Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Worst thing is blaming the teacher when the kids don't pass. There should be a law against it. Kids are endlessly promoted without mastering basic skills. Algebra teachers get blamed when kids can't even do basic math facts.

Yeah! It's so unfair to blame teachers that aren't good at teaching! That's not their job!

Failing triggered parent covering for a lazy child who requires trophy for participating detected 👆

Anonymous wrote:Worst thing is blaming the teacher when the kids don't pass. There should be a law against it. Kids are endlessly promoted without mastering basic skills. Algebra teachers get blamed when kids can't even do basic math facts.

Yeah! It's so unfair to blame teachers that aren't good at teaching! That's not their job!

Worst thing is blaming the teacher when the kids don't pass. There should be a law against it. Kids are endlessly promoted without mastering basic skills. Algebra teachers get blamed when kids can't even do basic math facts.

The worst thing about schools systems like mcps is that they get genuine teacher who will sacrifice their health, stress levels, and we'll being for the safety and security of student. Its tough to know that your bosses (admin) in this county will fight you the whole way and then fire passionate teachers if you don't do their questionable demands. I'm out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These 22 year olds aren't quitting because they're afraid of covid. Each one has said the job is too hard. One was my teaching partner. I gave him all my plans. I spent hours helping him prep. He cried EVERY DAY in my classroom after school.

Wait until he’s an actual parent and has to do it 24/7 for 20+ years of raising kids.

Lol since when does everything HAVE to have kids? Most of my friends don’t want kids. I’m 30. I like working with kids but I don’t want my own. I don’t like babies, toddlers, or teens enough to want one. That’s why I teach elementary. And I see how much parents struggle emotionally and financially. Many take it out on their kids’ teachers lol.... Some of my friends that don’t want kids realized after working in schools or nannying. It’s not something everyone wants to do or has to do. I’m sure he’ll opt out.

So when ur old You’ll be ok dying alone? That’s how sad and lame westerners have become. Allowing society and the grind not continue procreating. Sad indeed.

What an absolutely sh*tty reason to bring new human beings into the world. Your 1950s, ignorant thinking is "sad" indeed.

P.S. Visit some local nursing homes and see just how well "having kids so I don't die alone" has worked out for a great number of their residents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My nephew just started his first job in August in South Carolina. And he’s loving it.

In that state, he’d better because he has virtually no options to improve his working conditions.

I was let go in MA for not being a good fit because I spoke up about the curriculum and didn’t accept disrespect from admin. My building union rep said they had a two hour board meeting this evening and are encouraging staff to document their incidences with my newly former admin though. My union president said this was far from the first complaint she’s received about my admin when I spoke with her during my lunch break. Teachers have no voice and I had no tenure. Those with tenure I suppose do and they’re still speaking up for me. The union president is getting in touch with me next week. They want those two gone as they’ve caused issues with others and realize I’m not afraid to share my experience. I was already let go and I’m not one to pretend something is okay when it’s not. They’re failing my new former students by letting me go on a whim simply because I spoke up for myself and don’t have tenure to protect me. Teaching is toxic.

I’m sorry about your bad experience. It sounds terrible and I hope you land somewhere better. Teaching can be toxic for sure. Hang in there

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm genuinely curious about what the difference is now from 20 years ago?

I know the pay sucks, but is it also that there are so many things you can't do anymore? Like far more restrictions, lessons plans are for more strict, you're teaching to tests now instead of being able to do fun, interesting things? I'm not a teacher, I am genuinely curious about what has prompted this change - why is there a shortage?

I think the tests are a problem, but not the biggest one. I teach a test subject (Math) and there are so many things you can't control and so much pressure to get the kids "proficient". Many of them are so far behind!

I think the biggest differences are the expectations, amount of work, and growing disrespect. Class sizes have grown, resources don't seem to have grown at the same rate, and where I am there are more students who are behind and need extra help. I can't actually tell if they're more behind though, because they have changed the expectations around mathematics so dramatically. There was huge push to get all the students through algebra in 9th grade with 8th grade algebra being common. It's fine for about half the students and a disaster for the rest. They never get the foundations and end up repeating algebra a few times just to pass. In the past, you could take 7th grade math, 8th grade math, pre-algebra (9th), algebra(10th) and geometry (11th). Now, our school has one pre-algebra class that is only for "special" populations.

