demoralized in MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is done, people. Keep your eyes open.

Depressing, but after reading through this whole thread, it's hard to disagree with this assessment.

I feel the opposite. Seems like things have been steadily improving.

Under what time frame? I'm looking at it from a ~20 year standpoint. Not saying it's all MCPS's fault, but it's tough for me to see the argument that we're in an upward trajectory, especially in terms of teacher morale.

I was looking at mainly the last 5 years and comparing that to my experiences at MCPS 30 years ago.

Just to be clear, you’re saying that you think things in MCPS are better now than 30 years ago? What specifically do you think is better now?

Most definitely! Just look at the SAT averages today people are doing better than ever.

1. The gap is still wide.
2. You fail to acknowledge teacher attrition rates.
3. Regarding tests, you do realize that tests are normed each year.
4. There are some systems that want to remove the Praxis as a certification vehicle bc it limits the number of candidates.

Translation - dumbing down

The gap may be wide but that has as much to do with how immigration has changed things than anything. It isn't about the quality of teaching. As to the rest of this, 40 years ago most people stayed at the same job for life but today most people hop jobs. It isn't specific to MCPS. In the end things like SAT averages seem more meaningful.

You're ignoring the real issue. WHY are teachers leaving? My colleague, 15 years in and brilliant, is leaving the profession. She is one of many. Energy and creativity get you so far in this profession. Once the experienced ones retire, there's no one left upon which to rely for support.

It is a dying profession, as not enough candidates are entering the field either. How do you respond to that, PP?

Teachers are leaving for the same reasons people no longer stay at their jobs for their entire careers. The world isn't static.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is done, people. Keep your eyes open.

Depressing, but after reading through this whole thread, it's hard to disagree with this assessment.

I feel the opposite. Seems like things have been steadily improving.

Under what time frame? I'm looking at it from a ~20 year standpoint. Not saying it's all MCPS's fault, but it's tough for me to see the argument that we're in an upward trajectory, especially in terms of teacher morale.

I was looking at mainly the last 5 years and comparing that to my experiences at MCPS 30 years ago.

Just to be clear, you’re saying that you think things in MCPS are better now than 30 years ago? What specifically do you think is better now?

Most definitely! Just look at the SAT averages today people are doing better than ever.

The SATs have been recentered several times in the last 30 years. This has raised the average scores by 200+ points, but the scores aren't directly comparable. If you're using today's SAT scores to "compare" MCPS against your idea of what it was like 30 years ago, subtract 200-250 points from today's scores for a fair comparison. So, the average SAT of 1119 in MCPS would be high 800s, low 900s using the same scale as 30 years ago. Do you still think people are doing better than ever?

Yes
Norming the results

Look at PARCC scores! Last year grade 7 ELA results were high across the board. Why? Bc the writers omitted the more difficult questions from that test

Lol!

We are owned by College Board and other educational companies like Pearson.

I'd say WAKE UP! But it's too late for that. We are in too deep.

[Anonymous]

I think MCPS HR must realize they have to do something. The workplace bullying policy is only a few years old. Obviously they saw a need for one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is done, people. Keep your eyes open.

Depressing, but after reading through this whole thread, it's hard to disagree with this assessment.

I feel the opposite. Seems like things have been steadily improving.

Under what time frame? I'm looking at it from a ~20 year standpoint. Not saying it's all MCPS's fault, but it's tough for me to see the argument that we're in an upward trajectory, especially in terms of teacher morale.

I was looking at mainly the last 5 years and comparing that to my experiences at MCPS 30 years ago.

Just to be clear, you’re saying that you think things in MCPS are better now than 30 years ago? What specifically do you think is better now?

Most definitely! Just look at the SAT averages today people are doing better than ever.

1. The gap is still wide.
2. You fail to acknowledge teacher attrition rates.
3. Regarding tests, you do realize that tests are normed each year.
4. There are some systems that want to remove the Praxis as a certification vehicle bc it limits the number of candidates.

