From a struggling teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

Had a meeting today with my principal, who is meeting with all teachers eligible for tenure. He told me he is recommending to discontinue my license in the district, meaning I can teach in the city outside this district but not in it.

I don't want to teach within this district as it is one of the most difficult and low performing, and I can still find another job, but it looks bad and is quite disheartening.

I guess there is nowhere to go but up from this darkness that I feel right now. I just don't know how I'll continue to go there for the next three months. And I need to put my best face forward while applying to jobs, but hard to do when I feel so depressed.

What reasons did he give to support his decision? It sounds like maybe it's for the best? You shouldn't have to feel like this everyday. I'm in year 10 and have finally learned how to disengage. In my year 4 I had crippling anxiety and depression and even some suicidal thoughts. My job wasn't worth my life.

[Anonymous]

My observations had some developing and ineffective ratings. I had no ineffective rating in 4 years until my most recent observation, for which I had 3/7 or 8. He said its the mix of developing and also ineffective.

I was rated Effective as an end of year score the past three years (when taking into account all evaluations and student scores). I'm just shocked this is how it went. After my second observation, for which I received effective and developing ratings, in my debrief with the AP i talked about how worried/ stressed I was and how I felt like I wasn't measuring up. She reassured me, told me there were things to work on but I was doing better than half the staff. Verbatim. And now the third observation and this results. I just feel like I'm in a fog.

PP saying it's okay if it's not the right job for you, you're right, I'm realizing and accepting that, just trying to move forward and process and consider what's next.

Thank you,

OP

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the P and AP are on 2 different planets. Not good. In my district, in order for you to lose your license, you are put on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) and the P has to do A LOT of legwork to get rid of you. It happens occasionally but it means you are observed a lot and are assigned an instructional coach, etc. Did any of this happen? If not, is there a union you belong to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like the P and AP are on 2 different planets. Not good. In my district, in order for you to lose your license, you are put on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) and the P has to do A LOT of legwork to get rid of you. It happens occasionally but it means you are observed a lot and are assigned an instructional coach, etc. Did any of this happen? If not, is there a union you belong to?

Yes , there is a union. Some people are telling me it does take 3 years of bad ratings to get rid of you. Principal just said you could be discontinued at any time.

My past AP has been talking to me and she said you do have to be put on a performance plan. The principal used to be my coach and about 6-8 weeks ago he stopped and gave me the coach who has been working with new teachers (first year and those new to the school).

It seems so sudden and rash.

[Anonymous]

My child's 7th grade math teacher is struggling. It's been painful to hear about, stressful for our child, and bad for everyone's grades. Lots of parents have complained, a couple of kids left the school. The principal and vice principal are sitting in on class now. Another math teacher is writing the lesson plans. As much as I have been frustrated with this teacher, I have always believed that she's teachable. I wouldn't want her to be let go without a real attempt to address the issues.

OP, if your leadership isn't offering you assistance then don't hesitate moving on. That's poor leadership.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If you are in the public school system and you have put in 4 years, please be mindful of your pension. It might not make sense to switch to a private school. The pension is one of the best benefits to teachers. You may want to check out how long you need to be in the system to receive one before switching out of the district entirely.

The pension used to be one of the best benefits. Most systems have changed from a defined pension to a 401K type or hybrid system. It is not longer what it once was and nothing is assured going forward. Don't count on anything. If you switch jobs, just start saving aggressively in your 401K. And a Roth IRA.

+1. A pension is not worth having a miserable life.

Right, but if she is 4 years in and it takes 5 to be vested then it wouldn't make sense to switch to a private school. She could switch within the district to a different school where she would still be eligible for the pension and then could decide get out after being vested. It pays to check out how long it takes to be vested OP. If it takes 10 plus years to be vested then it may not be worth it for you to stay in the district but if it's a smaller number like 5 it may pay to stay in (at a different school though).
I have a friend who left MOCO to take a huge pay cut at a private school in another state. If she had taught one more year she would have been vested. Not that you would get a huge payback from the pension when you retired with only a few years in but you would get something. And who knows how much you will make in the future. Having a little money coming in at retirement age can make a difference.

[Anonymous]

OP, middle school is the hardest.
Move to f elementary or High school. If you are not certified for elementary, just take the Praxis II (upper elementary) in order to get an additional certification, without taking classes.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for helpful advice and encouragement.

I am in an east coast city outside DC. It takes 10 years to be vested, so maybe not worth staying.

I am licensed for middle and high school. I'm not sure how the certification works here for younger but I may look into it. However, I think those jobs are in shorter supply. I am bilingual and in a STEM subject so I am hoping to be able to find employment.

So grateful for this three day weekend...
-OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like the P and AP are on 2 different planets. Not good. In my district, in order for you to lose your license, you are put on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) and the P has to do A LOT of legwork to get rid of you. It happens occasionally but it means you are observed a lot and are assigned an instructional coach, etc. Did any of this happen? If not, is there a union you belong to?

