Reply to What needs to be done to repair damage of Covid/school closures/quarantines/Covid policy in DCPS?

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Reply to "What needs to be done to repair damage of Covid/school closures/quarantines/Covid policy in DCPS?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

I also don’t get why we compare with other districts when we know historically teaching has been a ‘female job,’ and is underpaid throughout this nation, just as many nursing positions. If teaching was a revered field like being a doctor, I promise you would see more teachers and also in some cases better quality ones.

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I realize this wasn't your main point, but the reason we compare is that the surrounding districts are the competition for hiring teachers.

We don't evaluate every job on the basis of what it means to society and pay accordingly, because how would you do that?  It's all subjective.  Wishing we did it that way won't change capitalism.

I think the relevant point is:  DC has higher teacher salaries but can lose teachers to lower-paying surrounding districts for reasons other than pay.  That means that you want to address those other reasons (at least first).  It sounds like some of those reasons are COL and just having a demoralizing work environment.  That work environment might be cured by XYZ (insert all of the stuff regularly discussed on DCUM).

But to get back to the point of the thread, even with a beautiful work environment and higher pay, would teachers be able to make up for the learning losses of the pandemic?  Would any of that actually measurably help students?  The end goal is students' education.

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Sadly, the research is pretty clear that even the best teachers with the best support are unlikely to be able to ameliorate the effects of the closures and quarantines without funding for intensive support for the kids, including one-on-one tutoring. And that just isn't something we can provide in bulk, regardless of funding. There aren't enough potential support staff available in the entire region. I hate to be a downer but this is a generation of black and poor children in DC who will all experience lasting harmful effects.[/quote]

I don’t agree, I can have had students grow 2 grade levels in 1 school year. BUT they were 2-3.5 grade levels behind, were at school 90-100% of the school year, and I got their parents involved at home.

People really don’t think acceleration is possible?? The issue is that when you have a child missing 70 days of school what do you expect? I can reach if I can’t teach. You think the average attendance of 126 days vs. at minimum 162 days doesn’t make a difference?

And what research? Because from my own and personal experience you can close the achievement gap with:
A good teacher ;-)
Minimal absences
Parental involvement 
Student engagement 
Decent class sizes
And optionally a strong teacher’s aide[/quote]

What is the population you teach? And also, we are talking systematically, not just in your classroom. I am not denying that you are an exceptional teacher, but acknowledging that you are the exception, not the rule, is important.[/quote]

I teach at a dcps title 1 school, with a high at risk population.

You don’t think if DCPS changed their absence and tardy policy things wouldn’t change? I’m not saying parents who have their children miss 20-100+ days of school should go to jail but there needs to be a tangible consequence such as a mandatory check in or be fined, then maybe a little jail time as a very, very, very last resort. Because CPS isn’t all that helpful, at least none of the parents at my school seem to give a crap. Something has got to give on this end, I love my parents, especially the tough ones who I have to wiggle my way to knowing. But tbh it’s exhausting to get these parents whose main job is a parent to be one.

More parental involvement would be great for parents especially of students with high needs, whether it’s academic, emotional, etc. It starts in elementary, why aren’t all DCPS schools Flamboyan or the like schools? It’s time for teacher compensated mandatory home visits.

Student engagement is a systemic issue. you know how many teachers think their point system, taking recess, seeing the dean or principal, in school suspension is working? Not many and if they do it’s because they don’t know any better. 
Teachers are seldom trained in how to keep students engaged and no, engagement doesn’t mean a child who ‘hates’ math is going to love it. But why do they hate it and how can we incorporate their interests? If teachers had adequate planning time, as in it’s never taken away this could be something every individual teacher could work on.

I think I don’t have to explain overcrowding of classes.

A teacher’s aide in every class would be helpful too, more small groups and another adult to help de-escalate students as needed.

Idk the answers seem fairly clear to me but dcps will never do it. They don’t want to pay teachers, aides, and subs any more. Because let me tell you we have a huge shortage. Finding great people who are ok with 30k a year (aides)  is almost impossible. They also don’t want to hold parents accountable for tardies and absences. It IS neglect if you allow your child to miss so much school. [/quote]

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