Teachers Resigning Like Crazy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just released the results from the employee engagement survey, lol. One question was a type in answer, "describe your job in 1 word". The top 4 results were:

Overwhelmed
Stressed
Exhausted
Frustrated

Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

Sums up my day perfectly!

Look, I am sympathetic. I am. But the result is not to NOT grade work or provide appropriate feedback to students. You're not doing your job in that instance and there is nothing you will say to change my mind on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just released the results from the employee engagement survey, lol. One question was a type in answer, "describe your job in 1 word". The top 4 results were:

Overwhelmed
Stressed
Exhausted
Frustrated

Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

The question: “I am optimistic about the future” didn’t fare so well.

I'm not a teacher, but I think we need to rethink how education is structured centered around what will help teachers thrive. Students will be more likely to thrive with teachers that do. Any demands on teachers--for supporting students, for admin, for adjusting to changing needs--need to be considered in the context of how can that be achieved while not undermining the fundamental need for teachers to thrive. There may be some unmet needs that it is the responsibility of society as a whole to figure out how to fund and meet those needs, not unfunded mandates placed upon schools.

US Society as a whole is a failure. Schools are supposed to educate, but we also have to feed, clothe and parent students; the minute we’re not available to do those things (see: April 2020 onward) it’s OUR fault, but the minute we suggest shifting that burden to another part of the societal safety net, the same people who screamed about closing school buildings, scream that we can’t spend the money on that type of thing.

Until teachers can get back to being teachers and not substitute parents things are just going to get worse.

It's not just parenting issues, but also ever expanding content, more access to teachers via technology from students and parents, and more expectations for teachers to post everything online/grade quickly, more requirements to provide accommodations for students with a range of learning needs etc. Each one of these things might seem reasonable but on whole the demands are unsustainable. Before new legislation is passed requiring anything or an admin creates a policy, a review of the new addition in light of a teacher's full job needs to considered--if we add this new thing, what gets taken away. If we require this, when does the time to do it during contracted hours occur?

This is getting ridiculous. Teachers used to grade things all the time. You can say that things are getting harder, but we all know that we received more grades from our teachers than our kids do.

I didn't receive more grades from my teachers than my kids do. And my teachers definitely didn't have to post in advance all the upcoming quizzes, tests, projects etc. into Schoology and SIS and then data input the grades, figure in timing for retakes and late submissions according to school policies. They just put marks on a paper--that they often graded while we were doing work in class--and wrote it in a book that they then added up 4 times a year for quarter reports. They didn't have parents and students checking SIS for updates every day and then emailing in about it. (I'm not a teacher--I'm just seeing what they have to do as a parent and it seems mind-numbingly too much).

I received WAY more feedback, especially for writing. Redlines (with pen back in the day) and comments. That's how I learned to write well. SIS has nothing to do with this. If things were graded in a timely manner, and your expectations regarding that set forth at the start of the year, I suspect you would get few emails except for the craziest ones.

I actually kept papers from HS from a good district and found them recently--some red lines but on the exact same things that word processors correct now automatically--or that the kids learn through the various online tools. But the actual comments were 1-2 sentences. Mainly-- "good" at one point, "unclear" at another and the like. Not too different from what students have now, but they are comments in the google doc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just released the results from the employee engagement survey, lol. One question was a type in answer, "describe your job in 1 word". The top 4 results were:

Overwhelmed
Stressed
Exhausted
Frustrated

Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

The question: “I am optimistic about the future” didn’t fare so well.

I'm not a teacher, but I think we need to rethink how education is structured centered around what will help teachers thrive. Students will be more likely to thrive with teachers that do. Any demands on teachers--for supporting students, for admin, for adjusting to changing needs--need to be considered in the context of how can that be achieved while not undermining the fundamental need for teachers to thrive. There may be some unmet needs that it is the responsibility of society as a whole to figure out how to fund and meet those needs, not unfunded mandates placed upon schools.

