will a lot of kids be out next week?

[Anonymous]

Ever since the pandemic, there's been some serious teacher hate on DCUM. It has to stop. You don't hate on other professions like this, or other groups, except perhaps illegal migrants (which is equally discriminatory and wrong). So don't make off-hand comments that disparage teachers. It makes you look so dumb and crass.

- parent who appreciates that teaching in public school is not a walk in the park!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ever since the pandemic, there's been some serious teacher hate on DCUM. It has to stop. You don't hate on other professions like this, or other groups, except perhaps illegal migrants (which is equally discriminatory and wrong). So don't make off-hand comments that disparage teachers. It makes you look so dumb and crass.

- parent who appreciates that teaching in public school is not a walk in the park!

💯

[Anonymous]

I won’t speak for secondary but in the elementary, we have to meet with every single parent for 15-20 minutes with 25-29 students in our classes. We offer evenings, early mornings, and those two half days. Do the math. 20x25 is 500 minutes for 8.33 hours minimum and no one does the minimum. Students leave 2.5 hours early on Monday and Tuesday and do not have recess taking away an additional 40 minutes of planning both days.

Complain all you want but unless parents no longer want a conference, elementary school teachers work a ton of overtime in November every single year and even after all the evenings we met with parents in the last two weeks, we will still be grading and planning this weekend.

Why are some people so insistent on blaming teachers around here? 90 percent of us are working like crazy to be the best possible teacher for your children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I won’t speak for secondary but in the elementary, we have to meet with every single parent for 15-20 minutes with 25-29 students in our classes. We offer evenings, early mornings, and those two half days. Do the math. 20x25 is 500 minutes for 8.33 hours minimum and no one does the minimum. Students leave 2.5 hours early on Monday and Tuesday and do not have recess taking away an additional 40 minutes of planning both days.

Complain all you want but unless parents no longer want a conference, elementary school teachers work a ton of overtime in November every single year and even after all the evenings we met with parents in the last two weeks, we will still be grading and planning this weekend.

Why are some people so insistent on blaming teachers around here? 90 percent of us are working like crazy to be the best possible teacher for your children.

I’m not blaming teachers. I don’t know how all you heroes manage 25 kids plus every hour of the school day. But I would rather that McPS cancels these two days and just uses them for PT conferences because my kid’s middle school has so few slots I couldn’t even get one for two of the core classes.

[Anonymous]

[twitter]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Is skipping school to start the Tgiving holiday an excused or unexcused absence?

Unexcused

Then why do teachers get to do it?

Help me out here.

Why do teachers get to do WHAT? Are you referring to their professional leave?

It may pain you to realize this, but teachers are adult professionals. They are entitled to adult things like professional leave. You know, kind of like your job gives you?

These may be adults who decided to work with children, but they are NOT children. It would be great if you could treat them like the professional adults they are.

Most jobs don't let so many people take off on the same day that the remaining workers can't cover the mission. 3/7 teachers being absent, effectively leading to an instructional shutdown, is not covering the mission.

If you want to be treated like a professional adult, then start acting like one.

Oh, dear poster: you clearly don’t know anything about teaching.

If I have an hour appt, I have to take a half day of leave. If I need to show up 15 minutes late, I have to take a half day of leave. I can’t take personal leave on Mondays or Fridays. I can’t take leave before holidays or after them. If I’m sick, I need to produce a doctor’s note.

And taking leave requires plans. I have to put in 2+ hours of unpaid time making plans and another 3+ hours grading work just to take 8 hours off. The last time I went to the hospital? I was told to make plans on the way to the ER, as if I had nothing else going on.

You’re welcome to lecture me on professionalism. But know this: I’m not taking a silly day off just to avoid work. It’s too much WORK for me to take a day off.

Tell that to the teachers starting their vacations early this weekend. And their subs, and remaining colleagues, showing movies on Monday and Tuesday.

Well, when 50% of your class is out, whose do you expect a teacher to do? Teach a skill that needs to be retaught in a week?

I know of one colleague on vacation. I know of 4 home with fevers. Should I get angry at them on your behalf?

And should I also be upset with your colleagues who decided to leave early for Thanksgiving? Surely they shouldn’t do that.

Families leave early because they know class is a joke. You don't put two half days in a row if you want students to show up.

It's the other way around. MCPS used to have full days on the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and lots of students would be absent. In the calendar survey, moving the two half days for conferences from Veterans Day week to Thanksgiving week was the more popular choice.

