How is FCPS teacher/staff shortage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not all schools even have coaches. Our coach want our CLTs and it was sometimes frustrating because of the way we had to run our time together.

But in the end, all of our resource people were covering or subbing by the end of the year.

So were ours. They were complaining that the shouldn’t have to “change diapers” when they subbed in K and pre-k.

[Anonymous]

FCPS is horribly mismanaged and has been for years. It's not that they don't need any employees in central administration; clearly, a system with 200 schools and a $3B budget does. It's just that they have the wrong employees in the wrong roles - too many has-been teachers and mediocre principals who "failed up" into administrative jobs and too few people actually engaging in meaningful oversight or planning. It's a spoils system for burnt-out or unsuccessful educators looking for an easier gig, but the ROI for the community is very low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal talked with me about becoming a coach. My response was, "no way, never". I want to make a difference for kids and coaches don't do that. And no, they don't help kids through teachers either. Coaching is a position that should be eliminated. That money spent could be used to fund positions that actually impact students.

What a short sighted and ego centric view. I learned so much about bettering myself as an educator once I removed my shield and engaged with my instructional coach. I'm now an instructional coach in a different district and there are many ways to use the role to also make a difference for kids. Maybe your specific coach doesn't fulfill their role to their entire potential, but to just say that a position that I highly value is useless and doesn't help kids is nasty. I'm am educator with the same mission and goals as you, so maybe stop attacking my role.

Such as? I’m genuinely curious how your position is used. Like a pp mentioned, much of our coach’s time is spent in CT meetings.

Im in DCPS. We hold 1-2 PLC sessions each week, and then the rest of my time is used how my team needs it. I'm occasionally co-teaching lessons (I taught 8 years of ES before coaching), modeling behavior strategies, sitting in Morning Meetings, and helping with assessment review. I'm sure that the job is what you make of it, but I'd be bored to tears if my day wasn't spent around kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal talked with me about becoming a coach. My response was, "no way, never". I want to make a difference for kids and coaches don't do that. And no, they don't help kids through teachers either. Coaching is a position that should be eliminated. That money spent could be used to fund positions that actually impact students.

What a short sighted and ego centric view. I learned so much about bettering myself as an educator once I removed my shield and engaged with my instructional coach. I'm now an instructional coach in a different district and there are many ways to use the role to also make a difference for kids. Maybe your specific coach doesn't fulfill their role to their entire potential, but to just say that a position that I highly value is useless and doesn't help kids is nasty. I'm am educator with the same mission and goals as you, so maybe stop attacking my role.

Such as? I’m genuinely curious how your position is used. Like a pp mentioned, much of our coach’s time is spent in CT meetings.

Im in DCPS. We hold 1-2 PLC sessions each week, and then the rest of my time is used how my team needs it. I'm occasionally co-teaching lessons (I taught 8 years of ES before coaching), modeling behavior strategies, sitting in Morning Meetings, and helping with assessment review. I'm sure that the job is what you make of it, but I'd be bored to tears if my day wasn't spent around kids.

Are you assigned to one grade level?

Helping review assessments might be helpful, depending on what you mean by that. I’m not sure how co-teaching a lesson or sitting in on a Morning Meeting helps. Honestly, the “taught 8 years of ES before coaching” doesn’t impress me as necessarily being toutable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal talked with me about becoming a coach. My response was, "no way, never". I want to make a difference for kids and coaches don't do that. And no, they don't help kids through teachers either. Coaching is a position that should be eliminated. That money spent could be used to fund positions that actually impact students.

What a short sighted and ego centric view. I learned so much about bettering myself as an educator once I removed my shield and engaged with my instructional coach. I'm now an instructional coach in a different district and there are many ways to use the role to also make a difference for kids. Maybe your specific coach doesn't fulfill their role to their entire potential, but to just say that a position that I highly value is useless and doesn't help kids is nasty. I'm am educator with the same mission and goals as you, so maybe stop attacking my role.

Such as? I’m genuinely curious how your position is used. Like a pp mentioned, much of our coach’s time is spent in CT meetings.

Im in DCPS. We hold 1-2 PLC sessions each week, and then the rest of my time is used how my team needs it. I'm occasionally co-teaching lessons (I taught 8 years of ES before coaching), modeling behavior strategies, sitting in Morning Meetings, and helping with assessment review. I'm sure that the job is what you make of it, but I'd be bored to tears if my day wasn't spent around kids.

When are these meetings held? How much planning (individual, unencumbered) do the teachers get outside of those meetings each week?