Before I might have 1-3 students per class who needed some extra help. Now, it's more like half. They don't have the basic foundational skills to do algebra. I'm supposed to "remediate" as I go. I can't reteach every pre-algebra concept and the algebra ones and help all those students who need help, and still actually teach the class I'm supposed to be teaching.

Other expectations have also changed. I'm now supposed to not just manage behavior and teach content, I'm also supposed to be entertaining. It's not like I'm TRYING to be boring, but previously a well structured lesson with an explanation, guided practice, and independent practice was good. You might have one special activity per month or semester. Now, I'm supposed to be more "engaging" - games, activities, groupwork, blah blah blah. I don't know if those would help the students learn, but with the kids who are behind, they can't even participate in them, so I know it's not helping those kids. I also have to overcome all the distractions of cell phones and peers. I feel like it used to be the student's job to pay attention, read the book, try the problems. Now, it's my job to MAKE them pay attention, force them to do the practice.

In addition, we had a textbook with examples and practice problems that we would follow. Each section would have many practice problems, half would have solutions in the back. Students would know that we were doing approximately 2-3 sections of the book per week. At the end of the chapter, you'd take a test. It was a plain book without color pictures, without bling, things only in boxes when they were extremely important. Each section laid out with examples, easy, medium, hard problems and self test.

New book is full of boxes and colors and "tips". "Strategies" are taught separately from the math. "Concepts" are overemphasized. There are aren't very many practice problems. I'm all about common core math and the students understanding the concepts - so don't think I'm blaming "new" math. The old textbook DID have all of the common core stuff. It had lots of word problems and would explain different strategies and approaches to the same problem. It was all laid out in a nice systematic way. eg. Section 5.1 would be solving a system of equations by graphing 5.2 would be solving using substitution 5.3 would be solving using the addition method 5.4 would be deciding on an approach to solve 5.5 would be using technology to solve 5.6 would be applied problems. New book puts them all together to try and develop the concept immediately and show how they're all really the same right away.

Sadly old book is barely being printed anymore because it's not got all the slides (which I never use because whoever makes the slides for these books has clearly never taught a class and they suck) and activity guides and the color pictures. Old book also doesn't come in a digital format. Each student had to have a copy of it. Cheap district doesn't want to have a book for each student. Also, now I have to keep the class set in my classroom. Inevitably some book is stolen or destroyed and again, the onus is on ME to protect those books instead of on the students to be responsible and bring their book to class. I was fine having a few extra copies for students who forgot their books but I don't want to keep track of 35 books every class period. I do understand that parents are concerned about heavy backpacks - I agree. How about printing each book in 4 parts and then each quarter the students check out a new part. Or we could do what other countries do and each student gets a series of workbooks with the practice problems until they are in more advanced classes.

So, to keep up with all the expectations, there are all sorts of new rules as well. You must have X% of the grade as homework, you must make contact with a parent whenever a student has a failing grade (wasn't a problem until half the students were failing and they told me that I must literally speak to the parent - why can't I email them? or text them if it's okay with them? or send a letter in the mail?) Also, I got evaluated a few years back and one of the complaints of the administrator was that my class wasn't colorful. UMMM this is a high school math class. I guess I can staple some of their work to the wall... oh wait I can't because that's against the rules. I could put up some of the school provided border, posters, butcher paper, and make some decorations out of construction paper except wait... the school didn't provide any.

I also have no idea how to tackle the problem of students with serious misbehavior. I think in the past these students were suspended, expelled, sent to remedial education, or generally removed from the general school population; tossing those kids away was failing to help them learn. I understand that it's not acceptable to just let them fail and kick them out. However, they are really ruining things for the majority of students who are trying to learn. The administrators in charge of discipline have nothing they can do and they are swamped. Parents don't know what to do - these teenagers aren't little kids. So, instead, they're in my class disrupting learning for everyone else. They're not even allowed to be sent to the hallway because they are unsupervised there.

TLDR;

Expectations for what students are expected to be able to do at each grade have increased. Class sizes have increased. The number of students with "high needs" in the general population of students has increased. Expectations for what teachers are supposed to manage - every textbook, every interaction, attendance every period, nice looking classroom, more graded assignments have increased. It's overwhelming.

Great post. 100% accurate. I feel exactly the same way.

Anonymous wrote:I'm genuinely curious about what the difference is now from 20 years ago?

I know the pay sucks, but is it also that there are so many things you can't do anymore? Like far more restrictions, lessons plans are for more strict, you're teaching to tests now instead of being able to do fun, interesting things? I'm not a teacher, I am genuinely curious about what has prompted this change - why is there a shortage?

