Great Beginnings New Teacher FCPS

[Anonymous]

If they don't pay you, skip it. It will probably be CRT training anyway. Probably better off skipping it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get childcare.

They will go to summer camp on those days. I will have to pay for it, obviously, so I wanted to know if FCPS will pay me for attending the orientation classes.

Yes, you will be paid for attending.

—a principal

You will be paid $50/day. The pay is a joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s no consequence for missing it.

I switched specialities/positions so had to go through it twice. I opted to skip the summer session the 2nd time, but go to the monthly meetings. I just emailed my Great Beginnings person and that was that. Principals are not directly involved in GB and doubt there are many who really are going to care.

The benefits would be networking with people in your curriculum area, outside of your school. Also figuring out how to navigate the FCPS bureaucracy. But otherwise if you are an experienced teacher I would say go to that Friday at your school site and the rest is whatever.

I'm a Lead Mentor at my school. I too switched specialties (within FCPS) and skipped the summer days but went to the role-specific sessions during the year (in the evenings, I think there were 5 of them). It is true that principals aren't directly involved with GB, but I will say that the Lead Mentor(s) will know who attended and who didn't.

Re: the 3 summer institute days, I absolutely agree that they provide networking benefits, help navigating FCPS and for the content-specific day, time with your county specialists. If you are not interested/available for the those, I would at least make an effort to attend the school-based orientation day (Thursday August 10). Whether you are new to teaching, new to FCPS or just new to your school, that day is really important. You meet your Lead Mentor(s) (LMs are tasked with planning and running the school-based orientation), the cohort of new teachers, your mentor, and find out all the school-specific information that you probably want before the whole staff returns on Monday August 14. You also receive your keys to your room, your laptop, and will have time in your room/space before the teacher return week ramps up.

Re: August 11, all employees have a choice: they can work that day, or they can work Tuesday June 18. Both options are work-from-an-alternate-location days. If you choose to work 8/11, it's a good time to do the 48563 online trainings that are required. If you choose to work 6/18/24, that's a good day to close up your room/check out. There are benefits to both days; it will depend on how you think that time will be best spent.

DP
How does that work? Why not just work from an alternate location both days since both days give that option?

If one is spending 8/11 completing online trainings will they have time the next week to work in their room?
Looking at the calendar I see nothing listed for August 11. Tuesday and Thursday of the next week are TW days, so that could be spent in the classroom. June 18 is listed as an alternate location TW.

https://www.fcps.edu/system/files/2023-2024-standard-school-year-calendar.pdf

Re: "work from alternate location on both days", we are only required to work 1 of those 2 days, either Aug 11 or June 18 (if it were both days, then we'd be at 196 days and our contract is 195). Re: the August 11/June 18 choice, it was added in June (I don't know the backstory); notification went out in an Employee News email on June 13. Re: time in your room/space, you will have time August 14-18 (when it is and how much is school-dependent).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s no consequence for missing it.

I switched specialities/positions so had to go through it twice. I opted to skip the summer session the 2nd time, but go to the monthly meetings. I just emailed my Great Beginnings person and that was that. Principals are not directly involved in GB and doubt there are many who really are going to care.

The benefits would be networking with people in your curriculum area, outside of your school. Also figuring out how to navigate the FCPS bureaucracy. But otherwise if you are an experienced teacher I would say go to that Friday at your school site and the rest is whatever.

I'm a Lead Mentor at my school. I too switched specialties (within FCPS) and skipped the summer days but went to the role-specific sessions during the year (in the evenings, I think there were 5 of them). It is true that principals aren't directly involved with GB, but I will say that the Lead Mentor(s) will know who attended and who didn't.

Re: the 3 summer institute days, I absolutely agree that they provide networking benefits, help navigating FCPS and for the content-specific day, time with your county specialists. If you are not interested/available for the those, I would at least make an effort to attend the school-based orientation day (Thursday August 10). Whether you are new to teaching, new to FCPS or just new to your school, that day is really important. You meet your Lead Mentor(s) (LMs are tasked with planning and running the school-based orientation), the cohort of new teachers, your mentor, and find out all the school-specific information that you probably want before the whole staff returns on Monday August 14. You also receive your keys to your room, your laptop, and will have time in your room/space before the teacher return week ramps up.

Re: August 11, all employees have a choice: they can work that day, or they can work Tuesday June 18. Both options are work-from-an-alternate-location days. If you choose to work 8/11, it's a good time to do the 48563 online trainings that are required. If you choose to work 6/18/24, that's a good day to close up your room/check out. There are benefits to both days; it will depend on how you think that time will be best spent.

DP
How does that work? Why not just work from an alternate location both days since both days give that option?

If one is spending 8/11 completing online trainings will they have time the next week to work in their room?
Looking at the calendar I see nothing listed for August 11. Tuesday and Thursday of the next week are TW days, so that could be spent in the classroom. June 18 is listed as an alternate location TW.

https://www.fcps.edu/system/files/2023-2024-standard-school-year-calendar.pdf

Re: "work from alternate location on both days", we are only required to work 1 of those 2 days, either Aug 11 or June 18 (if it were both days, then we'd be at 196 days and our contract is 195). Re: the August 11/June 18 choice, it was added in June (I don't know the backstory); notification went out in an Employee News email on June 13. Re: time in your room/space, you will have time August 14-18 (when it is and how much is school-dependent).

