Will parents ever be happy with grading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will parents ever be happy with grading?
They are now mad that some schools are no longer grading homework.
BUT they also get mad when homework is graded..
They get mad if something isn't graded but then they get mad if something is graded...
They get mad that Summative are not enough of the grade or they are too much of a grade.....
so what's the deal? Will parents ever be happy with the grading?


Before they changed the grading policy that homework can't be no more than 10% of the grades, they will get mad because it was 25% worth of the grade, and test were only 50%
Now test test are weighted way more because parents kept complaining, and they are kids who are great test takers and don't do any outside work so this helps them,
but kids who don't test well are not doing well in class because of this....

As long as we know what is to be graded AND, most importantly, it is graded and put in the gradebook ina reasonable time, I'm good. It's the latter part that is not happening.

Posting as a teacher who grades thoroughly and promptly:

I give up my nights and weekends to give what parents are asking for on this thread. I hope parents realize that grading most often gets done on our own time. When I assign a task to 150 students, it can take me almost 10 uninterrupted hours to grade. There goes a Saturday.

I know someone will respond “but many professionals have to work outside their work hours.” That’s true, but that doesn’t make it okay. We currently have an education system in which one of the most important parts of our job (feedback on student work) **HAS** to be done outside of work hours. Every week. It’s one of the reasons so many of us are quitting.

If you got a higher salary it would feel better. But teacher get paid peanuts compared to other jobs. And it’s a lot more work. Former FCPS teacher here.

Your salary doesn’t rise as quickly as some professions but you get paid more than peanuts and you have a pension and wayyyyy more time off than anyone else.

New hires don't get a state pension. They have a 401k like private sector (called a 457 plan). FCPS contributes a max of 2.5% if employees contribute the max of 4%.

There is still a county level supplemental pension (funded through a 3.2% payroll deduction), but it's not the gravy train people make it out to be. The formula is (Avg of highest 5)(years of service)(0.008). Someone who works a full 30 years and maxes out at $90k will get $21k per year. (Most people don't make it 30 years.) Nice, but not enough to live on.

DP. I would also challenge the idea that teachers get way more time off. I work 6 full days a week. (The 6th is a weekend day catching up on grading. This is every weekend and it is a full 8-9 hours.)

I do get 8 weeks off during the summer, but it’s unpaid. I have to find summer employment every year to supplement my teaching salary, so I really enjoy one week’s vacation each summer.

and you get two weeks in December, spring break, all holidays, snow days, etc.... your summer might be "unpaid" (even though you still have benefit coverage) but you get way more time off than other professionals.

And teachers get paid less than other professionals.

If teachers have such a good deal, why don’t more people teach? That’s what DCUM can never answer.

Million dollar question for sure. Our school can barely get subs these days

There are plenty of teachers. Thats why the pay isn’t higher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will parents ever be happy with grading?
They are now mad that some schools are no longer grading homework.
BUT they also get mad when homework is graded..
They get mad if something isn't graded but then they get mad if something is graded...
They get mad that Summative are not enough of the grade or they are too much of a grade.....
so what's the deal? Will parents ever be happy with the grading?


Before they changed the grading policy that homework can't be no more than 10% of the grades, they will get mad because it was 25% worth of the grade, and test were only 50%
Now test test are weighted way more because parents kept complaining, and they are kids who are great test takers and don't do any outside work so this helps them,
but kids who don't test well are not doing well in class because of this....

As long as we know what is to be graded AND, most importantly, it is graded and put in the gradebook ina reasonable time, I'm good. It's the latter part that is not happening.

Posting as a teacher who grades thoroughly and promptly:

I give up my nights and weekends to give what parents are asking for on this thread. I hope parents realize that grading most often gets done on our own time. When I assign a task to 150 students, it can take me almost 10 uninterrupted hours to grade. There goes a Saturday.

