Dr. Duran must go

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there such a thing as a good superintendent? I recall people really didn't like the guy before Duran.

you haven't been here very long have you? PKM was absolutely awful.

+1

Duran isn’t perfect but he’s way better than the last guy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The insurance is t his fault. The teachers need to get a grip

You don’t get it. I am one of the staff who has to switch plans. Inconvenient but Ok, it happens. I didn’t make a big deal. But after waiting for hours yesterday to speak with someone who could give me answers and seeing staff being turned away I am upset. Come on. Someone has to come up with a better plan to give information. And please treat staff with respect. About time someone does. This is demoralizing.

What on earth did you need to speak to someone about? This isn’t 1977. Fire up Google and get on with your life.

You do realize the private sector does this all the time and we don’t whine like the teachers are.

you must be one of the teacher haters. my guess is you also complain about staff shortages.

NP. Why must anyone who doesn't express complete empathy for teachers for every complaint be a teacher hater? Do you really believe that all teachers are saints and never whine or complain excessively or over-react to something....that they are all always 100% right and entitled to whatever they say and do? I seriously doubt the teachers would unite and advocate for other government employees' every term of employment and benefit issue, let alone for parents working in government or private sectors.

NP here. I wonder why it tends to be teachers who complain. Do teacher preparation programs only take people who are fundamentally incompetent and make everything harder than it needs to be? Does being in the classroom turn you into a whiner? Because I don't understudy why, if their jobs aren't uniquely bad, do we see more teachers whining than other government employees? Why are there shortages? Why do fewer people than ever want to go into the profession?

I don't understand the ins and outs of the health insurance issue but there do tend to be a lot of teacher complainers and a lot of people telling them to shut it. It's an interesting dynamic.

Speaking of teacher haters.

No, my personal opinion is that the most rational reason for all the complaints is that teachers do indeed have cause to complain, and I'm always a little baffled that people tend to come to the conclusion that teachers are just whiners who don't understand the realities of employment.

This. I work alot of hours outside of normal business hours like many salaried staff. But I’ve never had to buy basic supplies, I can use the bathroom whenever I want, I get a proper lunch break most days. I get the occasional perk like an unexpected day off, ability to telework now, no worries about showing up late or leaving early from time to time, and so on.

Pay-wise teachers now do well or better than many college educated but the working conditions blow. I really believe teachers stay in these jobs because they love the kids.

The conditions aren’t great in the classroom compared to the cushy WFH gig some people get. In person is a must. But not all teachers love kids.

Let’s call it for what it is: there are few jobs that pay an average of $80k per 10-month year with a bachelors, come with a pension and retiree medical, honor weekends and holidays, don’t put you on a plane away from your kids all the time, give you lockstep raises based on credentials and seniority, and provide reasonable job security regardless of performance, plus the well known benefit of holiday breaks and summers off to recover. I think teachers are rational actors and can weigh the pros and cons of their personal career alternatives.

We have a teacher shortage now because for a long time we had a teacher glut, those people moved on, and now we are facing some demographic realities.

If teachers have a specific problem they want the parents to lobby to fix, they need to be a lot more professional than “If you don’t let me keep Kaiser because APS, I’m leaving.” Feel free to try out FCPS, you might like it better there, you might hate it. Feel free to try out the private sector and get used to taking conference calls while your kids are home for the fourth time that month due to some religious holiday. Work a few Christmases, or Disney trips, or spend a week away every quarter at some dank conference room in Cleveland, just to be laid off at the first sign of trouble. Give it a go and see how you like it.

Tie your arguments to how this actually hurts kids, not your personal needs, and you might get somewhere with the parents. A lot of us want to help you but some of ya’ll sound downright irrational.

Speaking of irrational parents who like to rage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The insurance is t his fault. The teachers need to get a grip

You don’t get it. I am one of the staff who has to switch plans. Inconvenient but Ok, it happens. I didn’t make a big deal. But after waiting for hours yesterday to speak with someone who could give me answers and seeing staff being turned away I am upset. Come on. Someone has to come up with a better plan to give information. And please treat staff with respect. About time someone does. This is demoralizing.

