Do HS teachers prefer certain schools in FCPS (i.e. higher SES schools)?

[Anonymous]

Do teachers look for the higher SES schools when deciding where to teach? On the one hand, you might not have to deal with kids who don't see the point of school (bad behavior, disruptive, disrespectful)... on the other hand, you might have very high demands from students or parents at the higher SES schools. My kid is in a MS that is higher SES and very supportive PTA and parents (i.e. constantly feeding and treating the teachers, parents volunteer or donate to everything). We moved from a zone where (according to several sources), their kids have been in classes where the teacher either separated out the 5 kids who "wanted to learn" from the rest of the class b/c the rest was so disruptive or the teachers actually told the kids that they were quitting (and did) b/c the kids were so awful.

I would imagine as a teacher, I'd want to be in the school where they are constantly treating me. But, I don't know if teachers really care about that or if there are a certain percentage of kids who just make teachers' lives hard no matter where you go. And how much control does the teacher have over the level of classes that s/he teaches (i.e. can they just teach the higher level classes, thereby avoiding certain groups of kids)?

How much does the student population play into the teachers' decisions to teach at a particular school? (Does that mean that on the whole the better teachers work themselves into jobs at higher SES schools -- on the whole -- I know there are some good teachers even at the lower SES schools -- what makes them stay?)

[Anonymous]

Not in VA but I teach in a city where nearly all of the schools are lower SES. The reason most of us are here is the money. We get paid significantly more here than in the surrounding districts which have many more resources and are higher SES. When you get paid as little as we do, an extra $10K is a huge help financially. My friends who teach in nicer schools in surrounding districts are all married so they don't need to worry about their salary as much as I do (single parent).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do teachers look for the higher SES schools when deciding where to teach? On the one hand, you might not have to deal with kids who don't see the point of school (bad behavior, disruptive, disrespectful)... on the other hand, you might have very high demands from students or parents at the higher SES schools. My kid is in a MS that is higher SES and very supportive PTA and parents (i.e. constantly feeding and treating the teachers, parents volunteer or donate to everything). We moved from a zone where (according to several sources), their kids have been in classes where the teacher either separated out the 5 kids who "wanted to learn" from the rest of the class b/c the rest was so disruptive or the teachers actually told the kids that they were quitting (and did) b/c the kids were so awful.

I would imagine as a teacher, I'd want to be in the school where they are constantly treating me. But, I don't know if teachers really care about that or if there are a certain percentage of kids who just make teachers' lives hard no matter where you go. And how much control does the teacher have over the level of classes that s/he teaches (i.e. can they just teach the higher level classes, thereby avoiding certain groups of kids)?

How much does the student population play into the teachers' decisions to teach at a particular school? (Does that mean that on the whole the better teachers work themselves into jobs at higher SES schools -- on the whole -- I know there are some good teachers even at the lower SES schools -- what makes them stay?)

Dude. It's a JOB. People teach where they can make the most money and have the least headaches. That might very week be a low SES school. Whatever.

[Anonymous]

As a teacher my preference would be to teach in a solidly middle class school, but not upper middle class. Honestly, dealing with demanding parents can be just as much of a headache as dealing with the student behavior issues you deal with in low ses schools. And no, I don't care about the "treats" that the parents n the high SES schools dish out.

[Anonymous]

How is it determined which classes you teach?

[Anonymous]

You can dig into this data: https://fcpswcs.org/results

Some higher SES schools like McLean and Chantilly scored very high in terms of teacher satisfaction.

[Anonymous]

People have different preferences. I work in a high SES school and stay because I appreciate my administration and love the people I work with. The kids are kids - some are awesome, some are fine, some are pains (crazily entitled/don't understand their actions have consequences). Same with the parents. I've seen many people come and go because they couldn't handle the helicopter parents and their needs, and I've heard of people who have come from very needy areas and look at our school as a walk in the park. It's all individual preference, but TBH, while they are nice, I would take respect for the work I'm doing and support at home over luncheons and teacher appreciation gift cards any day.

[Anonymous]

I've worked in both environments and agree completely with 16:00. I stay at my current high SES school because I love my coworkers and have a great team of administrators. Some years there are well behaved students and supportive parents and other years are more challenging. The same was true when I worked in a Title 1 school. There were years when I received presents and years when I didn't. Sometimes the helicopter parents take on a mob mentality. There were years that I felt truly appreciated in the Title 1 school and years where I did not.

To the poster asking about classes - I work in a high school and courses are determined year to year based upon enrollment. We can request to teach a class but it all comes down to numbers and who is certified to teach which subjects.

My biggest factor in staying at a job is my commute, which affects the general quality of life for my entire family. #2 would be my co-workers. I love going to work everyday because my co-workers have become my good friends. There is not a lot of turnover at my school.

[Anonymous]

I actually chose to work in a low SES school. I find the work more rewarding. I've taught in both, and it was far easier in the high SES school, but I love the "we're all in this together" mentality of the faculty at the less wealthy school. It really is a team environment where we all do what is necessary to help the kids succeed.

That said, I think the #1 driver in school choice is commute. There are only 5 or 6 high schools I'd be willing to work at from a commute standpoint (they don't pay me enough to drive an hour each way!), so from there I looked at demographics, department openings, and now that I've been in the county, colleagues that I've networked with.

