They aren’t even qualified to suture. But sure, “Nurses are heroes!”

I hope you never have to be in the hospital, in a lot of pain and begging for someone to come help you...when that nurse comes by your bedside, you will not think of her/him as a hero/e...more like a god.

[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:Physician here. An essential worker is an essential! If you want to be in job that isn’t important , requires dedication and sacrifice and very necessary, then don’t be a teacher. I never once complained that my employer asked me go to VHC to take care of Covid patients. I never questioned anyones intentions. I took the proper precautions , followed CDD guidelines and did my job. I am still alive and kicking. There was no need for closing schools and hiding. Everyone who was essential needed to rise up, wear PPE, gloves and work. We are supposed to be in a different class all together and it’s sad teachers didn’t understand that but every other essential worker did. Sorry to break it to you...masks actually work and that was all that was really needed. That is the truth the private schools teachers and the rest of the public schools systems knew already.

Perhaps APS should pay them physician’s wages then.

Perhaps teachers’ degrees should be harder to obtain. As it stands, it’s one of the easiest degrees to get.

PP is a physician, but I am a nurse that also had to go in. Hospital custodians, and hell, even Costco workers, went to work without complaint. The entire time.
Without sufficient PPE. Was it stressful? Absolutely! But we are essential workers, just as teachers are.

So cut the crap about having “the worst year ever”. It’s a bit tone deaf when WE ALL HAVE HAD THE FIRST YEAR EVER.

Or fine, take the summer break, and then don’t ever complain about your low salaries ever again.

They didn’t go in without complaint. Be clear. You’re literally here complaining that you, a nurse, had to handle a health crisis. Teachers did not ever sign up to teach in summer and don’t get paid to. It’s not the same.

I went to work without complaint. My complaints are with others that are too lazy to do their jobs.

Who didn’t do their job? I just got home from school. I’ve been working since August when we returned. Your argument is invalid. Teachers worked the whole year.

Bahahahahahaha

Oh, you're a child. Got it.

Oh, you’re lazy and mistakenly think you’re able to do your job well from home. Got it.

It is laughable that a nurse is telling teachers their degrees are too easy to get. It is also laughable that a nurse is pretending that your colleagues across the country haven’t gone on strike multiple times in the past year.
Nurses are just patient care techs with egos. You guys are not medical providers.

Don't do this. Don't make fun of nurses at the nursing profession. They are profession that has worked extremely hard over the last year and always and are constantly underrated with what they bring to the table.

However you should make fun of this nurse who posted ignorant things

You’re right, they should be allowed to say horrible things about other female driven professions but you’ve crossed a line if you dare point out their hypocrisy. And I’m sorry, but they aren’t. They can’t write prescriptions, develop treatment plans, or perform procedures. They aren’t even qualified to suture. But sure, “Nurses are heroes!”

I hope you never have to be in the hospital, in a lot of pain and begging for someone to come help you...when that nurse comes by your bedside, you will not think of her/him as a hero/e...more like a god.

If I am, they won’t be able to prescribe me any pain medication.
I hope the nurse doesn’t foolishly have kids and expect teachers to do anything for them. Begging for their child to be educated with no one to help them!

[Anonymous]

The point isn’t that nurses aren’t worthy of respect, or that they don’t perform a valuable service. The point is that you can’t expect to trash strangers in other professions and be venerated. You want respect? Then treat other people in kind. If not, you deserve to be torn apart. Anyone who disagrees and has been attacking teachers should tell us their own job, so we can systematically attack their profession and their shortcomings during the pandemic. Who wants to go first?

[Anonymous]

A nurse attacking teachers doesn’t mean teachers need to attack nurses. She’s been like this all year and has said some really horrible stuff. Like, really bad. But that’s on her as an individual. Not nurses as a whole. She doesn’t get to bring the rest of them down with her just like we would say people who have made really ugly comments and are teachers don’t get to bring those of us who are good teachers down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Listen, I’ll help you understand. Bridgets letter started with this:

“Even though we provided financial incentive, teachers were not willing to teach summer school.”

This is blame shifting. Translation: “We tried!! Teachers just won’t do it!’ Be mad at them some more!”