This is what is wrong with teaching, and why bad teachers get to teach our kids. Why should the principal have to do "A LOT" of leg work to get rid of ineffective teachers? Also, if the principal is unhappy enough to recommend terminating her license in the district, why is she still in the classroom? Basically, the principal is saying she is ineffective enough for him/her to say don't allow this teacher to teach in this district anymore, but let her current students be subjected to sub-par teaching for the rest of the year. I'm sure OP is a nice person who is going through a difficult time, but there is a whole classroom of kids being subjected to her professional and personal struggles. How is that fair to those kids? I understand that the principal doesn't want to terminate OP mid-year, so why not keep her on in a capacity outside the classroom, which would be best for the kids and likely also for OP.

[Anonymous]

I left for private school and did not take a pay cut. That is not always true, so look and see!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like the P and AP are on 2 different planets. Not good. In my district, in order for you to lose your license, you are put on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) and the P has to do A LOT of legwork to get rid of you. It happens occasionally but it means you are observed a lot and are assigned an instructional coach, etc. Did any of this happen? If not, is there a union you belong to?

This is what is wrong with teaching, and why bad teachers get to teach our kids. Why should the principal have to do "A LOT" of leg work to get rid of ineffective teachers? Also, if the principal is unhappy enough to recommend terminating her license in the district, why is she still in the classroom? Basically, the principal is saying she is ineffective enough for him/her to say don't allow this teacher to teach in this district anymore, but let her current students be subjected to sub-par teaching for the rest of the year. I'm sure OP is a nice person who is going through a difficult time, but there is a whole classroom of kids being subjected to her professional and personal struggles. How is that fair to those kids? I understand that the principal doesn't want to terminate OP mid-year, so why not keep her on in a capacity outside the classroom, which would be best for the kids and likely also for OP.

I was rated effective three years in a row with my own observations and student scores. I have shown demonstrated growth with students for years. My home room and subject class scored second highest growth within our school on multiple assessments this academic year. You are out of line.

OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like the P and AP are on 2 different planets. Not good. In my district, in order for you to lose your license, you are put on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) and the P has to do A LOT of legwork to get rid of you. It happens occasionally but it means you are observed a lot and are assigned an instructional coach, etc. Did any of this happen? If not, is there a union you belong to?

This is what is wrong with teaching, and why bad teachers get to teach our kids. Why should the principal have to do "A LOT" of leg work to get rid of ineffective teachers? Also, if the principal is unhappy enough to recommend terminating her license in the district, why is she still in the classroom? Basically, the principal is saying she is ineffective enough for him/her to say don't allow this teacher to teach in this district anymore, but let her current students be subjected to sub-par teaching for the rest of the year. I'm sure OP is a nice person who is going through a difficult time, but there is a whole classroom of kids being subjected to her professional and personal struggles. How is that fair to those kids? I understand that the principal doesn't want to terminate OP mid-year, so why not keep her on in a capacity outside the classroom, which would be best for the kids and likely also for OP.

It should take a lot of work to terminate a person's ability to support themselves and their family. If you aren't in education, you don't understand that if you do something (whether you mean to or not) to piss off an admin, they have the ability to end your teaching career. ONE person has the ability to do this. It sounds very fishy in the OP's case that she had good evaluations in her previous school and all of a sudden she has become ineffective. Doubtful. Sounds like her admin has it in for her. If she teaches in a city school in an East Coast school, it is doubtful there is someone other than a substitute waiting to take over her class.

[Anonymous]

Right, but if she is 4 years in and it takes 5 to be vested then it wouldn't make sense to switch to a private school. She could switch within the district to a different school where she would still be eligible for the pension and then could decide get out after being vested. It pays to check out how long it takes to be vested OP. If it takes 10 plus years to be vested then it may not be worth it for you to stay in the district but if it's a smaller number like 5 it may pay to stay in (at a different school though).
I have a friend who left MOCO to take a huge pay cut at a private school in another state. If she had taught one more year she would have been vested. Not that you would get a huge payback from the pension when you retired with only a few years in but you would get something. And who knows how much you will make in the future. Having a little money coming in at retirement age can make a difference.
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If you can take the money that you have put into the system (I did this years ago even though I was vested), you can roll it over into an IRA. If you just let it grow, chances are you will get back more than the little bit that your system will give you at retirement.

That said, I spent mine on a car. But, I now have almost 30 years in at another job, so I'm fine.

[Anonymous]

OP- You could always take the ESOL Praxis which would result in K-12 certification. There are often many vacancies in ESOL and the fact that you are bilingual would make you very attractive too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- You could always take the ESOL Praxis which would result in K-12 certification. There are often many vacancies in ESOL and the fact that you are bilingual would make you very attractive too.

I will look into this. I would love to go that route. I taught my subject bilingually at my past school and loved using my Spanish. Thank you,

OP