What I mean is one could work from anywhere on August 11 and June 18, or not really work during both of the two days. You could be at the beach on Aug 11, say you did work that day and not work June 18.

Time in your room/space (when and how much) is not supposed to vary this school year. The TW days on the calendar (Tuesday and Thursday) are supposed to be reserved for use at the teacher’s discretion. Our principal made it clear to the staff at the end of the SY that Dr Reid said they were to let us all know this. I thought I saw an email about it too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get childcare.

They will go to summer camp on those days. I will have to pay for it, obviously, so I wanted to know if FCPS will pay me for attending the orientation classes.

Yes, you will be paid for attending.

—a principal

You will be paid $50/day. The pay is a joke.

FCPS is a joke.

[Anonymous]

I've known several teachers who did not go. They like you to go, but absolutely not mandatory. Great beginnings is mostly just a justification for several Gatehouse jobs.

[Anonymous]

I remember trying to get a schedule ahead of time to see if I had already take some of the trainings. It was laughable they all looked at me like I had 3 heads. Now I just schedule my kids stuff and let the PD slide ( leave early or come late as needed). If it were that important I should have had the schedule at least a month in advance.
Dear Gatehouse,
Treat teachers with respect and have the schedule done so we can schedule appointments without missing time with kids.
It is respectful. You did after all give the school calendar for the next 3 years, so back to school weeks aren’t a surprise.
Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've known several teachers who did not go. They like you to go, but absolutely not mandatory. Great beginnings is mostly just a justification for several Gatehouse jobs.

Brand new (to teaching, not just FCPS) teachers seem to get some value in it but for almost everyone else it’s a waste. If you’re a specialist, the content-area specific things are good for meeting your central office folks, but otherwise? Meh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they don't pay you, skip it. It will probably be CRT training anyway. Probably better off skipping it.

Sarcasm? I hope so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember trying to get a schedule ahead of time to see if I had already take some of the trainings. It was laughable they all looked at me like I had 3 heads. Now I just schedule my kids stuff and let the PD slide ( leave early or come late as needed). If it were that important I should have had the schedule at least a month in advance.
Dear Gatehouse,
Treat teachers with respect and have the schedule done so we can schedule appointments without missing time with kids.
It is respectful. You did after all give the school calendar for the next 3 years, so back to school weeks aren’t a surprise.
Thanks!

The employee calendar was released the last week in June, for the FY starting in July. Up until that date, no one knew if we had off July 3 and 4. Everything is now micro managed through many layers of review and mgmt. Manage your expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember trying to get a schedule ahead of time to see if I had already take some of the trainings. It was laughable they all looked at me like I had 3 heads. Now I just schedule my kids stuff and let the PD slide ( leave early or come late as needed). If it were that important I should have had the schedule at least a month in advance.
Dear Gatehouse,
Treat teachers with respect and have the schedule done so we can schedule appointments without missing time with kids.
It is respectful. You did after all give the school calendar for the next 3 years, so back to school weeks aren’t a surprise.
Thanks!

The employee calendar was released the last week in June, for the FY starting in July. Up until that date, no one knew if we had off July 3 and 4. Everything is now micro managed through many layers of review and mgmt. Manage your expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get childcare.

They will go to summer camp on those days. I will have to pay for it, obviously, so I wanted to know if FCPS will pay me for attending the orientation classes.

Yes, you will be paid for attending.

—a principal

DP
I’d like to hear more from a principal. Do you consider attendance a requirement or optional? If it’s optional do you have the opinion that the pay is adequate or not enough of an incentive? If it’s optional and a newly hired teacher does not attend, does that matter to you or are you even aware of who attends?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I remember trying to get a schedule ahead of time to see if I had already take some of the trainings. It was laughable they all looked at me like I had 3 heads. Now I just schedule my kids stuff and let the PD slide ( leave early or come late as needed). If it were that important I should have had the schedule at least a month in advance.
Dear Gatehouse,
Treat teachers with respect and have the schedule done so we can schedule appointments without missing time with kids.
It is respectful. You did after all give the school calendar for the next 3 years, so back to school weeks aren’t a surprise.
Thanks!

The employee calendar was released the last week in June, for the FY starting in July. Up until that date, no one knew if we had off July 3 and 4. Everything is now micro managed through many layers of review and mgmt. Manage your expectations.

Ha- my employer can also manage theirs or deal with lots of resignations and retirements. If you are someone who plans for teachers, you have to know that you are also being poorly managed and spinning wheels not knowing what is happening next is a symptom. Think behavior management for the classroom: Being clear is being respectful and kind. Not knowing breeds disharmony and under engaged participants because so much energy is being used to “what happens next.” rather than relying on predictability and routine.

If these people were still in the classroom, the kids would be rebelling because expectations weren’t set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they don't pay you, skip it. It will probably be CRT training anyway. Probably better off skipping it.

Sarcasm? I hope so.

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they don't pay you, skip it. It will probably be CRT training anyway. Probably better off skipping it.

Sarcasm? I hope so.

No.

Then you are misinformed.