US Society as a whole is a failure. Schools are supposed to educate, but we also have to feed, clothe and parent students; the minute we’re not available to do those things (see: April 2020 onward) it’s OUR fault, but the minute we suggest shifting that burden to another part of the societal safety net, the same people who screamed about closing school buildings, scream that we can’t spend the money on that type of thing.

Until teachers can get back to being teachers and not substitute parents things are just going to get worse.

It's not just parenting issues, but also ever expanding content, more access to teachers via technology from students and parents, and more expectations for teachers to post everything online/grade quickly, more requirements to provide accommodations for students with a range of learning needs etc. Each one of these things might seem reasonable but on whole the demands are unsustainable. Before new legislation is passed requiring anything or an admin creates a policy, a review of the new addition in light of a teacher's full job needs to considered--if we add this new thing, what gets taken away. If we require this, when does the time to do it during contracted hours occur?

This is getting ridiculous. Teachers used to grade things all the time. You can say that things are getting harder, but we all know that we received more grades from our teachers than our kids do.

I didn't receive more grades from my teachers than my kids do. And my teachers definitely didn't have to post in advance all the upcoming quizzes, tests, projects etc. into Schoology and SIS and then data input the grades, figure in timing for retakes and late submissions according to school policies. They just put marks on a paper--that they often graded while we were doing work in class--and wrote it in a book that they then added up 4 times a year for quarter reports. They didn't have parents and students checking SIS for updates every day and then emailing in about it. (I'm not a teacher--I'm just seeing what they have to do as a parent and it seems mind-numbingly too much).

I received WAY more feedback, especially for writing. Redlines (with pen back in the day) and comments. That's how I learned to write well. SIS has nothing to do with this. If things were graded in a timely manner, and your expectations regarding that set forth at the start of the year, I suspect you would get few emails except for the craziest ones.

I actually kept papers from HS from a good district and found them recently--some red lines but on the exact same things that word processors correct now automatically--or that the kids learn through the various online tools. But the actual comments were 1-2 sentences. Mainly-- "good" at one point, "unclear" at another and the like. Not too different from what students have now, but they are comments in the google doc.

Adding: But if you had asked me if I got more writing than my kids before I re-found these papers I would have said, "I received WAY more feedback. That's how I learned to write well" too. Makes me question how people remember their schooling. I think I've conflated college feedback, maybe even grad school feedback with high school feedback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just released the results from the employee engagement survey, lol. One question was a type in answer, "describe your job in 1 word". The top 4 results were:

Overwhelmed
Stressed
Exhausted
Frustrated

Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

Sums up my day perfectly!

Look, I am sympathetic. I am. But the result is not to NOT grade work or provide appropriate feedback to students. You're not doing your job in that instance and there is nothing you will say to change my mind on that.

What in that makes you think the poster is not doing their job? One can be overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted and frustrated and also grade student work appropriately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just released the results from the employee engagement survey, lol. One question was a type in answer, "describe your job in 1 word". The top 4 results were:

Overwhelmed
Stressed
Exhausted
Frustrated

Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

Sums up my day perfectly!

Look, I am sympathetic. I am. But the result is not to NOT grade work or provide appropriate feedback to students. You're not doing your job in that instance and there is nothing you will say to change my mind on that.

What in that makes you think the poster is not doing their job? One can be overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted and frustrated and also grade student work appropriately.

Exactly. I’m overwhelmed and exhausted because I DO get my work done. I’m always working… before school, during school, after school, in the evenings, during the weekend. Students get work back with tons of useful comments, but that came at a huge cost to me. I don’t see my own family, and I often stay home from activities I would enjoy just so I can squeak in a few more graded papers.

My work hours cover exactly half my job. I have to use my own hours to do the other half.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just released the results from the employee engagement survey, lol. One question was a type in answer, "describe your job in 1 word". The top 4 results were:

Overwhelmed
Stressed
Exhausted
Frustrated

Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

Sums up my day perfectly!

+1

76 percent are proud to work for Fairfax County Public Schools is listed as a key takeaway. Is that considered high or low?

