The PD video teachers must watch on Monday

[Anonymous]

Why do they speak to educators like they speak to 3rd graders? This wouldn't fly in a normal corporate setting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school told us we will be in PD from 9 am-3 pm with a 30 minute lunch break. I’m pissed. I teach HS and brought home 150 papers to grade. I also have 25 college recommendations to write, many of which have a Nov 1 deadline. I also need to prepare for my classes next week. And they could not give us half a day to catch up on stuff?

At my HS we are working on our own computers with headphones in the morning in staff groups of ~20. While I’m sure there will need to be some semblance of collegial conversation, I’m also sure that many of my letters of rec will get done. Afternoon is planning without content PLCs. Again, I’m sure there’s something specified that we need to get done, but I also know that my department is pretty good at checking required boxes while also being actually productive.

After 20 years in MCPS, I’ve learned to roll with this type of stuff, rather than waste my energy being frustrated or angry about it. And while most of the time I don’t learn anything new or feel like the information is targeted at younger kids, I’m also always surprised by the number of staff for whom some of this information is very new to them, or who clearly haven’t examined their own biases towards certain populations of children. 😬

That said, after skimming this training video, it certainly seems targeted more towards ES/MS and is completely missing the mark about the needs of post-pandemic children who weren’t socialized during a key developmental period. Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone has a solution, because as a society we haven’t really acknowledged the problem.

[Anonymous]

Teachers need to speak out and say they’re uncomfortable and unsatisfied with this kind of diluted, unrealistic, ineffective, propaganda masquerading as training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am dreading showing this to staff on Monday. We've had several staff hit by students this school year and the lack of accountability in terms of student behavior is out of control. If there is any advice I can give MCPS parents is that if you have children who are coming home commenting about behaviors at their school, believe your kids. Email the teacher, the principal, etc. I'm in a Title 1 school so we have smaller class sizes in K - 2nd grade. We have a first grade class with sixteen students but requires multiple adults to keep it somewhat under control. The teacher was punched two weeks ago in the face and the area director wouldn't allow the principal to suspend the student. The teacher, however, was supposed to just ignore the bruise on her face and come back the next day and continue on like nothing is wrong.

THIS IS NOT OKAY! Things in MCPS are terrible right now. We may get paid well (for educators) but the conditions are atrocious. This video we have to watch is insulting. The central office staff who have designed this PD and script need to be in schools more often to see what it looks like these days. Schools look so much different now than 2018.

In the example you gave, how would a bystander parent's email help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am dreading showing this to staff on Monday. We've had several staff hit by students this school year and the lack of accountability in terms of student behavior is out of control. If there is any advice I can give MCPS parents is that if you have children who are coming home commenting about behaviors at their school, believe your kids. Email the teacher, the principal, etc. I'm in a Title 1 school so we have smaller class sizes in K - 2nd grade. We have a first grade class with sixteen students but requires multiple adults to keep it somewhat under control. The teacher was punched two weeks ago in the face and the area director wouldn't allow the principal to suspend the student. The teacher, however, was supposed to just ignore the bruise on her face and come back the next day and continue on like nothing is wrong.

THIS IS NOT OKAY! Things in MCPS are terrible right now. We may get paid well (for educators) but the conditions are atrocious. This video we have to watch is insulting. The central office staff who have designed this PD and script need to be in schools more often to see what it looks like these days. Schools look so much different now than 2018.

In the example you gave, how would a bystander parent's email help?

It puts pressure on the director and principal to take actual action with a student who is a constant disruption to their classroom. Often times administration just hopes that other parents won't call and complain and make a fuss. The more vocal parents are, the more quickly admin and higher ups move to help resolve the situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am dreading showing this to staff on Monday. We've had several staff hit by students this school year and the lack of accountability in terms of student behavior is out of control. If there is any advice I can give MCPS parents is that if you have children who are coming home commenting about behaviors at their school, believe your kids. Email the teacher, the principal, etc. I'm in a Title 1 school so we have smaller class sizes in K - 2nd grade. We have a first grade class with sixteen students but requires multiple adults to keep it somewhat under control. The teacher was punched two weeks ago in the face and the area director wouldn't allow the principal to suspend the student. The teacher, however, was supposed to just ignore the bruise on her face and come back the next day and continue on like nothing is wrong.