A real leader would have said something like this;

Dear APS Parents and Staff,

As we approach the end of a long and difficult school year, we appreciate the effort everyone in the community has expended to ensure children had as successful a year as possible. Teachers and families have worked together tirelessly this year and we are immensely grateful for all you have done. APS endeavored to create a summer program for students needing additional academic support; however, as previously indicated, the resources available to us were not sufficient to operate a program that could adequately serve the needs of the community. We regret to tell you that APS is unable to provide in person schooling this summer.”

Had she done that, the information would have been conveyed much more professionally and in a way that put the onus on APS and NOT on already drained teachers who are not obligated to teach summers for pennies.

Then parents would have been asking why there weren't sufficient resources, or what resources, and APS would have to say "teachers. We didn't have enough teachers apply. We don't have enough teachers interested in teaching this summer." And we're back to the "teacher blaming."

I think the real problem is that APS invited 62% more elementary students than they could accommodate for summer school. APS should have been able to better predict their staffing for the summer - reversing SS offering for 3300 students is a lot. This is not teachers fault in any way. The administration failed to properly plan AND properly communicate. Many of the communiques since SS was announced in late March did NOT include a caveat on staffing. And when they did it was “some students may need to be waitlisted”. The caveats APS listed were not on par with not being being able to serve 62% of eligible students. That would have said MOST students won’t have a seat.

APS leadership heralded their robust summer school program as the first step towards recovering from the pandemic year AND as the reason they didn’t go four days - bc the kids that need it will be in summer school. It’s an egregious failure.

So, would people have preferred "some students may need to be waitlisted if we do not have enough teachers or staff"? Isn't pointing out the teacher staffing issue the problem?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Listen, I’ll help you understand. Bridgets letter started with this:

“Even though we provided financial incentive, teachers were not willing to teach summer school.”

This is blame shifting. Translation: “We tried!! Teachers just won’t do it!’ Be mad at them some more!”

A real leader would have said something like this;

Dear APS Parents and Staff,

As we approach the end of a long and difficult school year, we appreciate the effort everyone in the community has expended to ensure children had as successful a year as possible. Teachers and families have worked together tirelessly this year and we are immensely grateful for all you have done. APS endeavored to create a summer program for students needing additional academic support; however, as previously indicated, the resources available to us were not sufficient to operate a program that could adequately serve the needs of the community. We regret to tell you that APS is unable to provide in person schooling this summer.”

Had she done that, the information would have been conveyed much more professionally and in a way that put the onus on APS and NOT on already drained teachers who are not obligated to teach summers for pennies.

Then parents would have been asking why there weren't sufficient resources, or what resources, and APS would have to say "teachers. We didn't have enough teachers apply. We don't have enough teachers interested in teaching this summer." And we're back to the "teacher blaming."

I think the real problem is that APS invited 62% more elementary students than they could accommodate for summer school. APS should have been able to better predict their staffing for the summer - reversing SS offering for 3300 students is a lot. This is not teachers fault in any way. The administration failed to properly plan AND properly communicate. Many of the communiques since SS was announced in late March did NOT include a caveat on staffing. And when they did it was “some students may need to be waitlisted”. The caveats APS listed were not on par with not being being able to serve 62% of eligible students. That would have said MOST students won’t have a seat.

APS leadership heralded their robust summer school program as the first step towards recovering from the pandemic year AND as the reason they didn’t go four days - bc the kids that need it will be in summer school. It’s an egregious failure.

I disagree that it wasn’t made clear that availability was based on ability to staff the program.

Because they made the mistake of assuming that parents would have common sense and that they didn’t need to state the damn obvious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Listen, I’ll help you understand. Bridgets letter started with this:

“Even though we provided financial incentive, teachers were not willing to teach summer school.”

This is blame shifting. Translation: “We tried!! Teachers just won’t do it!’ Be mad at them some more!”

A real leader would have said something like this;

Dear APS Parents and Staff,

As we approach the end of a long and difficult school year, we appreciate the effort everyone in the community has expended to ensure children had as successful a year as possible. Teachers and families have worked together tirelessly this year and we are immensely grateful for all you have done. APS endeavored to create a summer program for students needing additional academic support; however, as previously indicated, the resources available to us were not sufficient to operate a program that could adequately serve the needs of the community. We regret to tell you that APS is unable to provide in person schooling this summer.”