I know someone will respond “but many professionals have to work outside their work hours.” That’s true, but that doesn’t make it okay. We currently have an education system in which one of the most important parts of our job (feedback on student work) **HAS** to be done outside of work hours. Every week. It’s one of the reasons so many of us are quitting.

If you got a higher salary it would feel better. But teacher get paid peanuts compared to other jobs. And it’s a lot more work. Former FCPS teacher here.

Your salary doesn’t rise as quickly as some professions but you get paid more than peanuts and you have a pension and wayyyyy more time off than anyone else.

New hires don't get a state pension. They have a 401k like private sector (called a 457 plan). FCPS contributes a max of 2.5% if employees contribute the max of 4%.

There is still a county level supplemental pension (funded through a 3.2% payroll deduction), but it's not the gravy train people make it out to be. The formula is (Avg of highest 5)(years of service)(0.008). Someone who works a full 30 years and maxes out at $90k will get $21k per year. (Most people don't make it 30 years.) Nice, but not enough to live on.

DP. I would also challenge the idea that teachers get way more time off. I work 6 full days a week. (The 6th is a weekend day catching up on grading. This is every weekend and it is a full 8-9 hours.)

I do get 8 weeks off during the summer, but it’s unpaid. I have to find summer employment every year to supplement my teaching salary, so I really enjoy one week’s vacation each summer.

and you get two weeks in December, spring break, all holidays, snow days, etc.... your summer might be "unpaid" (even though you still have benefit coverage) but you get way more time off than other professionals.

And teachers get paid less than other professionals.

If teachers have such a good deal, why don’t more people teach? That’s what DCUM can never answer.

Million dollar question for sure. Our school can barely get subs these days

I think most teachers would be more qualified than subs. People take sub jobs for the flexibility and non-commital. Subbing is not really a profession.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a very simple solution here: Just do away with almost all grading.

It's mostly a time sink for both students and teachers because it gets in the way of teaching and learning. A few graded assessments over the course of the year is fine, but that's it, especially at the elementary and middle school levels.

Do the above, and see that teachers, parents, and students would be exponentially happier and more likely to enjoy the learning process.

This might work with really young kids, but the older ones will learn absolutely nothing if they have no accountability. And then you'll have a bunch of kids in high school that don't have sound fundamentals, and don't really know how to study or about time management.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will parents ever be happy with grading?
They are now mad that some schools are no longer grading homework.
BUT they also get mad when homework is graded..
They get mad if something isn't graded but then they get mad if something is graded...
They get mad that Summative are not enough of the grade or they are too much of a grade.....
so what's the deal? Will parents ever be happy with the grading?


Before they changed the grading policy that homework can't be no more than 10% of the grades, they will get mad because it was 25% worth of the grade, and test were only 50%
Now test test are weighted way more because parents kept complaining, and they are kids who are great test takers and don't do any outside work so this helps them,
but kids who don't test well are not doing well in class because of this....

As long as we know what is to be graded AND, most importantly, it is graded and put in the gradebook ina reasonable time, I'm good. It's the latter part that is not happening.

Posting as a teacher who grades thoroughly and promptly:

I give up my nights and weekends to give what parents are asking for on this thread. I hope parents realize that grading most often gets done on our own time. When I assign a task to 150 students, it can take me almost 10 uninterrupted hours to grade. There goes a Saturday.

I know someone will respond “but many professionals have to work outside their work hours.” That’s true, but that doesn’t make it okay. We currently have an education system in which one of the most important parts of our job (feedback on student work) **HAS** to be done outside of work hours. Every week. It’s one of the reasons so many of us are quitting.

If you got a higher salary it would feel better. But teacher get paid peanuts compared to other jobs. And it’s a lot more work. Former FCPS teacher here.

Your salary doesn’t rise as quickly as some professions but you get paid more than peanuts and you have a pension and wayyyyy more time off than anyone else.

New hires don't get a state pension. They have a 401k like private sector (called a 457 plan). FCPS contributes a max of 2.5% if employees contribute the max of 4%.

