Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duran being in the drivers seat was a major factor here. He drove APS to the ground and now we are losing great teachers left and right. Such a poor leader

As an APS teacher, I can promise you most teachers have not resigned as a result of Duran. I never hear my colleagues speak negatively about him the way they did Murphy. Duran has done a lot to prioritize teachers with compensation and some other initiatives. The school I taught at last year had over 20 teachers leave (me included). Most did not leave the profession, but switched schools or counties. Most teachers at my former location left due to internal issues at the school level (lack of support from administration, mostly).

It seems like a coterie parents dislike Duran because of choices he made during Virtual Learning, but I guarantee anyone in that role would be facing the same criticism.

That’s true. No matter what he did, people would’ve been angry.

Anonymous wrote:Duran being in the drivers seat was a major factor here. He drove APS to the ground and now we are losing great teachers left and right. Such a poor leader

The teacher shortage is a problem nationwide, and it’s much, much worse in places where teachers are poorly compensated (it does get worse). For those that think it’s cushy-now is the time to get in if you’re willing to take some classes. They should be handing out provisional licenses like candy.

I like Duran, but he and other school leaders need to pump the brakes on central office hires, and do more to attract and retain classroom teachers.

Anonymous wrote:Duran being in the drivers seat was a major factor here. He drove APS to the ground and now we are losing great teachers left and right. Such a poor leader

As an APS teacher, I can promise you most teachers have not resigned as a result of Duran. I never hear my colleagues speak negatively about him the way they did Murphy. Duran has done a lot to prioritize teachers with compensation and some other initiatives. The school I taught at last year had over 20 teachers leave (me included). Most did not leave the profession, but switched schools or counties. Most teachers at my former location left due to internal issues at the school level (lack of support from administration, mostly).

It seems like a coterie parents dislike Duran because of choices he made during Virtual Learning, but I guarantee anyone in that role would be facing the same criticism.

Duran being in the drivers seat was a major factor here. He drove APS to the ground and now we are losing great teachers left and right. Such a poor leader

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Syphax + feral kids

+1

APS poured resources into expanding Syphax, when those resources could've been used to directly impact teachers and kids. In other words, APS spent millions on things like a district-level virtual school and new chiefs of everything, instead of reducing class sizes or doing more to retain teachers and staff. I don't even remember if the virtual school will exist next year, but it was a fiasco that cost a great deal of money.

While the central office was mushrooming, demands on teachers and staff were increasing. So many kids were a mess emotionally and academically this year. Teachers were just told to work harder, be creative, and figure it out. APS is a well-resourced school district. Those resources just didn't get to teachers or to many students who needed them this past year. I'm guessing APS teachers who resigned either decided to go teach closer to home, as many live outside of Arlington, or to go into another field entirely.

Why do people lie when data are easily available on the internet? About 1,600 more students than six years ago (6 percent), and they have raised class sizes by a few students and added both classroom teachers, school-based staff, and non-school based staff. Note that the number new school buildings opened has increased since six years ago, so there are more non-classroom teachers just for that reason (each new building moves classes from other buildings but adds some school-based support staff and an administration that didn't exist).

2016 Actual Enrollment 25,302 2022 Budgeted Enrollment 26,900
38 schools and centers 41 schools and centers

Budgeted ratios of positions per students
Kindergarten 23.0 25.0
Grade 1 20.0 22.0
Grades 2‐3 22.0 24.0
Grades 4‐5 23.0 26.0
Middle school 23.4 25.2
High school 25.4 26.9

Authorized Positions
Teachers 2,554 2,726 6.7% increase
School-based administrators 112 126
Total school-based staff 3,832 4,163 8.6% increase
Non-school-based positions 363 428 18% increase -- but had decreased between 2006 (410 positions) and 2016

School-Based 91.4% 90.7%
Nonschool-Based 8.6% 9.3%

No one can meet the standards set by the Arlington parents. My mother left 30 years ago because the Arlington parents were so annoying.

Anonymous wrote:Bottom line VA is going to privatize schools when the Legislature goes red in 2022.

You voted in Youngkin VA schools will suffer.

Once top schooling will now be dumber than dumb and you will have to pay for schools. Love that too!