What on earth did you need to speak to someone about? This isn’t 1977. Fire up Google and get on with your life.

You do realize the private sector does this all the time and we don’t whine like the teachers are.

you must be one of the teacher haters. my guess is you also complain about staff shortages.

NP. Why must anyone who doesn't express complete empathy for teachers for every complaint be a teacher hater? Do you really believe that all teachers are saints and never whine or complain excessively or over-react to something....that they are all always 100% right and entitled to whatever they say and do? I seriously doubt the teachers would unite and advocate for other government employees' every term of employment and benefit issue, let alone for parents working in government or private sectors.

NP here. I wonder why it tends to be teachers who complain. Do teacher preparation programs only take people who are fundamentally incompetent and make everything harder than it needs to be? Does being in the classroom turn you into a whiner? Because I don't understudy why, if their jobs aren't uniquely bad, do we see more teachers whining than other government employees? Why are there shortages? Why do fewer people than ever want to go into the profession?

I don't understand the ins and outs of the health insurance issue but there do tend to be a lot of teacher complainers and a lot of people telling them to shut it. It's an interesting dynamic.

Speaking of teacher haters.

No, my personal opinion is that the most rational reason for all the complaints is that teachers do indeed have cause to complain, and I'm always a little baffled that people tend to come to the conclusion that teachers are just whiners who don't understand the realities of employment.

This. I work alot of hours outside of normal business hours like many salaried staff. But I’ve never had to buy basic supplies, I can use the bathroom whenever I want, I get a proper lunch break most days. I get the occasional perk like an unexpected day off, ability to telework now, no worries about showing up late or leaving early from time to time, and so on.

Pay-wise teachers now do well or better than many college educated but the working conditions blow. I really believe teachers stay in these jobs because they love the kids.

The conditions aren’t great in the classroom compared to the cushy WFH gig some people get. In person is a must. But not all teachers love kids.

Let’s call it for what it is: there are few jobs that pay an average of $80k per 10-month year with a bachelors, come with a pension and retiree medical, honor weekends and holidays, don’t put you on a plane away from your kids all the time, give you lockstep raises based on credentials and seniority, and provide reasonable job security regardless of performance, plus the well known benefit of holiday breaks and summers off to recover. I think teachers are rational actors and can weigh the pros and cons of their personal career alternatives.

We have a teacher shortage now because for a long time we had a teacher glut, those people moved on, and now we are facing some demographic realities.

If teachers have a specific problem they want the parents to lobby to fix, they need to be a lot more professional than “If you don’t let me keep Kaiser because APS, I’m leaving.” Feel free to try out FCPS, you might like it better there, you might hate it. Feel free to try out the private sector and get used to taking conference calls while your kids are home for the fourth time that month due to some religious holiday. Work a few Christmases, or Disney trips, or spend a week away every quarter at some dank conference room in Cleveland, just to be laid off at the first sign of trouble. Give it a go and see how you like it.

Tie your arguments to how this actually hurts kids, not your personal needs, and you might get somewhere with the parents. A lot of us want to help you but some of ya’ll sound downright irrational.

I actually haven’t had an issue about insurance, because I did not have Kaiser. However, I do have an issue with you. I have seen many posts on here, and they must be from you, all about teachers with a Bachelor’s making $80K. (With a ton of resentment.)

That’s inaccurate. After 14 years in the system, an APS teacher with a Bachelor’s would make $80K.

It is also inaccurate that a teacher cannot be fired. You’re are generalizing a rare few teachers. Just like you are hyper-focused on the insurance thing (and it was indeed a debacle), and not looking at all of the other concerns on this thread.

However, we do need teachers, so please give up your jealousy and that dank room in Cleveland. According to you, you don’t even have to like kids!