There is still a county level supplemental pension (funded through a 3.2% payroll deduction), but it's not the gravy train people make it out to be. The formula is (Avg of highest 5)(years of service)(0.008). Someone who works a full 30 years and maxes out at $90k will get $21k per year. (Most people don't make it 30 years.) Nice, but not enough to live on.

DP. I would also challenge the idea that teachers get way more time off. I work 6 full days a week. (The 6th is a weekend day catching up on grading. This is every weekend and it is a full 8-9 hours.)

I do get 8 weeks off during the summer, but it’s unpaid. I have to find summer employment every year to supplement my teaching salary, so I really enjoy one week’s vacation each summer.

and you get two weeks in December, spring break, all holidays, snow days, etc.... your summer might be "unpaid" (even though you still have benefit coverage) but you get way more time off than other professionals.

And teachers get paid less than other professionals.

If teachers have such a good deal, why don’t more people teach? That’s what DCUM can never answer.

Million dollar question for sure. Our school can barely get subs these days

There are plenty of teachers. Thats why the pay isn’t higher.

There are not "plenty of teachers". There is a nationwide teacher shortage. Fewer and fewer young people are entering the profession, and the ones that do don't last. Low pay is certainly one reason. Unreasonable/hostile work environment is another.

[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:Will parents ever be happy with grading?
They are now mad that some schools are no longer grading homework.
BUT they also get mad when homework is graded..
They get mad if something isn't graded but then they get mad if something is graded...
They get mad that Summative are not enough of the grade or they are too much of a grade.....
so what's the deal? Will parents ever be happy with the grading?


Before they changed the grading policy that homework can't be no more than 10% of the grades, they will get mad because it was 25% worth of the grade, and test were only 50%
Now test test are weighted way more because parents kept complaining, and they are kids who are great test takers and don't do any outside work so this helps them,
but kids who don't test well are not doing well in class because of this....

As long as we know what is to be graded AND, most importantly, it is graded and put in the gradebook ina reasonable time, I'm good. It's the latter part that is not happening.

Posting as a teacher who grades thoroughly and promptly:

I give up my nights and weekends to give what parents are asking for on this thread. I hope parents realize that grading most often gets done on our own time. When I assign a task to 150 students, it can take me almost 10 uninterrupted hours to grade. There goes a Saturday.

I know someone will respond “but many professionals have to work outside their work hours.” That’s true, but that doesn’t make it okay. We currently have an education system in which one of the most important parts of our job (feedback on student work) **HAS** to be done outside of work hours. Every week. It’s one of the reasons so many of us are quitting.

If you got a higher salary it would feel better. But teacher get paid peanuts compared to other jobs. And it’s a lot more work. Former FCPS teacher here.

Your salary doesn’t rise as quickly as some professions but you get paid more than peanuts and you have a pension and wayyyyy more time off than anyone else.

New hires don't get a state pension. They have a 401k like private sector (called a 457 plan). FCPS contributes a max of 2.5% if employees contribute the max of 4%.

There is still a county level supplemental pension (funded through a 3.2% payroll deduction), but it's not the gravy train people make it out to be. The formula is (Avg of highest 5)(years of service)(0.008). Someone who works a full 30 years and maxes out at $90k will get $21k per year. (Most people don't make it 30 years.) Nice, but not enough to live on.

DP. I would also challenge the idea that teachers get way more time off. I work 6 full days a week. (The 6th is a weekend day catching up on grading. This is every weekend and it is a full 8-9 hours.)

I do get 8 weeks off during the summer, but it’s unpaid. I have to find summer employment every year to supplement my teaching salary, so I really enjoy one week’s vacation each summer.

and you get two weeks in December, spring break, all holidays, snow days, etc.... your summer might be "unpaid" (even though you still have benefit coverage) but you get way more time off than other professionals.

And teachers get paid less than other professionals.