THIS IS NOT OKAY! Things in MCPS are terrible right now. We may get paid well (for educators) but the conditions are atrocious. This video we have to watch is insulting. The central office staff who have designed this PD and script need to be in schools more often to see what it looks like these days. Schools look so much different now than 2018.

In the example you gave, how would a bystander parent's email help?

It puts pressure on the director and principal to take actual action with a student who is a constant disruption to their classroom. Often times administration just hopes that other parents won't call and complain and make a fuss. The more vocal parents are, the more quickly admin and higher ups move to help resolve the situation.

This is absolutely true. When teachers speak up they get ignored at best and at worst face retaliation threatening their livelihood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am dreading showing this to staff on Monday. We've had several staff hit by students this school year and the lack of accountability in terms of student behavior is out of control. If there is any advice I can give MCPS parents is that if you have children who are coming home commenting about behaviors at their school, believe your kids. Email the teacher, the principal, etc. I'm in a Title 1 school so we have smaller class sizes in K - 2nd grade. We have a first grade class with sixteen students but requires multiple adults to keep it somewhat under control. The teacher was punched two weeks ago in the face and the area director wouldn't allow the principal to suspend the student. The teacher, however, was supposed to just ignore the bruise on her face and come back the next day and continue on like nothing is wrong.

THIS IS NOT OKAY! Things in MCPS are terrible right now. We may get paid well (for educators) but the conditions are atrocious. This video we have to watch is insulting. The central office staff who have designed this PD and script need to be in schools more often to see what it looks like these days. Schools look so much different now than 2018.

In the example you gave, how would a bystander parent's email help?

It puts pressure on the director and principal to take actual action with a student who is a constant disruption to their classroom. Often times administration just hopes that other parents won't call and complain and make a fuss. The more vocal parents are, the more quickly admin and higher ups move to help resolve the situation.

This is absolutely true. When teachers speak up they get ignored at best and at worst face retaliation threatening their livelihood.

We parents get ignored too. Or labeled as “troublemakers” whose concerns the system doesn’t take seriously.

It’s a lose-lose situation all around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://youtu.be/lKjXipZjLj4

Imagine you are one of Biedleman;s victims when you get to the about 5:30

So glad that the county is taking this firm stand to make people feel affirmed and protected!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers need to speak out and say they’re uncomfortable and unsatisfied with this kind of diluted, unrealistic, ineffective, propaganda masquerading as training. [/quote



Oh we do. And then get even more of the same. Best to ignore, pretend to pay attention, and get something productive done while "listening".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. It would be better for teachers to just have a paid mental health day off on Monday.

I'm a parent and agree 1000%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I consider myself to be politically liberal, though definitely on the moderate side, but this is blatant communist political programming masquerading as professional development.

I’m a parent and not a teacher, but if I were a teacher I would feel insulted and disrespected that this is what my school district is trying to pass off as professional development. This is abysmal.

Monifa has no shame.

It’s horrible and demoralizing for our teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. It would be better for teachers to just have a paid mental health day off on Monday.

I'm a parent and agree 1000%

Thank you. We have zero days off in October. We are already very tired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't wait to see what news outlets think of this teacher "training"

I hope the media gets a hold of this training video and more people get to see it. It’s important for families to realize what kind of useless propaganda MCPS is pushing.

[Anonymous]

I’m a teacher and I am tired of being constantly lectured by MCPS and my school admin to do more for the kids. I’m sorry but I have 150 students to manage. It is a lot and I’m exhausted. It is hard to avoid compassion fatigue. A mental health day or frankly just a day to catch up and reflect on the year so far would have been amazing

[Anonymous]

I made a career change to eduction. Big pay cut. Yes, I love the summers off and have health insurance and job stability. I had friends and family in education and had a general idea of what I was getting into. I love love love my time with the students. Every day is a whirlwind, and I leave exhausted, but the good kind of exhausted like after a big event that you've planned hard for.

But THIS stuff is a slap in face. When they disrespect our time and professionalism. When they shove this canned crap down our throats without any actual thought into what it actually looks like in practice in our unique schools. With no support from the system when we do end up in tricky situations. An entire day completely wasted as we watch poorly presented videos and discuss our thoughts and feelings with coworkers we've never seen before. And then fill out an exit ticket to prove we learned something.

And how much did this cost? I'd rather have some better evidence based classroom materials or social emotion support for our students. Or admin who actually know how to manage and support staff. F this.