It's dumb. If they wanted to maximize instructional time, they could have given all of Tuesday off and have Monday be a full day. But instead MCPS gets to count Monday Tuesday as two instructional days, and kids don't learn much on either day.

That's more work for teachers.

Its parent teacher conferences.

Kind of. Who is doing conferences on Tuesday afternoon? We didn't get any sign-up options that day.

Regardless, do conferences one day and school the other day.

There are 160K students and over 100 schools in MCPS. Do you think your experience is determinative of the entire district?

[Anonymous]

I’ve send my kids to school for the full week every year. They are in HS now. I don’t want off full days now and more days in June.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won’t speak for secondary but in the elementary, we have to meet with every single parent for 15-20 minutes with 25-29 students in our classes. We offer evenings, early mornings, and those two half days. Do the math. 20x25 is 500 minutes for 8.33 hours minimum and no one does the minimum. Students leave 2.5 hours early on Monday and Tuesday and do not have recess taking away an additional 40 minutes of planning both days.

Complain all you want but unless parents no longer want a conference, elementary school teachers work a ton of overtime in November every single year and even after all the evenings we met with parents in the last two weeks, we will still be grading and planning this weekend.

Why are some people so insistent on blaming teachers around here? 90 percent of us are working like crazy to be the best possible teacher for your children.

I’m not blaming teachers. I don’t know how all you heroes manage 25 kids plus every hour of the school day. But I would rather that McPS cancels these two days and just uses them for PT conferences because my kid’s middle school has so few slots I couldn’t even get one for two of the core classes.

Then they'd need to add two more days to the beginning or end of the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won’t speak for secondary but in the elementary, we have to meet with every single parent for 15-20 minutes with 25-29 students in our classes. We offer evenings, early mornings, and those two half days. Do the math. 20x25 is 500 minutes for 8.33 hours minimum and no one does the minimum. Students leave 2.5 hours early on Monday and Tuesday and do not have recess taking away an additional 40 minutes of planning both days.

Complain all you want but unless parents no longer want a conference, elementary school teachers work a ton of overtime in November every single year and even after all the evenings we met with parents in the last two weeks, we will still be grading and planning this weekend.

Why are some people so insistent on blaming teachers around here? 90 percent of us are working like crazy to be the best possible teacher for your children.

I’m not blaming teachers. I don’t know how all you heroes manage 25 kids plus every hour of the school day. But I would rather that McPS cancels these two days and just uses them for PT conferences because my kid’s middle school has so few slots I couldn’t even get one for two of the core classes.

Then they'd need to add two more days to the beginning or end of the year.

Or take away days off during the school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won’t speak for secondary but in the elementary, we have to meet with every single parent for 15-20 minutes with 25-29 students in our classes. We offer evenings, early mornings, and those two half days. Do the math. 20x25 is 500 minutes for 8.33 hours minimum and no one does the minimum. Students leave 2.5 hours early on Monday and Tuesday and do not have recess taking away an additional 40 minutes of planning both days.

Complain all you want but unless parents no longer want a conference, elementary school teachers work a ton of overtime in November every single year and even after all the evenings we met with parents in the last two weeks, we will still be grading and planning this weekend.

Why are some people so insistent on blaming teachers around here? 90 percent of us are working like crazy to be the best possible teacher for your children.

I’m not blaming teachers. I don’t know how all you heroes manage 25 kids plus every hour of the school day. But I would rather that McPS cancels these two days and just uses them for PT conferences because my kid’s middle school has so few slots I couldn’t even get one for two of the core classes.

Try problem-solving that by contacting your teachers for other times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won’t speak for secondary but in the elementary, we have to meet with every single parent for 15-20 minutes with 25-29 students in our classes. We offer evenings, early mornings, and those two half days. Do the math. 20x25 is 500 minutes for 8.33 hours minimum and no one does the minimum. Students leave 2.5 hours early on Monday and Tuesday and do not have recess taking away an additional 40 minutes of planning both days.

Complain all you want but unless parents no longer want a conference, elementary school teachers work a ton of overtime in November every single year and even after all the evenings we met with parents in the last two weeks, we will still be grading and planning this weekend.

Why are some people so insistent on blaming teachers around here? 90 percent of us are working like crazy to be the best possible teacher for your children.