As a parent, I am concerned about the impact that class sizes and equity grading will have on my child’s education. As a teacher, I know that Syphax is a mess, and must be fixed. A lot of my tax dollars are going to salaries in that building, and I am seeing very little return.

That 14-year teacher making $80K on the other hand, is probably worth every penny.

I am also very concerned and am no fan of Syphax, trust me. But I’m saving my ire for big class sizes, the calendar shenanigans, administrative bloat, unfunded mandates, and other Syphax BS that hurts my kids, overburdens the teachers, and wastes my tax dollars. I hardly believe that a change in insurance providers is “catastrophic” and going to lead to the schools emptying out. The other crap will. Just asking teachers to have some tact about what they are trying to rally parents for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there such a thing as a good superintendent? I recall people really didn't like the guy before Duran.

Where is the leadership from the School Board?

Oh yeah, we have a 20 something Board Chair who doesn't even have kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Nottingham anger is ridiculous. For YEARS if not decades, parents moan about overcrowding, conditions of schools, etc. School board finally comes up with a creative solution and they are still complaining. They can't win.

School board didn’t come up with it. Staff did. There’s a difference.

And it’s not just parents who are upset. Apparently APS forgot to officially mention anything at all about the closure plan to current Nottingham teachers until very recently. Oops.

And then when they did come talk to the teachers, apparently they were dismissive and disrespectful and did not inspire confidence about taking care of them through the closure. One of the teachers who spoke last night said that the APS staff also cut the meeting off abruptly because they had somewhere else to be. Sounds like Duran had to come in and do a cleanup job afterwards. APS has been impressively bad on the rollout for this.

HR head came in to Nottingham, told teachers he had a hard stop at 30 minutes, was dismissive of teachers' concerns about if they would have jobs in APS if Nottingham closed, and then stood up at 30 minutes to say he had "a more important meeting" to get to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The insurance is t his fault. The teachers need to get a grip

You don’t get it. I am one of the staff who has to switch plans. Inconvenient but Ok, it happens. I didn’t make a big deal. But after waiting for hours yesterday to speak with someone who could give me answers and seeing staff being turned away I am upset. Come on. Someone has to come up with a better plan to give information. And please treat staff with respect. About time someone does. This is demoralizing.

What on earth did you need to speak to someone about? This isn’t 1977. Fire up Google and get on with your life.

You do realize the private sector does this all the time and we don’t whine like the teachers are.

you must be one of the teacher haters. my guess is you also complain about staff shortages.

NP. Why must anyone who doesn't express complete empathy for teachers for every complaint be a teacher hater? Do you really believe that all teachers are saints and never whine or complain excessively or over-react to something....that they are all always 100% right and entitled to whatever they say and do? I seriously doubt the teachers would unite and advocate for other government employees' every term of employment and benefit issue, let alone for parents working in government or private sectors.

NP here. I wonder why it tends to be teachers who complain. Do teacher preparation programs only take people who are fundamentally incompetent and make everything harder than it needs to be? Does being in the classroom turn you into a whiner? Because I don't understudy why, if their jobs aren't uniquely bad, do we see more teachers whining than other government employees? Why are there shortages? Why do fewer people than ever want to go into the profession?

I don't understand the ins and outs of the health insurance issue but there do tend to be a lot of teacher complainers and a lot of people telling them to shut it. It's an interesting dynamic.

Speaking of teacher haters.

No, my personal opinion is that the most rational reason for all the complaints is that teachers do indeed have cause to complain, and I'm always a little baffled that people tend to come to the conclusion that teachers are just whiners who don't understand the realities of employment.

This. I work alot of hours outside of normal business hours like many salaried staff. But I’ve never had to buy basic supplies, I can use the bathroom whenever I want, I get a proper lunch break most days. I get the occasional perk like an unexpected day off, ability to telework now, no worries about showing up late or leaving early from time to time, and so on.

Pay-wise teachers now do well or better than many college educated but the working conditions blow. I really believe teachers stay in these jobs because they love the kids.