[Anonymous]

Saw a picture from FCPS instructional coach kickoff today. The slide was touting how effective coaches are….the research referenced was from 2002. I’d be curious to see some actual data from FCPS that is concrete (and not touchy feely coach reported) on effectiveness that is from this decade. If my students cited data from 20 years ago in a research paper, I’d tell them to find more recent data to support their position.

And to the poster telling teachers to stop complaining…this is about using FCPS resources effectively at a time when teachers are at a premium. Teachers can’t actually stand up and say how ineffective coaches are in a non-anonymous forum because they would be scoffed at/retaliated against by the principals that love them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal talked with me about becoming a coach. My response was, "no way, never". I want to make a difference for kids and coaches don't do that. And no, they don't help kids through teachers either. Coaching is a position that should be eliminated. That money spent could be used to fund positions that actually impact students.

What a short sighted and ego centric view. I learned so much about bettering myself as an educator once I removed my shield and engaged with my instructional coach. I'm now an instructional coach in a different district and there are many ways to use the role to also make a difference for kids. Maybe your specific coach doesn't fulfill their role to their entire potential, but to just say that a position that I highly value is useless and doesn't help kids is nasty. I'm am educator with the same mission and goals as you, so maybe stop attacking my role.

Name your district or we don’t believe you. I work in a different district and my kids attend FCPS. The instructional coaches in my district are every bit as useless as they are here. They do not benefit students. They create meetings and busywork to try and look important. We are resentful because that is a position that could be used to lower our class numbers.

Totally agree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal talked with me about becoming a coach. My response was, "no way, never". I want to make a difference for kids and coaches don't do that. And no, they don't help kids through teachers either. Coaching is a position that should be eliminated. That money spent could be used to fund positions that actually impact students.

What a short sighted and ego centric view. I learned so much about bettering myself as an educator once I removed my shield and engaged with my instructional coach. I'm now an instructional coach in a different district and there are many ways to use the role to also make a difference for kids. Maybe your specific coach doesn't fulfill their role to their entire potential, but to just say that a position that I highly value is useless and doesn't help kids is nasty. I'm am educator with the same mission and goals as you, so maybe stop attacking my role.

Such as? I’m genuinely curious how your position is used. Like a pp mentioned, much of our coach’s time is spent in CT meetings.

Im in DCPS. We hold 1-2 PLC sessions each week, and then the rest of my time is used how my team needs it. I'm occasionally co-teaching lessons (I taught 8 years of ES before coaching), modeling behavior strategies, sitting in Morning Meetings, and helping with assessment review. I'm sure that the job is what you make of it, but I'd be bored to tears if my day wasn't spent around kids.[/

Love the way you are throwing your fellow coaches under the bus and saying the job is what you make of it. That is how coaches roll. Miat be a problem
With you if it doesn’t work amirite?!
Meanwhile I’m emailing the district and testing and curriculum companies my concerns and getting inappropriate assessments and curriculum issues addressed. Because I leave out the coach who has a whopping 8 years of experience in a different grade level. Keep justifying. I KNOW I’m making a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal talked with me about becoming a coach. My response was, "no way, never". I want to make a difference for kids and coaches don't do that. And no, they don't help kids through teachers either. Coaching is a position that should be eliminated. That money spent could be used to fund positions that actually impact students.

What a short sighted and ego centric view. I learned so much about bettering myself as an educator once I removed my shield and engaged with my instructional coach. I'm now an instructional coach in a different district and there are many ways to use the role to also make a difference for kids. Maybe your specific coach doesn't fulfill their role to their entire potential, but to just say that a position that I highly value is useless and doesn't help kids is nasty. I'm am educator with the same mission and goals as you, so maybe stop attacking my role.

Name your district or we don’t believe you. I work in a different district and my kids attend FCPS. The instructional coaches in my district are every bit as useless as they are here. They do not benefit students. They create meetings and busywork to try and look important. We are resentful because that is a position that could be used to lower our class numbers.

Quoting myself here. I’m changing my view a little. Towards the end of the year I started directly asking our coach to be my sub when I needed to be out and sometimes she did, even for half a day. So that was useful. It was hard to get subs and my own children got covid and needed to stay home. She was useful as a sub and stepped in when there wasn’t one for the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just went into MyPDE and counted 19 online trainings that have to be completed by Sept. 30 and 1 that has to be done by Sept. 1. I thought, "This can't be right", but it looks that way.

I thought it was more like 10 or 11 trainings. Ugh.

A bunch of them take less than 5 minutes. Teachers have August 12 as a work in an alternate location day. The trainings can be done then.

Are you sure? That would help if our school admin doesn’t schedule something else. The only day that is listed as such is June 20. https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/2022-2023-standard-school-year-calendar.pdf

It kind of stinks that only 2 of the first 6 are TW days and the second is that Friday, most likely after Open House.

