FCPS Outreach to Federal Employees

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may sound good to unemployed feds, but it isn't good for our schools. It's a bunch of completely unqualified people who will work at low pay rates and then quit as soon as they find something better - probably in 4 years, when someone starts putting the government back together. Although it's more likely they will quit as soon as they see how bad the job sucks.

Have them go in as reading assistants for lower ES.

Having more bodies for small group work can only help.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Of all the things in school that are truly difficult to teach and require real experience, education, and expertise, reading is number one. And a bad "helper" can do real damage at that age.

--A career switcher now teaching for about 10 years

Really? Homeschoolers and any parent of kids during the pandemic may differ in their view

Hardly. If anything, they realized that they can't do it. If they could, we wouldn't have a whole generation of kids who can't read or do math on grade level, because they missed key years during the pandemic.

Some of us read up on the subject & figured it out. My dyslexic kid was in 1st grade the virtual year & being taught the Lucy Calkins crap. I read books, I researched online, and I basically taught her myself. Yes, it takes skill, but any reasonably smart person can teach reading with a little effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m all about this. Injecting some teachers with actual subject matter expertise will be great for kids.

The best MS/HS teachers that my kids had were second career teachers with real world experience and subject matter expertise. Frankly, many of them were more passionate than some burnt-out career educators.

You must have gone to school during a different time. I am a "real world expert" that transitioned to teaching, and the first thing I learned was that I wasn't even allowed to teach anything real. Teachers have to stick to the boring, inaccurate, dumbed-down curriculum from the state and county, and they can't say one word outside of it. Moreover, they usually have to teach to some test. There is no autonomy in teaching anymore. So a real world expert will quickly be disillusioned when they see that what they will be forced to teach isn't even what they actually know from the real field they worked in.

Perhaps you just weren’t cut out for teaching, or maybe the teachers my kids have aren’t “world experts” like you. My kids are current HS students/recent graduates and some of all of their best teachers are teaching as their second career. Don’t know if this is a universal truth, but it’s true for my 3 kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am getting ready for a wave of former Feds coming in with provisional teaching licenses and then leaving a few months in because they realize how hard teaching is - just like all these people did post-Covid. If your child has a fake teacher at the start of next school year, RUN!!

Teacher here. I am encouraged by the idea of Feds filling our empty classrooms!

But I do see your point, in one sense. We lose a lot of first-year teachers once reality hits and the challenges start to pile up. It would be up to current teachers to make sure they have the resources and the support they need as they make this transition. But this is true for all new teachers and not just Feds.

But don’t call them fake teachers. If they are willing to take this on, then they deserve every ounce of our gratitude and respect.

I'm a veteran teacher of many years, looking to move closer to a new home, so applying for teaching jobs in NoVa. I've had no difficulty with principals wanting to hire me, but a lot of trouble getting through the HR process after, as they no longer want to pay as much for previous experience. Apparently they feel they can fill their classrooms cheaper with new grads and career switchers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m all about this. Injecting some teachers with actual subject matter expertise will be great for kids.

The best MS/HS teachers that my kids had were second career teachers with real world experience and subject matter expertise. Frankly, many of them were more passionate than some burnt-out career educators.

You must have gone to school during a different time. I am a "real world expert" that transitioned to teaching, and the first thing I learned was that I wasn't even allowed to teach anything real. Teachers have to stick to the boring, inaccurate, dumbed-down curriculum from the state and county, and they can't say one word outside of it. Moreover, they usually have to teach to some test. There is no autonomy in teaching anymore. So a real world expert will quickly be disillusioned when they see that what they will be forced to teach isn't even what they actually know from the real field they worked in.

Perhaps you just weren’t cut out for teaching, or maybe the teachers my kids have aren’t “world experts” like you. My kids are current HS students/recent graduates and some of all of their best teachers are teaching as their second career. Don’t know if this is a universal truth, but it’s true for my 3 kids.