Translation - dumbing down

The gap may be wide but that has as much to do with how immigration has changed things than anything. It isn't about the quality of teaching. As to the rest of this, 40 years ago most people stayed at the same job for life but today most people hop jobs. It isn't specific to MCPS. In the end things like SAT averages seem more meaningful.

You're ignoring the real issue. WHY are teachers leaving? My colleague, 15 years in and brilliant, is leaving the profession. She is one of many. Energy and creativity get you so far in this profession. Once the experienced ones retire, there's no one left upon which to rely for support.

It is a dying profession, as not enough candidates are entering the field either. How do you respond to that, PP?

Teachers are leaving for the same reasons people no longer stay at their jobs for their entire careers. The world isn't static.

lol

spoken as one who's NOT in the profession!

But continue to live in your bubble. It remains untouched by reality!

[Anonymous]

I think part of the problem is that students are less tolerant of bad teaching now. We are competing with cell phones, video games, and low attention spans. Teaching is not entertainment. Learning can be a struggle and should be. Students are not used to this and don’t really know how to be bored. If teachers don’t up their game it really makes class boring and this leads to all sorts of problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is done, people. Keep your eyes open.

Depressing, but after reading through this whole thread, it's hard to disagree with this assessment.

I feel the opposite. Seems like things have been steadily improving.

Under what time frame? I'm looking at it from a ~20 year standpoint. Not saying it's all MCPS's fault, but it's tough for me to see the argument that we're in an upward trajectory, especially in terms of teacher morale.

I was looking at mainly the last 5 years and comparing that to my experiences at MCPS 30 years ago.

Just to be clear, you’re saying that you think things in MCPS are better now than 30 years ago? What specifically do you think is better now?

Most definitely! Just look at the SAT averages today people are doing better than ever.

1. The gap is still wide.
2. You fail to acknowledge teacher attrition rates.
3. Regarding tests, you do realize that tests are normed each year.
4. There are some systems that want to remove the Praxis as a certification vehicle bc it limits the number of candidates.

Translation - dumbing down

The gap may be wide but that has as much to do with how immigration has changed things than anything. It isn't about the quality of teaching. As to the rest of this, 40 years ago most people stayed at the same job for life but today most people hop jobs. It isn't specific to MCPS. In the end things like SAT averages seem more meaningful.

You're ignoring the real issue. WHY are teachers leaving? My colleague, 15 years in and brilliant, is leaving the profession. She is one of many. Energy and creativity get you so far in this profession. Once the experienced ones retire, there's no one left upon which to rely for support.

It is a dying profession, as not enough candidates are entering the field either. How do you respond to that, PP?

Teachers are leaving for the same reasons people no longer stay at their jobs for their entire careers. The world isn't static.

lol

spoken as one who's NOT in the profession!

But continue to live in your bubble. It remains untouched by reality!

Being in a strong public employee union also creates a bubble compared to what most people experience in the private sector these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the problem is that students are less tolerant of bad teaching now. We are competing with cell phones, video games, and low attention spans. Teaching is not entertainment. Learning can be a struggle and should be. Students are not used to this and don’t really know how to be bored. If teachers don’t up their game it really makes class boring and this leads to all sorts of problems.

Really? Students enter the class and refuse to settle down, make all kinds of noises, then argue and fight because they are less tolerant of bad teaching?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Principals are trolls who can't stand teachers doing the jobs that they did not have aptitude for. That is why they got out of teaching and resent great teachers. It's one hell of a popularity contest but quality education flew out the window long ago when teachers got their morale taken away.

I could not have written this better. In our school, we had a principal who treated every teacher in the same way. She was unpopular with certain teachers who wanted to receive special treatment and perks. We now have a new principal who has an inner circle. There is no equal treatment. She has an inner circle of popular teachers who get all kinds of perks such as flexible schedules as well as all leaves being approved. On the other side, she micromanages and finds fault with those who are the "unpopular staff members" regardless of their merits as a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Principals are trolls who can't stand teachers doing the jobs that they did not have aptitude for. That is why they got out of teaching and resent great teachers. It's one hell of a popularity contest but quality education flew out the window long ago when teachers got their morale taken away.

