Deal teachers taking leave

[Anonymous]

We have two kids at Deal. They get a great education. One teacher went on maternity leave last year. One teacher is on leave for health issues right now. Another on jury duty. The kids are fine. They are getting a fine education. There are some behavioral issues here and there, but my kids keep focused on their work and keep walking on. We think Deal is a great school but it's not perfect. But we aren't looking for perfect. Our kids are not in a bubble.

[Anonymous]

No need to call out Deal here when teacher turnover across the country is constant. I work with about DC-area 30 schools, and I see this all the time, unfortunately. All the encouragement during the pandemic to prioritize yourself has had an effect, or at least, that's what I trace it to. People don't show up for interviews or to the first day of work. It's a whole new ballgame and it hurts everyone. But it's not at all limited to Deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No need to call out Deal here when teacher turnover across the country is constant. I work with about DC-area 30 schools, and I see this all the time, unfortunately. All the encouragement during the pandemic to prioritize yourself has had an effect, or at least, that's what I trace it to. People don't show up for interviews or to the first day of work. It's a whole new ballgame and it hurts everyone. But it's not at all limited to Deal.

It’s true that teachers are prioritizing their own health now, as we should.

And perhaps that does hurt others, primarily the children who go without teachers.

But the solution to this isn’t to blame teachers because their self-care “hurts everyone.” The solution is to make the job one that can be done without martyring yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If school adults were required to put their own cell phones into those Yondr pouches, a few weeks with a sub would be a great opportunity for students and subs.
Instead it's deplorable modeling of self-indulgent negligent sloth.

how about you take your own advice, put down your phone and connect with your kids?

I do, long enough to hear from them how subs in DCPS are not held to a high enough standard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If school adults were required to put their own cell phones into those Yondr pouches, a few weeks with a sub would be a great opportunity for students and subs.
Instead it's deplorable modeling of self-indulgent negligent sloth.

how about you take your own advice, put down your phone and connect with your kids?

I do, long enough to hear from them how subs in DCPS are not held to a high enough standard.

I don’t think this is the dig at subs that you think it is. Kind of lazy.

And right now, be grateful there is a sub at all. It’s really hard to find adults willing to take that level of abuse for less than a teacher makes.

So the proper thing to say to a sub: thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No need to call out Deal here when teacher turnover across the country is constant. I work with about DC-area 30 schools, and I see this all the time, unfortunately. All the encouragement during the pandemic to prioritize yourself has had an effect, or at least, that's what I trace it to. People don't show up for interviews or to the first day of work. It's a whole new ballgame and it hurts everyone. But it's not at all limited to Deal.

It’s true that teachers are prioritizing their own health now, as we should.

And perhaps that does hurt others, primarily the children who go without teachers.

But the solution to this isn’t to blame teachers because their self-care “hurts everyone.” The solution is to make the job one that can be done without martyring yourself.

+1

I have been a teacher for close to 20 years and I never used to take days off. I knew it meant my colleagues would have to cover my classes. I also knew it meant my kids might destroy my room while I was gone. Post pandemic, I’ve changed my view on that. I also see how many friends and other parents’ at my kids’ school seem to have so much flexibility to attend every event. So now I take more days off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Deal eighth-grader now has three teachers out on leave, and another who talks incessantly to her students about how she's about to get fired (the principal apparently spends a lot of time observing her in the classroom, according to my kid). And often, they can't find substitutes so either they basically do nothing under the watch of an aide or a teacher from another team who is drafted into duty. My kid has never finished the year with the same science teacher in their three years at Deal: sixth grade, the teacher quit about two days before school began; seventh grade, the teacher quit right after school began; eighth grade, the teacher basically stopped grading all assignments -- resulting in all of her students getting horrid report-card grades until the prinicpal had to intervene -- and now is on leave.

I realize that teachers will need leave for dire circumstances, but it just seems like there's no coordination or planning for it.

This is the only really relevant issue. Teachers take leave for all kinds of reasons which are purely their own and which they are and should be allowed to take that leave.

However, the teacher talking to students about possibly being fired is absolutely inappropriate. That and the teacher who stopped teaching are examples of issues. Someone taking jury duty is not.

Even if she didn't mention it, the fact that Principal Neal is a constant visitor to her classroom to observe her teach would give the kids an idea that something is amiss. My kid says the vibe is really awkward in that class.