[Anonymous]

33% of participating employees agreed that division leaders understand the professional needs of division and school employees, a 10 percentage-point decrease since 2019-2020.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just released the results from the employee engagement survey, lol. One question was a type in answer, "describe your job in 1 word". The top 4 results were:

Overwhelmed
Stressed
Exhausted
Frustrated

Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

2019-2020
Overwhelmed
Challenging
Good
Passionate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just released the results from the employee engagement survey, lol. One question was a type in answer, "describe your job in 1 word". The top 4 results were:

Overwhelmed
Stressed
Exhausted
Frustrated

Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

The question: “I am optimistic about the future” didn’t fare so well.

I'm not a teacher, but I think we need to rethink how education is structured centered around what will help teachers thrive. Students will be more likely to thrive with teachers that do. Any demands on teachers--for supporting students, for admin, for adjusting to changing needs--need to be considered in the context of how can that be achieved while not undermining the fundamental need for teachers to thrive. There may be some unmet needs that it is the responsibility of society as a whole to figure out how to fund and meet those needs, not unfunded mandates placed upon schools.

US Society as a whole is a failure. Schools are supposed to educate, but we also have to feed, clothe and parent students; the minute we’re not available to do those things (see: April 2020 onward) it’s OUR fault, but the minute we suggest shifting that burden to another part of the societal safety net, the same people who screamed about closing school buildings, scream that we can’t spend the money on that type of thing.

Until teachers can get back to being teachers and not substitute parents things are just going to get worse.

It's not just parenting issues, but also ever expanding content, more access to teachers via technology from students and parents, and more expectations for teachers to post everything online/grade quickly, more requirements to provide accommodations for students with a range of learning needs etc. Each one of these things might seem reasonable but on whole the demands are unsustainable. Before new legislation is passed requiring anything or an admin creates a policy, a review of the new addition in light of a teacher's full job needs to considered--if we add this new thing, what gets taken away. If we require this, when does the time to do it during contracted hours occur?

This is getting ridiculous. Teachers used to grade things all the time. You can say that things are getting harder, but we all know that we received more grades from our teachers than our kids do.

I didn't receive more grades from my teachers than my kids do. And my teachers definitely didn't have to post in advance all the upcoming quizzes, tests, projects etc. into Schoology and SIS and then data input the grades, figure in timing for retakes and late submissions according to school policies. They just put marks on a paper--that they often graded while we were doing work in class--and wrote it in a book that they then added up 4 times a year for quarter reports. They didn't have parents and students checking SIS for updates every day and then emailing in about it. (I'm not a teacher--I'm just seeing what they have to do as a parent and it seems mind-numbingly too much).

This is probably a stupid question but can a teacher just say no to any of this? Like, not respond to parent emails, not post grades (just keep track at school and a student can check in if they want), etc? Seems like since they are so desperate for teachers, a teacher should be able to just say “no I don’t think I will be doing that.”

Well the FCPS policies are that teachers should respond to parent emails in 24 hours , provide updates in and grades in x amount of time, post everything online etc. But I doubt anyone is getting fired in a teacher shortage for not doing those things. This might be the time for teachers to decide what they are able to do that supports student learning and their own sanity and what they are not able to--maybe collectively push back on the ever expanding demands.

Yes let's add CLT's to that list

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just released the results from the employee engagement survey, lol. One question was a type in answer, "describe your job in 1 word". The top 4 results were:

Overwhelmed
Stressed
Exhausted
Frustrated

Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

Sums up my day perfectly!

Look, I am sympathetic. I am. But the result is not to NOT grade work or provide appropriate feedback to students. You're not doing your job in that instance and there is nothing you will say to change my mind on that.

Do not talk to me about not doing my job-no one said anything like that so SHUT IT!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just released the results from the employee engagement survey, lol. One question was a type in answer, "describe your job in 1 word". The top 4 results were:

Overwhelmed
Stressed
Exhausted
Frustrated

Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

Sums up my day perfectly!