I’m not blaming teachers. I don’t know how all you heroes manage 25 kids plus every hour of the school day. But I would rather that McPS cancels these two days and just uses them for PT conferences because my kid’s middle school has so few slots I couldn’t even get one for two of the core classes.

Try problem-solving that by contacting your teachers for other times.

That only works if they respond to their emails. What should I do? Stop by their homes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won’t speak for secondary but in the elementary, we have to meet with every single parent for 15-20 minutes with 25-29 students in our classes. We offer evenings, early mornings, and those two half days. Do the math. 20x25 is 500 minutes for 8.33 hours minimum and no one does the minimum. Students leave 2.5 hours early on Monday and Tuesday and do not have recess taking away an additional 40 minutes of planning both days.

Complain all you want but unless parents no longer want a conference, elementary school teachers work a ton of overtime in November every single year and even after all the evenings we met with parents in the last two weeks, we will still be grading and planning this weekend.

Why are some people so insistent on blaming teachers around here? 90 percent of us are working like crazy to be the best possible teacher for your children.

I’m not blaming teachers. I don’t know how all you heroes manage 25 kids plus every hour of the school day. But I would rather that McPS cancels these two days and just uses them for PT conferences because my kid’s middle school has so few slots I couldn’t even get one for two of the core classes.

Try problem-solving that by contacting your teachers for other times.

That only works if they respond to their emails. What should I do? Stop by their homes?

Have you tried emailing for a time, or are you just assuming laziness/ill intent on the part of the teachers?

Because I’m willing to bet that most of these teachers are actively working right now, on a Sunday night. They still may not respond immediately because they have many other obligations and many other students. I’m sure you’re aware of that, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won’t speak for secondary but in the elementary, we have to meet with every single parent for 15-20 minutes with 25-29 students in our classes. We offer evenings, early mornings, and those two half days. Do the math. 20x25 is 500 minutes for 8.33 hours minimum and no one does the minimum. Students leave 2.5 hours early on Monday and Tuesday and do not have recess taking away an additional 40 minutes of planning both days.

Complain all you want but unless parents no longer want a conference, elementary school teachers work a ton of overtime in November every single year and even after all the evenings we met with parents in the last two weeks, we will still be grading and planning this weekend.

Why are some people so insistent on blaming teachers around here? 90 percent of us are working like crazy to be the best possible teacher for your children.

I’m not blaming teachers. I don’t know how all you heroes manage 25 kids plus every hour of the school day. But I would rather that McPS cancels these two days and just uses them for PT conferences because my kid’s middle school has so few slots I couldn’t even get one for two of the core classes.

Try problem-solving that by contacting your teachers for other times.

That only works if they respond to their emails. What should I do? Stop by their homes?

Have you tried emailing for a time, or are you just assuming laziness/ill intent on the part of the teachers?

Because I’m willing to bet that most of these teachers are actively working right now, on a Sunday night. They still may not respond immediately because they have many other obligations and many other students. I’m sure you’re aware of that, right?

How do you think I know they don't respond?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won’t speak for secondary but in the elementary, we have to meet with every single parent for 15-20 minutes with 25-29 students in our classes. We offer evenings, early mornings, and those two half days. Do the math. 20x25 is 500 minutes for 8.33 hours minimum and no one does the minimum. Students leave 2.5 hours early on Monday and Tuesday and do not have recess taking away an additional 40 minutes of planning both days.

Complain all you want but unless parents no longer want a conference, elementary school teachers work a ton of overtime in November every single year and even after all the evenings we met with parents in the last two weeks, we will still be grading and planning this weekend.

Why are some people so insistent on blaming teachers around here? 90 percent of us are working like crazy to be the best possible teacher for your children.

I’m not blaming teachers. I don’t know how all you heroes manage 25 kids plus every hour of the school day. But I would rather that McPS cancels these two days and just uses them for PT conferences because my kid’s middle school has so few slots I couldn’t even get one for two of the core classes.

Try problem-solving that by contacting your teachers for other times.

That only works if they respond to their emails. What should I do? Stop by their homes?

Write again. And if they ignore again, follow up with copy to the AP and principal.

[Anonymous]

Probably the same families who don't respond to emails: don't know how to write in English, have little to no internet access. They're likely the same ones who also don't rsvp to kids birthday party invitations.

[Anonymous]

Yes, there will be a lot of students out this week. There will be learning/reviewing happening (at least at my school), but teachers won't be giving assessments or teaching anything new, because they'd just have to do it all over again next week for all the kids who were absent.