Aug 12 is not an alternative location workday. Some principals may make it that, but it is not county-wide.

There is an action gram on Employee Hub that has details about PD that went out to principals. It says Aug 12 should be alt location.
It is. There is a doc on the Employee Hub with all the dates. If your principal is making you come in they are not following the rules.

You go ahead and take a look: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/2022-23-employee-calendar.pdf
It was changed at the end of last year. June 20 is the alternate location day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just went into MyPDE and counted 19 online trainings that have to be completed by Sept. 30 and 1 that has to be done by Sept. 1. I thought, "This can't be right", but it looks that way.

I thought it was more like 10 or 11 trainings. Ugh.

A bunch of them take less than 5 minutes. Teachers have August 12 as a work in an alternate location day. The trainings can be done then.

Make sure you only are looking at those that are not listed as attended. Many only have to be completed once—you may have completed in a past year and satisfied the requirement. I knocked mine out in about 2 hours. Some of the longer trainings have pre-tests that allow you to test out this year, which I appreciated.

Thanks. I see that now. I counted and left out those listed as "attended" and it actually only about 15 trainings. Only. I will probably use 8/12 to do those, although that's usually a day that is available for me to start setting up my ES classroom. Friday 8/19 is our Open House so I hope (but I'm not holding my breath) that admin will give us some time to ourselves Monday-Thursday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just went into MyPDE and counted 19 online trainings that have to be completed by Sept. 30 and 1 that has to be done by Sept. 1. I thought, "This can't be right", but it looks that way.

I thought it was more like 10 or 11 trainings. Ugh.

A bunch of them take less than 5 minutes. Teachers have August 12 as a work in an alternate location day. The trainings can be done then.

Are you sure? That would help if our school admin doesn’t schedule something else. The only day that is listed as such is June 20. https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/2022-2023-standard-school-year-calendar.pdf

It kind of stinks that only 2 of the first 6 are TW days and the second is that Friday, most likely after Open House.

Aug 12 is not an alternative location workday. Some principals may make it that, but it is not county-wide.

It is. There is a doc on the Employee Hub with all the dates. If your principal is making you come in they are not following the rules.

DP
I don't see that. In the Hub under "Calendars" I see links to the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 calendars. On the FCPS page the calendar does not show Aug. 12 as an alt. work location option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all schools even have coaches. Our coach want our CLTs and it was sometimes frustrating because of the way we had to run our time together.

But in the end, all of our resource people were covering or subbing by the end of the year.

So were ours. They were complaining that the shouldn’t have to “change diapers” when they subbed in K and pre-k.

Ours refused to sub in special ed when one of the teachers got Covid and had to be out. They patched together coverage for a couple days and then got some unsuspecting person from central office in there. That person left halfway through the day due to an "unforeseen emergency". The following week and a half was a nightmare. A bunch of us wrote about this to our local school board rep and also the at large members but it was unsurprisingly never addressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can’t fit 45 in a classroom. Class sizes will stay as they are, which will be over 30 as the norm in all grade levels. Positions that aren’t filled will have day to day subs. When they aren’t picked up, current school staff will juggle to provide coverage for the day. Coverage, not teaching. More resignations will happen next year because everyone will be more overworked.

You can’t force people to apply to be teachers if they don’t want to. Apply to be a sub if you want to do something to help.

I don’t get this. We have had Democrats in charge of everything and they claim to prioritize public education, but FCPS is in a total shambles.

Maybe they could have spent more time focusing on classroom sizes, teacher recruitment and retention, and facilities, and less time over the past few years obsessing about TJ admissions, a useless new Lewis Academy program, revisions to the SR&R, and other equity initiatives that, it turns out, don’t really make people salivate at the thought of working for FCPS.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just went into MyPDE and counted 19 online trainings that have to be completed by Sept. 30 and 1 that has to be done by Sept. 1. I thought, "This can't be right", but it looks that way.

I thought it was more like 10 or 11 trainings. Ugh.

A bunch of them take less than 5 minutes. Teachers have August 12 as a work in an alternate location day. The trainings can be done then.

Are you sure? That would help if our school admin doesn’t schedule something else. The only day that is listed as such is June 20. https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/2022-2023-standard-school-year-calendar.pdf

It kind of stinks that only 2 of the first 6 are TW days and the second is that Friday, most likely after Open House.

Aug 12 is not an alternative location workday. Some principals may make it that, but it is not county-wide.

It is. There is a doc on the Employee Hub with all the dates. If your principal is making you come in they are not following the rules.

Oh thank God!