Had she done that, the information would have been conveyed much more professionally and in a way that put the onus on APS and NOT on already drained teachers who are not obligated to teach summers for pennies.

While a larger financial incentive may have helped, why do people think money is the only motivation for teachers to teach summer school? Can you consider the possibility that teachers just need a freakin' break after living through a year and a half of a pandemic and restrictions and isolation - and after having to maneuver a year and a quarter of completely redefining and rearranging how they go about doing their job, amid constant and unrelenting public scrutiny? That perhaps no amount of financial incentive would be enough and they just want the break that their particular chosen profession affords them?

Then parents would have been asking why there weren't sufficient resources, or what resources, and APS would have to say "teachers. We didn't have enough teachers apply. We don't have enough teachers interested in teaching this summer." And we're back to the "teacher blaming."

But there weren’t sufficient resources. The silly little “bonus” or cheap hourly rate is NOT sufficient financial incentive for teachers. If you make $X an hour when your salary is broken down, why would you take on extra work to make HALF that for summer school? I’m asking you to consider this for yourself too. If your job asked you to work over the weekends, making half what you normally do, would you do it? Probably not. Because the rest you lose and the money you spend for someone to watch your kids does not balance out the pitiful wages they tossed at you to do it. The pay sucks. So no, the resources were clearly not there.

[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:Physician here. An essential worker is an essential! If you want to be in job that isn’t important , requires dedication and sacrifice and very necessary, then don’t be a teacher. I never once complained that my employer asked me go to VHC to take care of Covid patients. I never questioned anyones intentions. I took the proper precautions , followed CDD guidelines and did my job. I am still alive and kicking. There was no need for closing schools and hiding. Everyone who was essential needed to rise up, wear PPE, gloves and work. We are supposed to be in a different class all together and it’s sad teachers didn’t understand that but every other essential worker did. Sorry to break it to you...masks actually work and that was all that was really needed. That is the truth the private schools teachers and the rest of the public schools systems knew already.

Perhaps APS should pay them physician’s wages then.

Perhaps teachers’ degrees should be harder to obtain. As it stands, it’s one of the easiest degrees to get.

PP is a physician, but I am a nurse that also had to go in. Hospital custodians, and hell, even Costco workers, went to work without complaint. The entire time.
Without sufficient PPE. Was it stressful? Absolutely! But we are essential workers, just as teachers are.

So cut the crap about having “the worst year ever”. It’s a bit tone deaf when WE ALL HAVE HAD THE FIRST YEAR EVER.

Or fine, take the summer break, and then don’t ever complain about your low salaries ever again.

They didn’t go in without complaint. Be clear. You’re literally here complaining that you, a nurse, had to handle a health crisis. Teachers did not ever sign up to teach in summer and don’t get paid to. It’s not the same.

I went to work without complaint. My complaints are with others that are too lazy to do their jobs.

Who didn’t do their job? I just got home from school. I’ve been working since August when we returned. Your argument is invalid. Teachers worked the whole year.

Bahahahahahaha

Oh, you're a child. Got it.

Oh, you’re lazy and mistakenly think you’re able to do your job well from home. Got it.

It is laughable that a nurse is telling teachers their degrees are too easy to get. It is also laughable that a nurse is pretending that your colleagues across the country haven’t gone on strike multiple times in the past year.
Nurses are just patient care techs with egos. You guys are not medical providers.

Don't do this. Don't make fun of nurses at the nursing profession. They are profession that has worked extremely hard over the last year and always and are constantly underrated with what they bring to the table.

However you should make fun of this nurse who posted ignorant things

You’re right, they should be allowed to say horrible things about other female driven professions but you’ve crossed a line if you dare point out their hypocrisy. And I’m sorry, but they aren’t. They can’t write prescriptions, develop treatment plans, or perform procedures. They aren’t even qualified to suture. But sure, “Nurses are heroes!”

I hope you never have to be in the hospital, in a lot of pain and begging for someone to come help you...when that nurse comes by your bedside, you will not think of her/him as a hero/e...more like a god.