I also have a kid in high school here. In our public school he has had some career switchers, but none of them could be called experts in anything (unless you count the computer science teacher). He had an English teacher who was a career switcher, who had been in HR before that, and a math teacher who had previously been a musician. Not really bringing a lot of real world experience. The English teacher quit half way through the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am getting ready for a wave of former Feds coming in with provisional teaching licenses and then leaving a few months in because they realize how hard teaching is - just like all these people did post-Covid. If your child has a fake teacher at the start of next school year, RUN!!

Teacher here. I am encouraged by the idea of Feds filling our empty classrooms!

But I do see your point, in one sense. We lose a lot of first-year teachers once reality hits and the challenges start to pile up. It would be up to current teachers to make sure they have the resources and the support they need as they make this transition. But this is true for all new teachers and not just Feds.

But don’t call them fake teachers. If they are willing to take this on, then they deserve every ounce of our gratitude and respect.

I'm a veteran teacher of many years, looking to move closer to a new home, so applying for teaching jobs in NoVa. I've had no difficulty with principals wanting to hire me, but a lot of trouble getting through the HR process after, as they no longer want to pay as much for previous experience. Apparently they feel they can fill their classrooms cheaper with new grads and career switchers.

I heard DCPS pays better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may sound good to unemployed feds, but it isn't good for our schools. It's a bunch of completely unqualified people who will work at low pay rates and then quit as soon as they find something better - probably in 4 years, when someone starts putting the government back together. Although it's more likely they will quit as soon as they see how bad the job sucks.

Have them go in as reading assistants for lower ES.

Having more bodies for small group work can only help.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Of all the things in school that are truly difficult to teach and require real experience, education, and expertise, reading is number one. And a bad "helper" can do real damage at that age.

--A career switcher now teaching for about 10 years

Really? Homeschoolers and any parent of kids during the pandemic may differ in their view

Hardly. If anything, they realized that they can't do it. If they could, we wouldn't have a whole generation of kids who can't read or do math on grade level, because they missed key years during the pandemic.

Some of us read up on the subject & figured it out. My dyslexic kid was in 1st grade the virtual year & being taught the Lucy Calkins crap. I read books, I researched online, and I basically taught her myself. Yes, it takes skill, but any reasonably smart person can teach reading with a little effort.

I'm a teacher. It's great that you were able to teach your child, but many many people cannot. It takes a certain personality, a certain amount of patience and empathy, and then of course, some knowledge. I've had plenty of parents who I felt did more damage trying to teach their kids to read than anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am getting ready for a wave of former Feds coming in with provisional teaching licenses and then leaving a few months in because they realize how hard teaching is - just like all these people did post-Covid. If your child has a fake teacher at the start of next school year, RUN!!

Teacher here. I am encouraged by the idea of Feds filling our empty classrooms!

But I do see your point, in one sense. We lose a lot of first-year teachers once reality hits and the challenges start to pile up. It would be up to current teachers to make sure they have the resources and the support they need as they make this transition. But this is true for all new teachers and not just Feds.

But don’t call them fake teachers. If they are willing to take this on, then they deserve every ounce of our gratitude and respect.

I'm a veteran teacher of many years, looking to move closer to a new home, so applying for teaching jobs in NoVa. I've had no difficulty with principals wanting to hire me, but a lot of trouble getting through the HR process after, as they no longer want to pay as much for previous experience. Apparently they feel they can fill their classrooms cheaper with new grads and career switchers.

I heard DCPS pays better.

It's not commuting distance for me, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s ridiculous for current teachers to gatekeep the profession under the guise that others are unqualified. Schools need all the help they can get and frankly I’ve met some pretty checked out and ineffective teachers that need to be replaced.

Bring on the feds if they want to try it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am getting ready for a wave of former Feds coming in with provisional teaching licenses and then leaving a few months in because they realize how hard teaching is - just like all these people did post-Covid. If your child has a fake teacher at the start of next school year, RUN!!

Teacher here. I am encouraged by the idea of Feds filling our empty classrooms!

But I do see your point, in one sense. We lose a lot of first-year teachers once reality hits and the challenges start to pile up. It would be up to current teachers to make sure they have the resources and the support they need as they make this transition. But this is true for all new teachers and not just Feds.

But don’t call them fake teachers. If they are willing to take this on, then they deserve every ounce of our gratitude and respect.

Thanks for this. All the attacks by teachers seem very unnecessary.