If teachers have such a good deal, why don’t more people teach? That’s what DCUM can never answer.

Million dollar question for sure. Our school can barely get subs these days

There are plenty of teachers. Thats why the pay isn’t higher.

There are not "plenty of teachers". There is a nationwide teacher shortage. Fewer and fewer young people are entering the profession, and the ones that do don't last. Low pay is certainly one reason. Unreasonable/hostile work environment is another.

I started teaching about 10 years ago. I didn't even bother emailing my current HS because it was known they didn't hire new teachers and they could get away with that because they had so many applicants and very little turnover. Post- covid they had a whole group of fresh out of college teachers. This year they had to reshuffle the schedules and make classes bigger in my department by a little bit because they didn't have anyone qualified applying to fill an opening.

[Anonymous]

There seem to be people still getting teaching degrees.

My mom was a teacher so I have been hearing my whole life that how bad teaching is and how no one wants to do it. Neither are true. This is one of the major problems with teacherd

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There seem to be people still getting teaching degrees.

My mom was a teacher so I have been hearing my whole life that how bad teaching is and how no one wants to do it. Neither are true. This is one of the major problems with teacherd

Where in the world are you getting this data? Universities aren’t graduating anywhere NEAR the number of teachers they used to.

And your post is a joke, correct? Your mother, the one with actual teaching experience, told you it’s bad and you, with none, says she was wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will parents ever be happy with grading?
They are now mad that some schools are no longer grading homework.
BUT they also get mad when homework is graded..
They get mad if something isn't graded but then they get mad if something is graded...
They get mad that Summative are not enough of the grade or they are too much of a grade.....
so what's the deal? Will parents ever be happy with the grading?


Before they changed the grading policy that homework can't be no more than 10% of the grades, they will get mad because it was 25% worth of the grade, and test were only 50%
Now test test are weighted way more because parents kept complaining, and they are kids who are great test takers and don't do any outside work so this helps them,
but kids who don't test well are not doing well in class because of this....

As long as we know what is to be graded AND, most importantly, it is graded and put in the gradebook ina reasonable time, I'm good. It's the latter part that is not happening.

Posting as a teacher who grades thoroughly and promptly:

I give up my nights and weekends to give what parents are asking for on this thread. I hope parents realize that grading most often gets done on our own time. When I assign a task to 150 students, it can take me almost 10 uninterrupted hours to grade. There goes a Saturday.

I know someone will respond “but many professionals have to work outside their work hours.” That’s true, but that doesn’t make it okay. We currently have an education system in which one of the most important parts of our job (feedback on student work) **HAS** to be done outside of work hours. Every week. It’s one of the reasons so many of us are quitting.

If you got a higher salary it would feel better. But teacher get paid peanuts compared to other jobs. And it’s a lot more work. Former FCPS teacher here.

Your salary doesn’t rise as quickly as some professions but you get paid more than peanuts and you have a pension and wayyyyy more time off than anyone else.

New hires don't get a state pension. They have a 401k like private sector (called a 457 plan). FCPS contributes a max of 2.5% if employees contribute the max of 4%.

There is still a county level supplemental pension (funded through a 3.2% payroll deduction), but it's not the gravy train people make it out to be. The formula is (Avg of highest 5)(years of service)(0.008). Someone who works a full 30 years and maxes out at $90k will get $21k per year. (Most people don't make it 30 years.) Nice, but not enough to live on.

You have to be at least age 55 with years to get that. If you started at age 22 you’d need to work 33 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will parents ever be happy with grading?
They are now mad that some schools are no longer grading homework.
BUT they also get mad when homework is graded..
They get mad if something isn't graded but then they get mad if something is graded...
They get mad that Summative are not enough of the grade or they are too much of a grade.....
so what's the deal? Will parents ever be happy with the grading?