Look, I am sympathetic. I am. But the result is not to NOT grade work or provide appropriate feedback to students. You're not doing your job in that instance and there is nothing you will say to change my mind on that.

LOL....do your job and be a parent!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just released the results from the employee engagement survey, lol. One question was a type in answer, "describe your job in 1 word". The top 4 results were:

Overwhelmed
Stressed
Exhausted
Frustrated

Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

The question: “I am optimistic about the future” didn’t fare so well.

I'm not a teacher, but I think we need to rethink how education is structured centered around what will help teachers thrive. Students will be more likely to thrive with teachers that do. Any demands on teachers--for supporting students, for admin, for adjusting to changing needs--need to be considered in the context of how can that be achieved while not undermining the fundamental need for teachers to thrive. There may be some unmet needs that it is the responsibility of society as a whole to figure out how to fund and meet those needs, not unfunded mandates placed upon schools.

YES. Children are happier when they have happy parents. Students will be happier when they have happier teachers.

Right now they have neither....parents are failing here. Teachers are dealing with the fall out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just released the results from the employee engagement survey, lol. One question was a type in answer, "describe your job in 1 word". The top 4 results were:

Overwhelmed
Stressed
Exhausted
Frustrated

Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

The district doesn't care at all about the fact that teachers are overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted, and frustrated.

Instead of responding to those issues, they will do what they always do:

1. Add more initiatives solely to justify the jobs of countless people at central office
2. Change things, such as switching secondary schools to standards based grading, even though it will put a tremendous strain and burden on teachers
3. Continue to change things that artificially inflate grades and appease parents instead of doing what is best for educating children
4. Add more responsibilities to teachers' plates and less to upper level administrators' plates
5. Not listen to teachers who know how to teach, know their grade level, and know what is best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't find a high paying corporate job. I did find a nanny position that pays me more than I made teaching, with 8 weeks paid vacation and about 70% of the hours I was working. I'm extremely happy

Lame! All your hard work and education down the drain! And what will you do when the kids grow up and you aren’t needed? You’ll have no real work experience.

Wow. You don't have many friends, do you?
DP

No friends who are nannies, correct.

Wow, PP. You are a peach and exemplify a civilization in decline. -NP

Because I don’t have nanny friends? Ok…you sound unhinged.

Why are you so angry that this woman got a better paying job with more perks? I am happy for her.

Where did you read any anger from my posts? I think it’s sad to leave an actual career that you worked hard for to simply become a nanny. A nanny isn’t a career.

DP, why is being a nanny not a career?

Because you can’t grow or move up. The kids grow up and you aren’t needed for that family anymore. It is not a career at all. It is a temporary gig and maybe you make more money temporarily but no one needs to “prepare” for a career in nannying.

Can you imagine a 46 year old woman saying , “Hi, I’m a nanny.”

When the kids grow up, you move to a new family. And, yes, older people are nannies but maybe they use different words. Why the heck to you care so much to judge these people/choices? Plenty of people work in jobs where they have not been promoted or moved in a decade.

Because they are living in "DC" and they think they are better than everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just released the results from the employee engagement survey, lol. One question was a type in answer, "describe your job in 1 word". The top 4 results were:

Overwhelmed
Stressed
Exhausted
Frustrated

Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

Sums up my day perfectly!

Look, I am sympathetic. I am. But the result is not to NOT grade work or provide appropriate feedback to students. You're not doing your job in that instance and there is nothing you will say to change my mind on that.

What in that makes you think the poster is not doing their job? One can be overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted and frustrated and also grade student work appropriately.

Exactly. I’m overwhelmed and exhausted because I DO get my work done. I’m always working… before school, during school, after school, in the evenings, during the weekend. Students get work back with tons of useful comments, but that came at a huge cost to me. I don’t see my own family, and I often stay home from activities I would enjoy just so I can squeak in a few more graded papers.

My work hours cover exactly half my job. I have to use my own hours to do the other half.

YUP!