Reply to Area Private School Teacher Shortage?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm a private school administrator reading the comments about the disparity in admin costs vs teacher salaries.  I think that administrations might be scaled in some areas, but not in the DC area.

We want to put most of our time and resources towards the students, but the parents require an incredible amount of personalized attention in this region.  You're busy, so we ramp up communications to make your lives easier.  You want to socialize with your fellow parents or fellow alumni, so we hold loads of events.  You want the very best facilities, so fundraisers are needed.  You want lots and lots of hand-holding through the college process, so we staff up there.  You want every kind of club and program to help your child find their specific strength and build a resume around it, so we're always adding new opportunities.

The Head of School, any associate or assistant heads, any division heads had better be available around the clock.  I got torn apart by a parent on the phone this summer because I didn't answer a message within 24 hours -- while I was on a family vacation after the worst 2 years of school in the history of school.  A colleague gets endless calls from alumni who think something is too woke, and lots of calls from alumni who don't think the program is woke enough.  The language you use with us is DEMEANING.

We're all ready to quit.  Teachers and staff.  There's no amount of money that makes this job worthwhile.  Everything that is wrong in society right now feels amplified in the microcosm of school.  And hell yes, the pandemic has had a lot to do with it.  The only people who will stay are those who can't imagine any other job than one working with children.  Let's hope that there are enough of them. [/quote]

But it’s a vicious cycle.  People expect a lot of attention because they are paying such large prices.  Schools charge a lot because parents demand a lot.  Parents demand a lot because schools charge a lot.  Schools charge a lot because parents demand a lot…. [/quote]

The higher the tuition goes, the more I’m aware of how difficult it is to earn the income to pay the tuition, the more I’m concerned about my children having access to the same options for their children, the more I pay attention to their development.

Competition and inequality is the societal issue, and yes, DC schools are a microcosm, but one parent or teacher or administrator cannot change the macroeconomic forces that causes everyone to suffer especially kids, who then suffer from anxiety and depression. I wonder who can[/quote]

Sounds like you all richly deserve one another, since getting off the insane hamster wheel isn't even an option in your mind. All that money and less autonomy then many of the poorer folk out there.  It's sadly comical.[/quote]

Fair, but it’s a reality we all have to manage. In a highly competitive, capitalistic, highly unequal society, status / money / power go hand-in-hand while power / money and autonomy are inversely proportional. This was true during the reign of Elizabeth I, who was arguably in the 1% of the most powerful and least autonomous beings on the planet, and apparently now, Elizabeth II.

There is something about the word demeaning that rings a bell. I do believe the author of the previous post meant to somehow make me feel small by calling me or my struggles comical. It isn’t just those of us still on the wheel who try to make others feel small.[/quote]

I should have just said "sad" because that's what is, watching people dance to a status-money-power tune with the constant desperation and insecurity that go with it.  I have known many people of modest means with much happier, more secure lives than that.  They probably didn't harass teachers or school management much about their kids either.

You can choose not to play this game anytime you like. Just like some teachers choose not to eventually.  I'm lucky that I left your crazy world and found a happy (far from rich) environment in which to teach and work. I wouldn't go back to private, not to mention that I get paid more here.[/quote]

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