You think the legislature is going red after Roe v. Wade? Friend, if that was what you’d hoped for, that was not good for you. LOL

Put this to rest.
Schools messed up. Should have stayed open. As a teacher, I knew this in my gut and saw many colleagues abuse the system. I felt bad for the kids and we all suffered the consequences.
Many parents were irrational but MOST still supported us and understand and still have faith. I am counting on that support because it can be a tough job. I love the kids and want to do my best for them. It helps if parents are supportive. Let’s all count our losses and move on. Stop the bickering. We gain nothing from it.

Anonymous wrote:APS teachers are complaining they don't get paid enough, but recently refused to work throughout much of 2020-21 while private schools were open safely nearby and public schools were safely open throughout the country.

APS schools were some of the last to reopen on the entire East Coast and APS ES kids go the equiv. of 25 days in person in the 20-21 school year (also some of the least on the East Coast, resulting in:
* customers (students) fleeing the system, resulting in record unenrollment of Arlington families
* record learning loss (the opposite of the purpose the school system), especially among the most poor
* permanent damage to the public school system and loss in trust in the public school system

But now APS teachers need to a raise

I can't imagine in the private sector if this happened because of me and I asked for a raise. LOL I wouldn't have a job.

Isn't this exactly what happened in private sector though? Isn't this why companies had to raise pay? Workers refused to come in, many quit, profits were lost, and private companies couldn't get anyone to work. So, they raised worker pay. A lot.

Anonymous wrote:APS teachers are complaining they don't get paid enough, but recently refused to work throughout much of 2020-21 while private schools were open safely nearby and public schools were safely open throughout the country.

APS schools were some of the last to reopen on the entire East Coast and APS ES kids go the equiv. of 25 days in person in the 20-21 school year (also some of the least on the East Coast, resulting in:
* customers (students) fleeing the system, resulting in record unenrollment of Arlington families
* record learning loss (the opposite of the purpose the school system), especially among the most poor
* permanent damage to the public school system and loss in trust in the public school system

But now APS teachers need to a raise

I can't imagine in the private sector if this happened because of me and I asked for a raise. LOL I wouldn't have a job.

It's disingenuous to compare APS to small privates.

Obviously, they have very different populations (range of health issues, transportation, financial), resources (tests, ventilation, etc.) and ability to control risks (require testing after break, etc.).

Sit TF if you have nothing but pathetic excuses for bullying teachers.

Anonymous wrote:Bottom line VA is going to privatize schools when the Legislature goes red in 2022.

You voted in Youngkin VA schools will suffer.

Once top schooling will now be dumber than dumb and you will have to pay for schools. Love that too!

Ah yes blame it all on republicans. The schools were already cooked well before he got into office, all because of the democratic school boards that have played politics and done nothing but brought the schools to the dump. But you know, you do you I guess while I send my kids to private school.

Bottom line VA is going to privatize schools when the Legislature goes red in 2022.

You voted in Youngkin VA schools will suffer.

Once top schooling will now be dumber than dumb and you will have to pay for schools. Love that too!

Anonymous wrote:APS teachers are complaining they don't get paid enough, but recently refused to work throughout much of 2020-21 while private schools were open safely nearby and public schools were safely open throughout the country.

APS schools were some of the last to reopen on the entire East Coast and APS ES kids go the equiv. of 25 days in person in the 20-21 school year (also some of the least on the East Coast, resulting in:
* customers (students) fleeing the system, resulting in record unenrollment of Arlington families
* record learning loss (the opposite of the purpose the school system), especially among the most poor
* permanent damage to the public school system and loss in trust in the public school system

But now APS teachers need to a raise

I can't imagine in the private sector if this happened because of me and I asked for a raise. LOL I wouldn't have a job.

The private sector in America will grind you into a fine powder if it meant they could profit a tiny fraction of percent more. Great comparison

APS teachers are complaining they don't get paid enough, but recently refused to work throughout much of 2020-21 while private schools were open safely nearby and public schools were safely open throughout the country.

APS schools were some of the last to reopen on the entire East Coast and APS ES kids go the equiv. of 25 days in person in the 20-21 school year (also some of the least on the East Coast, resulting in:
* customers (students) fleeing the system, resulting in record unenrollment of Arlington families
* record learning loss (the opposite of the purpose the school system), especially among the most poor
* permanent damage to the public school system and loss in trust in the public school system

But now APS teachers need to a raise

I can't imagine in the private sector if this happened because of me and I asked for a raise. LOL I wouldn't have a job.

Anonymous wrote:This is pretty accurate parody of how teachers are treated:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3126370314359784&extid=CL-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0T-GK1C-GK2C&ref=sharing

HAH! Thank you for that.