APS- teacher retention

[Anonymous]

This sounds so fake to me. Like a missing middle troll. Multiple teachers in one school are just announcing mid year to a substitute that they aren't coming back because of pay.

[Anonymous]

This problem isn't fake. Just wait until the end of this year and you'll see how many people leave.

[Anonymous]

This is not just an APS problem. Fairfax having this issue too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is not just an APS problem. Fairfax having this issue too.

True
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/210/1113656.page

[Anonymous]

Just because it's a problem in other counties doesn't mean it's not a problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just because it's a problem in other counties doesn't mean it's not a problem.

exactly, i'm so tired of this apology for APS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think the key to teacher retention is 4 day student contact weeks with an entire day for planning/meetings. Parents would riot though

I don't think teachers need this. They do need more support staff in the school, though, to deal with behaviors, mindless data requests, and other things that someone other than the teacher could take care of.

I am a teacher and I want/need this.

This is it. Constant observations by this department or that. Being told what to do by people who left the classroom
Because they couldn’t do it anymore is demean to those of us who like kids and stay. The stress comes from the “coaching” and constantly being told we are doing it wrong. I am saying this as an experienced teacher who has a strong track record, but we need to start speaking up. The coaching model is toxic and rewards those who don’t like teaching to tell others what is “best practice” rather than listening to the folks giving the lessons with real kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sounds so fake to me. Like a missing middle troll. Multiple teachers in one school are just announcing mid year to a substitute that they aren't coming back because of pay.

Why does this sound fake? Have you worked in a APS school in the last few years? I was part of a group of teachers that left an APS school last year. Some left during the school year, and others, myself included, left after school ended in June. It was an unusually large number for that school, and turnover was unusually high for APS last year. A substitute who is paying attention certainly could’ve figured this out at the school where I worked.

It’s about the money. It’s also about everything else you’ve heard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think the key to teacher retention is 4 day student contact weeks with an entire day for planning/meetings. Parents would riot though

I don't think teachers need this. They do need more support staff in the school, though, to deal with behaviors, mindless data requests, and other things that someone other than the teacher could take care of.

I am a teacher and I want/need this.

This is it. Constant observations by this department or that. Being told what to do by people who left the classroom
Because they couldn’t do it anymore is demean to those of us who like kids and stay. The stress comes from the “coaching” and constantly being told we are doing it wrong. I am saying this as an experienced teacher who has a strong track record, but we need to start speaking up. The coaching model is toxic and rewards those who don’t like teaching to tell others what is “best practice” rather than listening to the folks giving the lessons with real kids.

I have wondered about the coaching thing. Especially since APS keeps expanding it and recommending hiring more coaches. Not a teacher, but I've heard from teacher friends in other districts that the coaching advice is always "teach less, let the kids do more". Kids may learn by doing, but also seems like teaching should be involved in teaching???? But seems like the repeated message from Syphax to SB staff is "more coaches"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


This is it. Constant observations by this department or that. Being told what to do by people who left the classroom
Because they couldn’t do it anymore is demean to those of us who like kids and stay. The stress comes from the “coaching” and constantly being told we are doing it wrong. I am saying this as an experienced teacher who has a strong track record, but we need to start speaking up. The coaching model is toxic and rewards those who don’t like teaching to tell others what is “best practice” rather than listening to the folks giving the lessons with real kids.



I have wondered about the coaching thing. Especially since APS keeps expanding it and recommending hiring more coaches. Not a teacher, but I've heard from teacher friends in other districts that the coaching advice is always "teach less, let the kids do more". Kids may learn by doing, but also seems like teaching should be involved in teaching???? But seems like the repeated message from Syphax to SB staff is "more coaches"

They really need to scale back on the coaches and hire more support staff. More aides for classrooms, more people who can track attendance, fill out minor paperwork, collect testing data in the various ways the admin wants it, etc. Agree that the coaching model is toxic in MS/HS. I've seen coaches come in and move subject teachers around to different grade levels for no good reason, killing the morale of those teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


This is it. Constant observations by this department or that. Being told what to do by people who left the classroom
Because they couldn’t do it anymore is demean to those of us who like kids and stay. The stress comes from the “coaching” and constantly being told we are doing it wrong. I am saying this as an experienced teacher who has a strong track record, but we need to start speaking up. The coaching model is toxic and rewards those who don’t like teaching to tell others what is “best practice” rather than listening to the folks giving the lessons with real kids.