The conditions aren’t great in the classroom compared to the cushy WFH gig some people get. In person is a must. But not all teachers love kids.

Let’s call it for what it is: there are few jobs that pay an average of $80k per 10-month year with a bachelors, come with a pension and retiree medical, honor weekends and holidays, don’t put you on a plane away from your kids all the time, give you lockstep raises based on credentials and seniority, and provide reasonable job security regardless of performance, plus the well known benefit of holiday breaks and summers off to recover. I think teachers are rational actors and can weigh the pros and cons of their personal career alternatives.

We have a teacher shortage now because for a long time we had a teacher glut, those people moved on, and now we are facing some demographic realities.

If teachers have a specific problem they want the parents to lobby to fix, they need to be a lot more professional than “If you don’t let me keep Kaiser because APS, I’m leaving.” Feel free to try out FCPS, you might like it better there, you might hate it. Feel free to try out the private sector and get used to taking conference calls while your kids are home for the fourth time that month due to some religious holiday. Work a few Christmases, or Disney trips, or spend a week away every quarter at some dank conference room in Cleveland, just to be laid off at the first sign of trouble. Give it a go and see how you like it.

Tie your arguments to how this actually hurts kids, not your personal needs, and you might get somewhere with the parents. A lot of us want to help you but some of ya’ll sound downright irrational.

What do you mean by this?

By the way I'm not a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The insurance is t his fault. The teachers need to get a grip

You don’t get it. I am one of the staff who has to switch plans. Inconvenient but Ok, it happens. I didn’t make a big deal. But after waiting for hours yesterday to speak with someone who could give me answers and seeing staff being turned away I am upset. Come on. Someone has to come up with a better plan to give information. And please treat staff with respect. About time someone does. This is demoralizing.

What on earth did you need to speak to someone about? This isn’t 1977. Fire up Google and get on with your life.

You do realize the private sector does this all the time and we don’t whine like the teachers are.

you must be one of the teacher haters. my guess is you also complain about staff shortages.

NP. Why must anyone who doesn't express complete empathy for teachers for every complaint be a teacher hater? Do you really believe that all teachers are saints and never whine or complain excessively or over-react to something....that they are all always 100% right and entitled to whatever they say and do? I seriously doubt the teachers would unite and advocate for other government employees' every term of employment and benefit issue, let alone for parents working in government or private sectors.

NP here. I wonder why it tends to be teachers who complain. Do teacher preparation programs only take people who are fundamentally incompetent and make everything harder than it needs to be? Does being in the classroom turn you into a whiner? Because I don't understudy why, if their jobs aren't uniquely bad, do we see more teachers whining than other government employees? Why are there shortages? Why do fewer people than ever want to go into the profession?

I don't understand the ins and outs of the health insurance issue but there do tend to be a lot of teacher complainers and a lot of people telling them to shut it. It's an interesting dynamic.

Speaking of teacher haters.

No, my personal opinion is that the most rational reason for all the complaints is that teachers do indeed have cause to complain, and I'm always a little baffled that people tend to come to the conclusion that teachers are just whiners who don't understand the realities of employment.

This. I work alot of hours outside of normal business hours like many salaried staff. But I’ve never had to buy basic supplies, I can use the bathroom whenever I want, I get a proper lunch break most days. I get the occasional perk like an unexpected day off, ability to telework now, no worries about showing up late or leaving early from time to time, and so on.

Pay-wise teachers now do well or better than many college educated but the working conditions blow. I really believe teachers stay in these jobs because they love the kids.

The conditions aren’t great in the classroom compared to the cushy WFH gig some people get. In person is a must. But not all teachers love kids.

Let’s call it for what it is: there are few jobs that pay an average of $80k per 10-month year with a bachelors, come with a pension and retiree medical, honor weekends and holidays, don’t put you on a plane away from your kids all the time, give you lockstep raises based on credentials and seniority, and provide reasonable job security regardless of performance, plus the well known benefit of holiday breaks and summers off to recover. I think teachers are rational actors and can weigh the pros and cons of their personal career alternatives.