Yeah I think this particular class is some cause for concern that is affecting students.

My kid told me that this particular teacher got in trouble because she wasn’t teaching from the book and they wanted her to teach exactly what was in the book. DC said now they aren’t learning anything since the teacher is going by the book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Deal eighth-grader now has three teachers out on leave, and another who talks incessantly to her students about how she's about to get fired (the principal apparently spends a lot of time observing her in the classroom, according to my kid). And often, they can't find substitutes so either they basically do nothing under the watch of an aide or a teacher from another team who is drafted into duty. My kid has never finished the year with the same science teacher in their three years at Deal: sixth grade, the teacher quit about two days before school began; seventh grade, the teacher quit right after school began; eighth grade, the teacher basically stopped grading all assignments -- resulting in all of her students getting horrid report-card grades until the prinicpal had to intervene -- and now is on leave.

I realize that teachers will need leave for dire circumstances, but it just seems like there's no coordination or planning for it.

This is the only really relevant issue. Teachers take leave for all kinds of reasons which are purely their own and which they are and should be allowed to take that leave.

However, the teacher talking to students about possibly being fired is absolutely inappropriate. That and the teacher who stopped teaching are examples of issues. Someone taking jury duty is not.

Even if she didn't mention it, the fact that Principal Neal is a constant visitor to her classroom to observe her teach would give the kids an idea that something is amiss. My kid says the vibe is really awkward in that class.

Yeah I think this particular class is some cause for concern that is affecting students.

My kid told me that this particular teacher got in trouble because she wasn’t teaching from the book and they wanted her to teach exactly what was in the book. DC said now they aren’t learning anything since the teacher is going by the book.

Which subject?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No need to call out Deal here when teacher turnover across the country is constant. I work with about DC-area 30 schools, and I see this all the time, unfortunately. All the encouragement during the pandemic to prioritize yourself has had an effect, or at least, that's what I trace it to. People don't show up for interviews or to the first day of work. It's a whole new ballgame and it hurts everyone. But it's not at all limited to Deal.

It’s true that teachers are prioritizing their own health now, as we should.

And perhaps that does hurt others, primarily the children who go without teachers.

But the solution to this isn’t to blame teachers because their self-care “hurts everyone.” The solution is to make the job one that can be done without martyring yourself.

+1

I have been a teacher for close to 20 years and I never used to take days off. I knew it meant my colleagues would have to cover my classes. I also knew it meant my kids might destroy my room while I was gone. Post pandemic, I’ve changed my view on that. I also see how many friends and other parents’ at my kids’ school seem to have so much flexibility to attend every event. So now I take more days off.

Exactly. The pandemic made this clear to me. Why should I sacrifice doing/attending things with my own kids to sit with other peoples children. I’ve prioritized my own children and my health. I guess that makes me a bad teacher now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Deal eighth-grader now has three teachers out on leave, and another who talks incessantly to her students about how she's about to get fired (the principal apparently spends a lot of time observing her in the classroom, according to my kid). And often, they can't find substitutes so either they basically do nothing under the watch of an aide or a teacher from another team who is drafted into duty. My kid has never finished the year with the same science teacher in their three years at Deal: sixth grade, the teacher quit about two days before school began; seventh grade, the teacher quit right after school began; eighth grade, the teacher basically stopped grading all assignments -- resulting in all of her students getting horrid report-card grades until the prinicpal had to intervene -- and now is on leave.

I realize that teachers will need leave for dire circumstances, but it just seems like there's no coordination or planning for it.

This is the only really relevant issue. Teachers take leave for all kinds of reasons which are purely their own and which they are and should be allowed to take that leave.

However, the teacher talking to students about possibly being fired is absolutely inappropriate. That and the teacher who stopped teaching are examples of issues. Someone taking jury duty is not.

Even if she didn't mention it, the fact that Principal Neal is a constant visitor to her classroom to observe her teach would give the kids an idea that something is amiss. My kid says the vibe is really awkward in that class.

Yeah I think this particular class is some cause for concern that is affecting students.

My kid told me that this particular teacher got in trouble because she wasn’t teaching from the book and they wanted her to teach exactly what was in the book. DC said now they aren’t learning anything since the teacher is going by the book.

Which subject?

Math.

The teacher seemed really engaged and fun during back-to-school night.