Before they changed the grading policy that homework can't be no more than 10% of the grades, they will get mad because it was 25% worth of the grade, and test were only 50%
Now test test are weighted way more because parents kept complaining, and they are kids who are great test takers and don't do any outside work so this helps them,
but kids who don't test well are not doing well in class because of this....

As long as we know what is to be graded AND, most importantly, it is graded and put in the gradebook ina reasonable time, I'm good. It's the latter part that is not happening.

Posting as a teacher who grades thoroughly and promptly:

I give up my nights and weekends to give what parents are asking for on this thread. I hope parents realize that grading most often gets done on our own time. When I assign a task to 150 students, it can take me almost 10 uninterrupted hours to grade. There goes a Saturday.

I know someone will respond “but many professionals have to work outside their work hours.” That’s true, but that doesn’t make it okay. We currently have an education system in which one of the most important parts of our job (feedback on student work) **HAS** to be done outside of work hours. Every week. It’s one of the reasons so many of us are quitting.

If you got a higher salary it would feel better. But teacher get paid peanuts compared to other jobs. And it’s a lot more work. Former FCPS teacher here.

Your salary doesn’t rise as quickly as some professions but you get paid more than peanuts and you have a pension and wayyyyy more time off than anyone else.

New hires don't get a state pension. They have a 401k like private sector (called a 457 plan). FCPS contributes a max of 2.5% if employees contribute the max of 4%.

There is still a county level supplemental pension (funded through a 3.2% payroll deduction), but it's not the gravy train people make it out to be. The formula is (Avg of highest 5)(years of service)(0.008). Someone who works a full 30 years and maxes out at $90k will get $21k per year. (Most people don't make it 30 years.) Nice, but not enough to live on.

DP. I would also challenge the idea that teachers get way more time off. I work 6 full days a week. (The 6th is a weekend day catching up on grading. This is every weekend and it is a full 8-9 hours.)

I do get 8 weeks off during the summer, but it’s unpaid. I have to find summer employment every year to supplement my teaching salary, so I really enjoy one week’s vacation each summer.

and you get two weeks in December, spring break, all holidays, snow days, etc.... your summer might be "unpaid" (even though you still have benefit coverage) but you get way more time off than other professionals.

And teachers get paid less than other professionals.

If teachers have such a good deal, why don’t more people teach? That’s what DCUM can never answer.

Million dollar question for sure. Our school can barely get subs these days

There are plenty of teachers. Thats why the pay isn’t higher.

False

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There seem to be people still getting teaching degrees.

My mom was a teacher so I have been hearing my whole life that how bad teaching is and how no one wants to do it. Neither are true. This is one of the major problems with teacherd

Where in the world are you getting this data? Universities aren’t graduating anywhere NEAR the number of teachers they used to.

And your post is a joke, correct? Your mother, the one with actual teaching experience, told you it’s bad and you, with none, says she was wrong?

This is someone who has their blinders on and is making up stuff to convince you what they believe is absolutely without a doubt true

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There seem to be people still getting teaching degrees.

My mom was a teacher so I have been hearing my whole life that how bad teaching is and how no one wants to do it. Neither are true. This is one of the major problems with teacherd

Where in the world are you getting this data? Universities aren’t graduating anywhere NEAR the number of teachers they used to.

And your post is a joke, correct? Your mother, the one with actual teaching experience, told you it’s bad and you, with none, says she was wrong?

This is someone who has their blinders on and is making up stuff to convince you what they believe is absolutely without a doubt true

And to be clear I'm talking about the poster whose Mom taught blah blah

[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:Will parents ever be happy with grading?
They are now mad that some schools are no longer grading homework.
BUT they also get mad when homework is graded..
They get mad if something isn't graded but then they get mad if something is graded...
They get mad that Summative are not enough of the grade or they are too much of a grade.....
so what's the deal? Will parents ever be happy with the grading?


