Vacancies

[Anonymous]

Sometimes I’ll take sick days near the end of grading periods just to stay home and finish work

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m surprised I don’t see any vacancies at my kids MS. I would think MS schools have a higher turn over.

Every ES teacher I know who has switched to MS prefers MS. Every MS teacher that switched to ES prefers MS.

Planning only for one subject helps cut down a ton of time on planning, However there is more grading needed in middle school. An elementary school teacher has to plan whole group Math, small group math,Interactive Read Aloud, Whole group phonics, small group phonics, writing, science/social studies, and sometimes intervention group. Not to mention planning is regularly interrupted by student behavior and meetings. That’s not to say that Middle school is easy, they for sure have their own problems. But the shortage is strongest in ELED and SPED for a reason. I have had weeks were I was so inundated with meetings that I didn’t get a single free planning period to myself.

This! One year, I had to stop doing ALL extra committees and clubs because I had, I kid you not, 60 meetings in the first 60 days of school. Dropping out of anything voluntary cut those meetings down by about 20%. That was an awful, awful year. I worked 60-70 hour weeks teaching first grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I’ll take sick days near the end of grading periods just to stay home and finish work

Me too. It has helped me stay in teaching the last 3 years. I use personal leave though. I figure, I’m doing a public service by teaching at this point and the longer I can stay in, the longer I can help. If taking 2-3 days of leave gives me the ability to continue to teach, I will do it.

Flame away DCUM, but this is the real trade off to keep teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I’ll take sick days near the end of grading periods just to stay home and finish work

Yep, I’ve done this a few times myself.

[Anonymous]

Get ready for teacher trainees who quit mid-year because they can't hack it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get ready for teacher trainees who quit mid-year because they can't hack it.

It sucks when they quit midyear but I don’t blame them. People know teaching is hard but I don’t think people realize just how hard it is. The first year of teaching consumes your life.

[Anonymous]

Hm, we are at an AAP Center and there are two AAP teacher positions left unfilled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I’ll take sick days near the end of grading periods just to stay home and finish work

Gotta do what you gotta do to make it work!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I’ll take sick days near the end of grading periods just to stay home and finish work

Yep, I’ve done this a few times myself.

+1
The 4th qtr is the worst.

[Anonymous]

Hm, we are at an AAP Center and there are two AAP teacher positions left unfilled.

Interesting. I wonder if the boundary changes and consolidation have anything to do with teacher shortages. I would not be surprised. The situation is pretty bad.

[Anonymous]

I know a lot of teachers who are "hanging in there" in their last few years before retirement (like less than 5 years to go). New teachers treat teaching more like a job than a profession since that is how the powers that be treat it. Those who were in it as a career are quickly aging out. This has to be something the SB is looking at. If they are not, they are making a big mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they don’t we just go without those positions. If it’s a Gen Ed position, the other Gen Ed teachers in that grade or content level simply have bigger classes to absorb the students that teacher would’ve theoretically taught. If it’s an EL position, the kids who need El support in their class may not have an EL teacher to do that. If it’s a sped position, the same. It creates issues with class size, staff workload, and student support, but you can’t make people take these jobs and fewer and fewer people want them.

Also, as a general rule, the later in the year that someone is hired, the greater the likelihood they are not a great candidate. The good people are snatched up early when hiring begins. If someone is getting hired in July/August, it’s usually a “there aren’t any other options” situation where the school needs a body and hopes for the best. There’s some exceptions to this, like someone happens to just move to this area in late summer and they’re really good, but generally speaking, the last minute fill-ins for these jobs leave something to be desired.

How would they do that if classes are already maxed out? For example, let's say "County Middle School" should have three Civics teachers, but they have an unfilled vacancy. Teacher #1 already has 150 students, Teacher #2 already has 150 students, and the vacancy should have 150 students. If they tried to split those 150 students between the other two teachers, they'd have 225 students each. Even if they both get put on extended contracts (teaching six classes rather than five), that would still make each class have 35-38 students. That's outrageous.

It's more likely the third batch of 150 kids will spend the year with a series of short-term and long-term substitute teachers. It's luck of the draw, best hope your kids isn't in the 33% who get a sub, unfortunately.
A plus side of Title 1 schools is that they have first pick to hire from the interview events so most likely they will have real teachers in their classrooms instead of the subs.

Teachers know where there are openings. The good ones aren't jumping at offers from title 1 schools

My title 1 school had a ton of trainees and still do.

Our MS has several trainees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I know a lot of teachers who are "hanging in there" in their last few years before retirement (like less than 5 years to go). New teachers treat teaching more like a job than a profession since that is how the powers that be treat it. Those who were in it as a career are quickly aging out. This has to be something the SB is looking at. If they are not, they are making a big mistake.

New teachers assume they are only going to do it for a couple of years now because of the turnover statistics. People don’t work jobs that breakdown their mental health or stress them out anymore, they will quit without hesitation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I’ll take sick days near the end of grading periods just to stay home and finish work

Gotta do what you gotta do to make it work!

I've subbed in the past for SPED teachers in ES who were taking personal days to complete paperwork. They tended to be in the building but not in their classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hm, we are at an AAP Center and there are two AAP teacher positions left unfilled.

You are surprised, because…?