We have a teacher shortage now because for a long time we had a teacher glut, those people moved on, and now we are facing some demographic realities.

If teachers have a specific problem they want the parents to lobby to fix, they need to be a lot more professional than “If you don’t let me keep Kaiser because APS, I’m leaving.” Feel free to try out FCPS, you might like it better there, you might hate it. Feel free to try out the private sector and get used to taking conference calls while your kids are home for the fourth time that month due to some religious holiday. Work a few Christmases, or Disney trips, or spend a week away every quarter at some dank conference room in Cleveland, just to be laid off at the first sign of trouble. Give it a go and see how you like it.

Tie your arguments to how this actually hurts kids, not your personal needs, and you might get somewhere with the parents. A lot of us want to help you but some of ya’ll sound downright irrational.

What do you mean by this?

By the way I'm not a teacher.

So the plural of anecdote is not data, but many people I knew who graduated into the last recession with education degrees had trouble cracking in. The schools were still flush with mid-career Boomers and Xers, budgets were getting cut left and right, and it seemed like the only way you could hope to break in was to slum it in assistant jobs or substitute jobs that paid Jack and didn’t provide health coverage, while at the same time trying to figure out how to pay back your student loans.

Many of those folks I know moved on. They would be your experienced teachers now.

Again, I can’t say that’s predictive of nationwide trends, but it’s true for many people I knew in the northeast. I can’t tell you how many people I know that left NY in particular just to find jobs. Not realistic to expect that of teachers. The need is everywhere.

[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:The insurance is t his fault. The teachers need to get a grip

You don’t get it. I am one of the staff who has to switch plans. Inconvenient but Ok, it happens. I didn’t make a big deal. But after waiting for hours yesterday to speak with someone who could give me answers and seeing staff being turned away I am upset. Come on. Someone has to come up with a better plan to give information. And please treat staff with respect. About time someone does. This is demoralizing.

What on earth did you need to speak to someone about? This isn’t 1977. Fire up Google and get on with your life.

You do realize the private sector does this all the time and we don’t whine like the teachers are.

you must be one of the teacher haters. my guess is you also complain about staff shortages.

NP. Why must anyone who doesn't express complete empathy for teachers for every complaint be a teacher hater? Do you really believe that all teachers are saints and never whine or complain excessively or over-react to something....that they are all always 100% right and entitled to whatever they say and do? I seriously doubt the teachers would unite and advocate for other government employees' every term of employment and benefit issue, let alone for parents working in government or private sectors.

NP here. I wonder why it tends to be teachers who complain. Do teacher preparation programs only take people who are fundamentally incompetent and make everything harder than it needs to be? Does being in the classroom turn you into a whiner? Because I don't understudy why, if their jobs aren't uniquely bad, do we see more teachers whining than other government employees? Why are there shortages? Why do fewer people than ever want to go into the profession?

I don't understand the ins and outs of the health insurance issue but there do tend to be a lot of teacher complainers and a lot of people telling them to shut it. It's an interesting dynamic.

Speaking of teacher haters.

No, my personal opinion is that the most rational reason for all the complaints is that teachers do indeed have cause to complain, and I'm always a little baffled that people tend to come to the conclusion that teachers are just whiners who don't understand the realities of employment.

This. I work alot of hours outside of normal business hours like many salaried staff. But I’ve never had to buy basic supplies, I can use the bathroom whenever I want, I get a proper lunch break most days. I get the occasional perk like an unexpected day off, ability to telework now, no worries about showing up late or leaving early from time to time, and so on.

Pay-wise teachers now do well or better than many college educated but the working conditions blow. I really believe teachers stay in these jobs because they love the kids.

The conditions aren’t great in the classroom compared to the cushy WFH gig some people get. In person is a must. But not all teachers love kids.

