DCPS teachers work to the clock

[Anonymous]

Yes, ask for less. That's usually a good strategy. Smh. I'm so tired of people using fear and guilt as strategies against teacher's reasonable demands. Really doubt you'd hear "Be careful, firefighters!"

And, one more time, summer is unpaid. Closer to seasonal work than vacation. Ask a teacher and you'll find that many of us are working, coaching, and taking classes in addition to -- yes -- resting and recharging.

[Anonymous]

Point being many comparable professions earn the same salaries and work 12 not 10 months. Nobody is proposing asking for less. Just be aware of the optics of your demands amongst the massive cuts coming from the Trump Administration. There is going to be a lot of suffering. Know that the Mayor and the Council will have less funds for vital city services like meals on wheels etc. So - it is not quite so simple to meet your demands.

[Anonymous]

Add to that money being siphoned away for vouchers/private/religious/charter schools. There will certainly be less in the pot to go around.

[Anonymous]

Bust the WTF, I mean the WTU and then give horrible ratings to the teachers who work to the clock. They'll then be able to fire them within a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Add to that money being siphoned away for vouchers/private/religious/charter schools. There will certainly be less in the pot to go around.

DCPS does not lack for funds. It's how poorly they manage those funds that is it real issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We would never ask other (majority male) professions to volunteer their time like we do teachers. Imagine asking a corporate lawyer to give up his weekend "for the client firms." He wouldn't do it, and he would be right not to.

Of course we (corporate lawyers) do this. Its called business development and training and networking and all the other non-billable work we do. We don't bill our clients for the time we spend taking them to dinner or sporting events. We don't get bonuses for that time or for the time we spend at conferences, networking events or internal firm committees. That's all free time by us. We do it because we think its going to pay off in the long run with increased business, and its helps the firm generally, but if it doesn't we aren't compensated for it.

Now that's neither here nor there with whether teachers deserve more money, but just to be clear its not a teachers only thing.

Well but you are compensated and given bonuses precisely because you go above and beyond to get that business. Teachers do not receive such bonuses.

DC Public School teachers absolutely do get bonuses.
Signed,
A DCPS teacher who thinks she is paid fairly.

DCPS teachers get a bonus under the following circumstances:

a) You are rated highly effective on the IMPACT scale;
b) You work in a Title 1 school

This means a tiny percentage of DCPS teachers get bonuses because it is damned near impossible to get highly effective in a title I school, especially if you are teaching the core 4. I have heard from Master Educators and Administrators that it is hard to justify giving highly effective scores when the proficiency levels in the school are low. So this idea of getting a bonus is a joke. If you don't work in a title I school, your bonus is 2k and you forfeit collective bargaining rights if your principal decides to excess your job the next year. Not worth it. I have been in this system for over 6 years. I haven't seen a cost of living increase in 5 years. I want to continue to live in D.C. AND I want to start a family. I want to be able to afford a half-way decent house. As it stands right now, I can't do these things in D.C. with the amount of money I am making.

Signed,
A DCPS teacher who wants to one day own a home and start a family.

[Anonymous]

Then this may not have been the correct profession for you. If you lived in Laurel, Poolsville, Greenbelt etc you could own a fine home.

I'm a Pediatrician and when I worked in Manhattan I could never afford to own a home there. It's just the reality of cost of living.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bust the WTF, I mean the WTU and then give horrible ratings to the teachers who work to the clock. They'll then be able to fire them within a year.

Working to the clock is not illegal. It is doing exactly what the contract demands and nothing more. DCPS (and most districts) count on teachers doing A LOT more, and we generally do it happily. For the District to maintain these expectations while putting off negotiating a contract for 4+ years and then making an offer that doesn't include retro pay feels like bad faith on their part. Teachers are frustrated like I've not seen before in all my years with DCPS.

[Anonymous]

If frustrated why not go get a job in Montgomery, Fairfax or Howard counties?

[Anonymous]

Why give teachers such a hard time about trying to look out for themselves in contract negotiations?

For those who work in non-union-dominated professions, don't you make some effort to negotiate for salary or have reasonable expectations about raises?

This is how the public teachers' industry works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If frustrated why not go get a job in Montgomery, Fairfax or Howard counties?

Former DCPS teacher here, I left for Montgomery County. To all the frustrated DCPS teachers, I'd suggest you start to look elsewhere. If you have 5+ years you are fully vested in the retirement plan and will receive your retirement benefits when you decide to leave the workforce completely. Depending on your years in teaching you may want to leave. Fairfax, MoCo and other counties may take most or only some of your years.

[Anonymous]

Wise move! Nobody is forcing teachers to stay in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Point being many comparable professions earn the same salaries and work 12 not 10 months. Nobody is proposing asking for less. Just be aware of the optics of your demands amongst the massive cuts coming from the Trump Administration. There is going to be a lot of suffering. Know that the Mayor and the Council will have less funds for vital city services like meals on wheels etc. So - it is not quite so simple to meet your demands.

Can you list the professions you are thinking of as comparable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Point being many comparable professions earn the same salaries and work 12 not 10 months. Nobody is proposing asking for less. Just be aware of the optics of your demands amongst the massive cuts coming from the Trump Administration. There is going to be a lot of suffering. Know that the Mayor and the Council will have less funds for vital city services like meals on wheels etc. So - it is not quite so simple to meet your demands.

Can you list the professions you are thinking of as comparable?

Yes please - comparable in terms of pay and hours. Not talking about law firm associates please.

[Anonymous]

New poster here: Weren't you aware when you entered the teaching field that your pay would not be the same as someone in finance, business, law, medicine, engineering etc? I do not understand the discussion comparing one field to another.