I have wondered about the coaching thing. Especially since APS keeps expanding it and recommending hiring more coaches. Not a teacher, but I've heard from teacher friends in other districts that the coaching advice is always "teach less, let the kids do more". Kids may learn by doing, but also seems like teaching should be involved in teaching???? But seems like the repeated message from Syphax to SB staff is "more coaches"

They really need to scale back on the coaches and hire more support staff. More aides for classrooms, more people who can track attendance, fill out minor paperwork, collect testing data in the various ways the admin wants it, etc. Agree that the coaching model is toxic in MS/HS. I've seen coaches come in and move subject teachers around to different grade levels for no good reason, killing the morale of those teachers.

I work in as a Kindergarten assistant and there could easily be a full time position for testing and entering scores. In the few weeks where they don’t have testing the position could be floating support

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


This is it. Constant observations by this department or that. Being told what to do by people who left the classroom
Because they couldn’t do it anymore is demean to those of us who like kids and stay. The stress comes from the “coaching” and constantly being told we are doing it wrong. I am saying this as an experienced teacher who has a strong track record, but we need to start speaking up. The coaching model is toxic and rewards those who don’t like teaching to tell others what is “best practice” rather than listening to the folks giving the lessons with real kids.



I have wondered about the coaching thing. Especially since APS keeps expanding it and recommending hiring more coaches. Not a teacher, but I've heard from teacher friends in other districts that the coaching advice is always "teach less, let the kids do more". Kids may learn by doing, but also seems like teaching should be involved in teaching???? But seems like the repeated message from Syphax to SB staff is "more coaches"

They really need to scale back on the coaches and hire more support staff. More aides for classrooms, more people who can track attendance, fill out minor paperwork, collect testing data in the various ways the admin wants it, etc. Agree that the coaching model is toxic in MS/HS. I've seen coaches come in and move subject teachers around to different grade levels for no good reason, killing the morale of those teachers.

How about fewer Central Office staff that don’t do anything? I’m a teacher, and I’m telling you they don’t do a damn thing. HR is a mess. Paychecks are a mess. My department area doesn’t do jack. Wants me to write the curriculum we were never given. They’re never there. I’m over all of them. No more surveys, please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They can stop hiring at Syphax. That would free up lots of money that could actually be used for gasp, the schools.

The percent we spend on admins is like 5% of the budget. You could cut half entire Syphax staff and not even have enough money reduce class size by 1 in the elementary schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can stop hiring at Syphax. That would free up lots of money that could actually be used for gasp, the schools.

The percent we spend on admins is like 5% of the budget. You could cut half entire Syphax staff and not even have enough money reduce class size by 1 in the elementary schools.

This. It wouldn’t be enough for 1 extra teacher at each school. I agree they’ve been screwing up a lot over there and aren’t particularly helpful but they are a drop in the bucket. Maybe one of us will end up over there and make things better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can stop hiring at Syphax. That would free up lots of money that could actually be used for gasp, the schools.

The percent we spend on admins is like 5% of the budget. You could cut half entire Syphax staff and not even have enough money reduce class size by 1 in the elementary schools.

This. It wouldn’t be enough for 1 extra teacher at each school. I agree they’ve been screwing up a lot over there and aren’t particularly helpful but they are a drop in the bucket. Maybe one of us will end up over there and make things better

I don’t know. There used to be a lot more money for supplies, busses for field trips. Where is the $?! Certainly not going to me, nor my classroom.