[Anonymous]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2014/05/21/fairfax-countys-stuart-high-struggles-on-teacher-survey/?utm_term=.7c65795860bf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Do teachers look for the higher SES schools when deciding where to teach? On the one hand, you might not have to deal with kids who don't see the point of school (bad behavior, disruptive, disrespectful)... on the other hand, you might have very high demands from students or parents at the higher SES schools. My kid is in a MS that is higher SES and very supportive PTA and parents (i.e. constantly feeding and treating the teachers, parents volunteer or donate to everything). We moved from a zone where (according to several sources), their kids have been in classes where the teacher either separated out the 5 kids who "wanted to learn" from the rest of the class b/c the rest was so disruptive or the teachers actually told the kids that they were quitting (and did) b/c the kids were so awful.

I would imagine as a teacher, I'd want to be in the school where they are constantly treating me. But, I don't know if teachers really care about that or if there are a certain percentage of kids who just make teachers' lives hard no matter where you go. And how much control does the teacher have over the level of classes that s/he teaches (i.e. can they just teach the higher level classes, thereby avoiding certain groups of kids)?

How much does the student population play into the teachers' decisions to teach at a particular school? (Does that mean that on the whole the better teachers work themselves into jobs at higher SES schools -- on the whole -- I know there are some good teachers even at the lower SES schools -- what makes them stay?)

Dude. It's a JOB. People teach where they can make the most money and have the least headaches. That might very week be a low SES school. Whatever.

Are you a teacher? I doubt it. Teachers understand that teaching is a calling, not just a job. Teachers do not make a lot of money anywhere, so your suggestion that money drives it is pretty silly.

To the OP, teachers rarely have control over which classes they teach. That is the administrator's decision, but, as in any field, people with more experience and seniority often have better choices. Also, some teachers want to stay in low SES schools because they feel they can make a genuine difference there. Parents at high SES schools can be vicious and demanding, and no amount of "treats" are going to paper that over.

[Anonymous]

As a teacher who has worked in both low and high SES schools, I can honestly say I far prefer the high SES school environment. At my previous (low SES) high school, I felt degraded every single day. The kids treated me horribly and the administration was completely ineffectual. I understand that many of these kids are coming from homes with little to no support, but after a while, it becomes time to think about my own quality of life.

I was finally able to find a position at a high SES high school and the difference is like night and day. The kids come to school ready to learn, prepared, and respectful. They are truly a joy to teach, and I tell their parents so at every BTSN. Admin treats all the teachers like the valuable members of the team we are, and parents are involved and supportive.

While I occasionally run into a helicopter parent, I much prefer that to the checked out parents who just don't give a damn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher who has worked in both low and high SES schools, I can honestly say I far prefer the high SES school environment. At my previous (low SES) high school, I felt degraded every single day. The kids treated me horribly and the administration was completely ineffectual. I understand that many of these kids are coming from homes with little to no support, but after a while, it becomes time to think about my own quality of life.

I was finally able to find a position at a high SES high school and the difference is like night and day. The kids come to school ready to learn, prepared, and respectful. They are truly a joy to teach, and I tell their parents so at every BTSN. Admin treats all the teachers like the valuable members of the team we are, and parents are involved and supportive.

While I occasionally run into a helicopter parent, I much prefer that to the checked out parents who just don't give a damn.

We have heard the same thing from many teachers who have taught in different environments. They are grateful for the kids who have the conditions and desire to succeed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Do teachers look for the higher SES schools when deciding where to teach? On the one hand, you might not have to deal with kids who don't see the point of school (bad behavior, disruptive, disrespectful)... on the other hand, you might have very high demands from students or parents at the higher SES schools. My kid is in a MS that is higher SES and very supportive PTA and parents (i.e. constantly feeding and treating the teachers, parents volunteer or donate to everything). We moved from a zone where (according to several sources), their kids have been in classes where the teacher either separated out the 5 kids who "wanted to learn" from the rest of the class b/c the rest was so disruptive or the teachers actually told the kids that they were quitting (and did) b/c the kids were so awful.

I would imagine as a teacher, I'd want to be in the school where they are constantly treating me. But, I don't know if teachers really care about that or if there are a certain percentage of kids who just make teachers' lives hard no matter where you go. And how much control does the teacher have over the level of classes that s/he teaches (i.e. can they just teach the higher level classes, thereby avoiding certain groups of kids)?

How much does the student population play into the teachers' decisions to teach at a particular school? (Does that mean that on the whole the better teachers work themselves into jobs at higher SES schools -- on the whole -- I know there are some good teachers even at the lower SES schools -- what makes them stay?)

Dude. It's a JOB. People teach where they can make the most money and have the least headaches. That might very week be a low SES school. Whatever.

Are you a teacher? I doubt it. Teachers understand that teaching is a calling, not just a job. Teachers do not make a lot of money anywhere, so your suggestion that money drives it is pretty silly.

To the OP, teachers rarely have control over which classes they teach. That is the administrator's decision, but, as in any field, people with more experience and seniority often have better choices. Also, some teachers want to stay in low SES schools because they feel they can make a genuine difference there. Parents at high SES schools can be vicious and demanding, and no amount of "treats" are going to paper that over.

That's why you aren't respected as a profession. You act like a martyr and others will be happy to go along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher my preference would be to teach in a solidly middle class school, but not upper middle class. Honestly, dealing with demanding parents can be just as much of a headache as dealing with the student behavior issues you deal with in low ses schools. And no, I don't care about the "treats" that the parents n the high SES schools dish out.

My teacher DH would agree with this 100%, with the caveat that DH doesn't consider any school in FFX to be truly "low SES;" the lower SES FFX schools are to him more "solidly middle class," to use your vernacular. (He did his student and first year of teaching in a much more difficult, much lower SES environment than any school in FFX.) In addition to not having to deal with so many PITA parents, he finds it more rewarding to work with kids who don't have so many life advantages.