Let’s call it for what it is: there are few jobs that pay an average of $80k per 10-month year with a bachelors, come with a pension and retiree medical, honor weekends and holidays, don’t put you on a plane away from your kids all the time, give you lockstep raises based on credentials and seniority, and provide reasonable job security regardless of performance, plus the well known benefit of holiday breaks and summers off to recover. I think teachers are rational actors and can weigh the pros and cons of their personal career alternatives.

We have a teacher shortage now because for a long time we had a teacher glut, those people moved on, and now we are facing some demographic realities.

If teachers have a specific problem they want the parents to lobby to fix, they need to be a lot more professional than “If you don’t let me keep Kaiser because APS, I’m leaving.” Feel free to try out FCPS, you might like it better there, you might hate it. Feel free to try out the private sector and get used to taking conference calls while your kids are home for the fourth time that month due to some religious holiday. Work a few Christmases, or Disney trips, or spend a week away every quarter at some dank conference room in Cleveland, just to be laid off at the first sign of trouble. Give it a go and see how you like it.

Tie your arguments to how this actually hurts kids, not your personal needs, and you might get somewhere with the parents. A lot of us want to help you but some of ya’ll sound downright irrational.

What do you mean by this?

By the way I'm not a teacher.

So the plural of anecdote is not data, but many people I knew who graduated into the last recession with education degrees had trouble cracking in. The schools were still flush with mid-career Boomers and Xers, budgets were getting cut left and right, and it seemed like the only way you could hope to break in was to slum it in assistant jobs or substitute jobs that paid Jack and didn’t provide health coverage, while at the same time trying to figure out how to pay back your student loans.

Many of those folks I know moved on. They would be your experienced teachers now.

Again, I can’t say that’s predictive of nationwide trends, but it’s true for many people I knew in the northeast. I can’t tell you how many people I know that left NY in particular just to find jobs. Not realistic to expect that of teachers. The need is everywhere.

In strong union states it can still be extremely difficult to get a teaching job. That need for teachers is really lopsided by state and even by district or particular school. Pensions are not what they used to be, which takes away an attractive feature of teaching. Teaching is also still a largely female profession and women have more advanced degrees and options than ever and that absolutely plays a part in declining education programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there such a thing as a good superintendent? I recall people really didn't like the guy before Duran.

Where is the leadership from the School Board?

Oh yeah, we have a 20 something Board Chair who doesn't even have kids.

They don’t care yet you idiots keep voting them into office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The insurance is t his fault. The teachers need to get a grip

You don’t get it. I am one of the staff who has to switch plans. Inconvenient but Ok, it happens. I didn’t make a big deal. But after waiting for hours yesterday to speak with someone who could give me answers and seeing staff being turned away I am upset. Come on. Someone has to come up with a better plan to give information. And please treat staff with respect. About time someone does. This is demoralizing.

What on earth did you need to speak to someone about? This isn’t 1977. Fire up Google and get on with your life.

You do realize the private sector does this all the time and we don’t whine like the teachers are.

you must be one of the teacher haters. my guess is you also complain about staff shortages.

NP. Why must anyone who doesn't express complete empathy for teachers for every complaint be a teacher hater? Do you really believe that all teachers are saints and never whine or complain excessively or over-react to something....that they are all always 100% right and entitled to whatever they say and do? I seriously doubt the teachers would unite and advocate for other government employees' every term of employment and benefit issue, let alone for parents working in government or private sectors.

NP here. I wonder why it tends to be teachers who complain. Do teacher preparation programs only take people who are fundamentally incompetent and make everything harder than it needs to be? Does being in the classroom turn you into a whiner? Because I don't understudy why, if their jobs aren't uniquely bad, do we see more teachers whining than other government employees? Why are there shortages? Why do fewer people than ever want to go into the profession?

I don't understand the ins and outs of the health insurance issue but there do tend to be a lot of teacher complainers and a lot of people telling them to shut it. It's an interesting dynamic.

Speaking of teacher haters.

No, my personal opinion is that the most rational reason for all the complaints is that teachers do indeed have cause to complain, and I'm always a little baffled that people tend to come to the conclusion that teachers are just whiners who don't understand the realities of employment.