Before they changed the grading policy that homework can't be no more than 10% of the grades, they will get mad because it was 25% worth of the grade, and test were only 50%
Now test test are weighted way more because parents kept complaining, and they are kids who are great test takers and don't do any outside work so this helps them,
but kids who don't test well are not doing well in class because of this....

As long as we know what is to be graded AND, most importantly, it is graded and put in the gradebook ina reasonable time, I'm good. It's the latter part that is not happening.

Posting as a teacher who grades thoroughly and promptly:

I give up my nights and weekends to give what parents are asking for on this thread. I hope parents realize that grading most often gets done on our own time. When I assign a task to 150 students, it can take me almost 10 uninterrupted hours to grade. There goes a Saturday.

I know someone will respond “but many professionals have to work outside their work hours.” That’s true, but that doesn’t make it okay. We currently have an education system in which one of the most important parts of our job (feedback on student work) **HAS** to be done outside of work hours. Every week. It’s one of the reasons so many of us are quitting.

If you got a higher salary it would feel better. But teacher get paid peanuts compared to other jobs. And it’s a lot more work. Former FCPS teacher here.

Your salary doesn’t rise as quickly as some professions but you get paid more than peanuts and you have a pension and wayyyyy more time off than anyone else.

New hires don't get a state pension. They have a 401k like private sector (called a 457 plan). FCPS contributes a max of 2.5% if employees contribute the max of 4%.

There is still a county level supplemental pension (funded through a 3.2% payroll deduction), but it's not the gravy train people make it out to be. The formula is (Avg of highest 5)(years of service)(0.008). Someone who works a full 30 years and maxes out at $90k will get $21k per year. (Most people don't make it 30 years.) Nice, but not enough to live on.

DP. I would also challenge the idea that teachers get way more time off. I work 6 full days a week. (The 6th is a weekend day catching up on grading. This is every weekend and it is a full 8-9 hours.)

I do get 8 weeks off during the summer, but it’s unpaid. I have to find summer employment every year to supplement my teaching salary, so I really enjoy one week’s vacation each summer.

and you get two weeks in December, spring break, all holidays, snow days, etc.... your summer might be "unpaid" (even though you still have benefit coverage) but you get way more time off than other professionals.

And teachers get paid less than other professionals.

If teachers have such a good deal, why don’t more people teach? That’s what DCUM can never answer.

Million dollar question for sure. Our school can barely get subs these days

There are plenty of teachers. Thats why the pay isn’t higher.

There are not "plenty of teachers". There is a nationwide teacher shortage. Fewer and fewer young people are entering the profession, and the ones that do don't last. Low pay is certainly one reason. Unreasonable/hostile work environment is another.

I started teaching about 10 years ago. I didn't even bother emailing my current HS because it was known they didn't hire new teachers and they could get away with that because they had so many applicants and very little turnover. Post- covid they had a whole group of fresh out of college teachers. This year they had to reshuffle the schedules and make classes bigger in my department by a little bit because they didn't have anyone qualified applying to fill an opening.

This is where we are in FCPS...

[Anonymous]

What do teachers have to do with grading standards? They don't come up with these policies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a very simple solution here: Just do away with almost all grading.

It's mostly a time sink for both students and teachers because it gets in the way of teaching and learning. A few graded assessments over the course of the year is fine, but that's it, especially at the elementary and middle school levels.

Do the above, and see that teachers, parents, and students would be exponentially happier and more likely to enjoy the learning process.

This might work with really young kids, but the older ones will learn absolutely nothing if they have no accountability. And then you'll have a bunch of kids in high school that don't have sound fundamentals, and don't really know how to study or about time management.

I don't think that would be the case. The current system is much worse, because it frankly kills most students enthusiasm and joy of learning. Once they start to hate learning, you can test them accountable all you want but they will not make leaps of progress from testing. One has to minimize testing AND maximize authentic learning (which I admit requires a lot more from teachers than what many can provide or are capable of). Only with both of these pieces will the classroom inspire joy again and result in motivated students.