I'm the PP and I'm all for helping!

But one note: I was attacked on another thread for gatekeeping. All I had written is that teaching requires certification (that we'll help you get) and classwork (that we'll help you take). I was also accused of being unsupportive for saying that teaching takes a unique set of skills, and that you can't assume you have them already. Both statements happen to be true, and they were said without malice.

I've been following these threads closely because I am very passionate about this job. I am a career changer, so I feel very qualified to talk from the perspective of someone who has been there, done that. I see a lot of teachers offering warnings and speaking frankly about the profession. I don't see these as attacks at all. I see these posts as frank discussions of what you can expect. Teaching is not for the weak and weary right now, and I think people are trying to illustrate that... not in a "don't do it" sort of way, but in a "trust me... this is super hard" sort of way.

And teachers are already defensive because we're told all the time that we are dumb, lazy, and that we have it easy. So I think teachers get offended when they see "I'll just teach" posts because they come from that same, rather disrespectful narrative.

But all that said... I would love to see Feds join us. You'll find we are very supportive and we'll get you through the battle of the first couple years. We've been there. And then you can pay it forward with new teachers who come after you.

[Anonymous]

How do I get a license without doing the class/fieldwork. Can I obtain one by just passing the praxis exams?!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do I get a license without doing the class/fieldwork. Can I obtain one by just passing the praxis exams?!!

Take a look at this site:
https://www.fcps.edu/career-switcher

You’ll need to pass the praxis, but you’ll also have to do additional coursework. I did a program like this through a MD district.

I was hired in June, completed student teaching in July (summer school), and was in my classroom in August. I took classes at night to complete certification requirements and took all 3 praxis exams. By the end of my 1st year, I had earned a certificate. I was paid full salary, but bottom rung, that first year.

It wasn’t easy, but it worked. And I’ve been teaching for many years now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do I get a license without doing the class/fieldwork. Can I obtain one by just passing the praxis exams?!!

No, that’s one piece but you also need college level courses. There are “career switcher programs” but they still require coursework. You cannot get a license without x credits in your field and education.

FCPS will put you on a provisional license if you have a college degree in anything, but after 3 years you lose it if you haven’t finished the coursework to get the full license.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t realize FCPS was this desperate.

Where have you been? All DMV school systems are this desperate, and have been since 2020. Good for FCPS. Thanks for posting, OP.

They are not desperate. I am a veteran teacher and have been interviewing with all the counties recently. I've had offers from quite a few school administrators, but run into trouble with HR when I turned out to be too expensive, or wasn't willing to accept a lower pay step than where I should be based on experience and education. I think they are primarily interested in new teachers or people with no teaching experience because they are much cheaper than experienced teachers. I see this as a bad sign for the teaching profession.

I'm not even sure they want new teachers. My kid is already certified and finishing a Master's from a very well-regarded program. Has sent apps to a bunch of schools and so far got one interview and was turned down. Crickets from the others. But yes, at 64k a year with a master's, a teacher trainee who makes 50k and can be replaced in year when they quit does turn out to be a lot cheaper. No pension and 50k forever!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am getting ready for a wave of former Feds coming in with provisional teaching licenses and then leaving a few months in because they realize how hard teaching is - just like all these people did post-Covid. If your child has a fake teacher at the start of next school year, RUN!!

Teacher here. I am encouraged by the idea of Feds filling our empty classrooms!

But I do see your point, in one sense. We lose a lot of first-year teachers once reality hits and the challenges start to pile up. It would be up to current teachers to make sure they have the resources and the support they need as they make this transition. But this is true for all new teachers and not just Feds.

But don’t call them fake teachers. If they are willing to take this on, then they deserve every ounce of our gratitude and respect.

Thanks for this. All the attacks by teachers seem very unnecessary.

I am the first poster here and I'm not a teacher, I'm a parent who 2 1/2 years ago had a child who teacher (a teacher trainee or whatever they were called back then) left for winter break and never came back.

[Anonymous]

There is (was?) another thread about this in which feds insisted they were going to seamlessly glide into admin, non-student-facing jobs. Teaching? Ew, no. That’s “beneath” them.