This. I work alot of hours outside of normal business hours like many salaried staff. But I’ve never had to buy basic supplies, I can use the bathroom whenever I want, I get a proper lunch break most days. I get the occasional perk like an unexpected day off, ability to telework now, no worries about showing up late or leaving early from time to time, and so on.

Pay-wise teachers now do well or better than many college educated but the working conditions blow. I really believe teachers stay in these jobs because they love the kids.

The conditions aren’t great in the classroom compared to the cushy WFH gig some people get. In person is a must. But not all teachers love kids.

Let’s call it for what it is: there are few jobs that pay an average of $80k per 10-month year with a bachelors, come with a pension and retiree medical, honor weekends and holidays, don’t put you on a plane away from your kids all the time, give you lockstep raises based on credentials and seniority, and provide reasonable job security regardless of performance, plus the well known benefit of holiday breaks and summers off to recover. I think teachers are rational actors and can weigh the pros and cons of their personal career alternatives.

We have a teacher shortage now because for a long time we had a teacher glut, those people moved on, and now we are facing some demographic realities.

If teachers have a specific problem they want the parents to lobby to fix, they need to be a lot more professional than “If you don’t let me keep Kaiser because APS, I’m leaving.” Feel free to try out FCPS, you might like it better there, you might hate it. Feel free to try out the private sector and get used to taking conference calls while your kids are home for the fourth time that month due to some religious holiday. Work a few Christmases, or Disney trips, or spend a week away every quarter at some dank conference room in Cleveland, just to be laid off at the first sign of trouble. Give it a go and see how you like it.

Tie your arguments to how this actually hurts kids, not your personal needs, and you might get somewhere with the parents. A lot of us want to help you but some of ya’ll sound downright irrational.

Speaking of irrational parents who like to rage.

Yup and they will be the first to rage when APS can't get a teacher for their kid's AP class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there such a thing as a good superintendent? I recall people really didn't like the guy before Duran.

Where is the leadership from the School Board?

Oh yeah, we have a 20 something Board Chair who doesn't even have kids.

They don’t care yet you idiots keep voting them into office.

I didn't vote for CDT. I don't think she cares about APS.

I do think Mary Kadera cares. She should stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there such a thing as a good superintendent? I recall people really didn't like the guy before Duran.

you haven't been here very long have you? PKM was absolutely awful.

+1

Duran isn’t perfect but he’s way better than the last guy.

Yes, that was my point. Everyone complaining about Duran doesn’t seem to know anything about the guy before him. And basically that it seems like no superintendent is well liked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there such a thing as a good superintendent? I recall people really didn't like the guy before Duran.

you haven't been here very long have you? PKM was absolutely awful.

+1

Duran isn’t perfect but he’s way better than the last guy.

Yes, that was my point. Everyone complaining about Duran doesn’t seem to know anything about the guy before him. And basically that it seems like no superintendent is well liked.

Dr Smith was liked. It can be done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there such a thing as a good superintendent? I recall people really didn't like the guy before Duran.

you haven't been here very long have you? PKM was absolutely awful.

+1

Duran isn’t perfect but he’s way better than the last guy.

Yes, that was my point. Everyone complaining about Duran doesn’t seem to know anything about the guy before him. And basically that it seems like no superintendent is well liked.

Dr Smith was liked. It can be done.

I think he is better regarded in hindsight, because we didn’t know how bad the next guy would be. At the time there were complaints. Also, my first year without a step was during the Smith era.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there such a thing as a good superintendent? I recall people really didn't like the guy before Duran.

you haven't been here very long have you? PKM was absolutely awful.

+1000 & he just got the boot in MCPS sexual harassment evidence tampering/ cover-up scandal
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/10/13/beidleman-investigation-mcps-tampered/

from the article: MCPS Superintendent Monifa McKnight told managers Wednesday that deputy superintendent Patrick Murphy “is no longer employed by the district.”