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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
It's extremely deleterious for students' progress to not have their work back and be able to understand corrections in a timely manner. Beyond the quarter grading issue, it's a question of learning: they're learning so much at such speed in high school, that coming back to an essay or math unit from last month will seriously impact their memorization of facts and methods.

Most of my child's high school teachers grade in a timely manner. He's a senior, so he's had LOTS of high school teachers. There is absolutely NO excuse for late grading and MCPS should not allow it at all.

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This is quite offensive. I’ll do my best to get essays graded in a timely manner, but I will not prioritize work over my own health or my own family any more than I already do. You get 13-15 hours a weekend ALREADY from me, and I refuse to give more. Frankly, to hear you demand that there is “no excuse” when things are late? Try to have a bit of compassion. I get very little time AT work to DO work.

I hope you are thanking those teachers for their timely feedback. They sacrificed time with their own families to give that feedback to your child. [/quote]

DP.  This is your chosen profession.  For students to improve they need prompt, thorough feedback.  That does not change because of the number of hours required, your life work-balance, etc.  Honestly, there is nothing "offensive" about what children need to improve and requiring the professional paid to teach to provide it.  Fortunately, most of my children's teachers do provide prompt feedback, but some of you are in the wrong profession if this is your attitude.[/quote]

I’m the PP and I may be your child’s teacher. I do provide prompt feedback. I’m trying to explain to DCUM, however, the deep personal cost of that feedback. I worked 3 80-hour weeks last year. Yes, 80 hours. That’s not hyperbole. That’s waking up at 5am on a Saturday and working 14 hours and doing it again on Sunday. My average usually hovers around 65-70 hours a week. Yes, I come to DCUM on 5-minute breaks to unwind. That’s better than the alternative, like crying in the car (a coworker) or getting checked into the hospital for a panic attack (another coworker). My department lost 8 teachers (of 14) in 2 years and every single one of them said it was because of the workload. We lost 1 new teacher already this year and 2 others are actively looking to leave. I’m currently covering a class full-time during what would have been my planning period.

You say I have an attitude. I ask you: is this treatment okay? Should teachers simply accept that absurd hours are part of the job, or should the job change to become more bearable? Should I simply accept that I get 3 duty-free hours a week to complete over 30 hours of behind-the-scenes work?

I can’t accept that martyrdom is what you expect of teachers.

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You have this backwards. I am a parent. I care about my children’s readiness for college and the world. No where in your post do you acknowledge that this is your job. Do I want you to work more or fewer hours? My response is - how will this affect my child’s education, something you failed to address. I asked earlier but no one responded - who decides the number, format, timing of homework and tests? [/quote]

This is simple. Teacher burnout absolutely affects your child. We are exhausted and it is only November. Teachers are working 11-12 hour days with few breaks. We work weekends. Yes, your child’s experience is going to suffer. We aren’t robots. You understand that, correct? And when we continue to quit because of exhaustion, your child gets a rotating door of subs. So yes… this affects your child. Our working conditions DO matter more than you want them to.

Who decides? I do. I’m an AP teacher. I give meaningful work with meaningful feedback. That takes time. If I throw simple multiple-choice tests at your child, he/she won’t learn to write. Therefore, I decide to do a good job… which takes more TIME to prepare and grade. You’re welcome.

So, try supporting us. In doing so, you are also supporting your child. [/quote]

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