I could not have written this better. In our school, we had a principal who treated every teacher in the same way. She was unpopular with certain teachers who wanted to receive special treatment and perks. We now have a new principal who has an inner circle. There is no equal treatment. She has an inner circle of popular teachers who get all kinds of perks such as flexible schedules as well as all leaves being approved. On the other side, she micromanages and finds fault with those who are the "unpopular staff members" regardless of their merits as a teacher.

It sounds like 99% of the private-sector jobs these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is done, people. Keep your eyes open.

Depressing, but after reading through this whole thread, it's hard to disagree with this assessment.

I feel the opposite. Seems like things have been steadily improving.

Under what time frame? I'm looking at it from a ~20 year standpoint. Not saying it's all MCPS's fault, but it's tough for me to see the argument that we're in an upward trajectory, especially in terms of teacher morale.

I was looking at mainly the last 5 years and comparing that to my experiences at MCPS 30 years ago.

Just to be clear, you’re saying that you think things in MCPS are better now than 30 years ago? What specifically do you think is better now?

Most definitely! Just look at the SAT averages today people are doing better than ever.

1. The gap is still wide.
2. You fail to acknowledge teacher attrition rates.
3. Regarding tests, you do realize that tests are normed each year.
4. There are some systems that want to remove the Praxis as a certification vehicle bc it limits the number of candidates.

Translation - dumbing down

The gap may be wide but that has as much to do with how immigration has changed things than anything. It isn't about the quality of teaching. As to the rest of this, 40 years ago most people stayed at the same job for life but today most people hop jobs. It isn't specific to MCPS. In the end things like SAT averages seem more meaningful.

You're ignoring the real issue. WHY are teachers leaving? My colleague, 15 years in and brilliant, is leaving the profession. She is one of many. Energy and creativity get you so far in this profession. Once the experienced ones retire, there's no one left upon which to rely for support.

It is a dying profession, as not enough candidates are entering the field either. How do you respond to that, PP?

Teachers are leaving for the same reasons people no longer stay at their jobs for their entire careers. The world isn't static.

lol

spoken as one who's NOT in the profession!

But continue to live in your bubble. It remains untouched by reality!

Being in a strong public employee union also creates a bubble compared to what most people experience in the private sector these days.

Why are you chiming in? I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert in private industry (although I was in private before making the switch). So please back off, as your comments mean nothing here.

[Anonymous]

Love the comments by the gatekeeper teacher. I bet her classroom is the same way: “I can tell that you were not a molasses smuggler in the late 1700s. Why do you keep chiming in on the Sugar Act?” “Did you fight in the Battle of the Bulge? No! And your thoughts on it are unwelcome.”

[Anonymous]

Things should improve dramatically for all MCPS staff once Maria Navarro and Andrew Zuckerman are out the door in June...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Things should improve dramatically for all MCPS staff once Maria Navarro and Andrew Zuckerman are out the door in June...

How will they improve? I think they both have far more impact on the people they supervise than teachers in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love the comments by the gatekeeper teacher. I bet her classroom is the same way: “I can tell that you were not a molasses smuggler in the late 1700s. Why do you keep chiming in on the Sugar Act?” “Did you fight in the Battle of the Bulge? No! And your thoughts on it are unwelcome.”

Lol

[Anonymous]

Kids are tolerant of teachers requiring work to be done and standards respected. If kids don't respect the process and principals don't uphold standards all the kids are going to try to get teachers fired who uphold ideals of challenging students. If principals want easy As and fire teachers who don't fudge the numbers you will get dipshit students who become dipshit adults one day and principals who will climb the ladder with "good data"; good teachers who believe in hard work will be made obselete.