I think the tests are a problem, but not the biggest one. I teach a test subject (Math) and there are so many things you can't control and so much pressure to get the kids "proficient". Many of them are so far behind!

I think the biggest differences are the expectations, amount of work, and growing disrespect. Class sizes have grown, resources don't seem to have grown at the same rate, and where I am there are more students who are behind and need extra help. I can't actually tell if they're more behind though, because they have changed the expectations around mathematics so dramatically. There was huge push to get all the students through algebra in 9th grade with 8th grade algebra being common. It's fine for about half the students and a disaster for the rest. They never get the foundations and end up repeating algebra a few times just to pass. In the past, you could take 7th grade math, 8th grade math, pre-algebra (9th), algebra(10th) and geometry (11th). Now, our school has one pre-algebra class that is only for "special" populations.

Before I might have 1-3 students per class who needed some extra help. Now, it's more like half. They don't have the basic foundational skills to do algebra. I'm supposed to "remediate" as I go. I can't reteach every pre-algebra concept and the algebra ones and help all those students who need help, and still actually teach the class I'm supposed to be teaching.

Other expectations have also changed. I'm now supposed to not just manage behavior and teach content, I'm also supposed to be entertaining. It's not like I'm TRYING to be boring, but previously a well structured lesson with an explanation, guided practice, and independent practice was good. You might have one special activity per month or semester. Now, I'm supposed to be more "engaging" - games, activities, groupwork, blah blah blah. I don't know if those would help the students learn, but with the kids who are behind, they can't even participate in them, so I know it's not helping those kids. I also have to overcome all the distractions of cell phones and peers. I feel like it used to be the student's job to pay attention, read the book, try the problems. Now, it's my job to MAKE them pay attention, force them to do the practice.

In addition, we had a textbook with examples and practice problems that we would follow. Each section would have many practice problems, half would have solutions in the back. Students would know that we were doing approximately 2-3 sections of the book per week. At the end of the chapter, you'd take a test. It was a plain book without color pictures, without bling, things only in boxes when they were extremely important. Each section laid out with examples, easy, medium, hard problems and self test.

New book is full of boxes and colors and "tips". "Strategies" are taught separately from the math. "Concepts" are overemphasized. There are aren't very many practice problems. I'm all about common core math and the students understanding the concepts - so don't think I'm blaming "new" math. The old textbook DID have all of the common core stuff. It had lots of word problems and would explain different strategies and approaches to the same problem. It was all laid out in a nice systematic way. eg. Section 5.1 would be solving a system of equations by graphing 5.2 would be solving using substitution 5.3 would be solving using the addition method 5.4 would be deciding on an approach to solve 5.5 would be using technology to solve 5.6 would be applied problems. New book puts them all together to try and develop the concept immediately and show how they're all really the same right away.

Sadly old book is barely being printed anymore because it's not got all the slides (which I never use because whoever makes the slides for these books has clearly never taught a class and they suck) and activity guides and the color pictures. Old book also doesn't come in a digital format. Each student had to have a copy of it. Cheap district doesn't want to have a book for each student. Also, now I have to keep the class set in my classroom. Inevitably some book is stolen or destroyed and again, the onus is on ME to protect those books instead of on the students to be responsible and bring their book to class. I was fine having a few extra copies for students who forgot their books but I don't want to keep track of 35 books every class period. I do understand that parents are concerned about heavy backpacks - I agree. How about printing each book in 4 parts and then each quarter the students check out a new part. Or we could do what other countries do and each student gets a series of workbooks with the practice problems until they are in more advanced classes.

So, to keep up with all the expectations, there are all sorts of new rules as well. You must have X% of the grade as homework, you must make contact with a parent whenever a student has a failing grade (wasn't a problem until half the students were failing and they told me that I must literally speak to the parent - why can't I email them? or text them if it's okay with them? or send a letter in the mail?) Also, I got evaluated a few years back and one of the complaints of the administrator was that my class wasn't colorful. UMMM this is a high school math class. I guess I can staple some of their work to the wall... oh wait I can't because that's against the rules. I could put up some of the school provided border, posters, butcher paper, and make some decorations out of construction paper except wait... the school didn't provide any.

I also have no idea how to tackle the problem of students with serious misbehavior. I think in the past these students were suspended, expelled, sent to remedial education, or generally removed from the general school population; tossing those kids away was failing to help them learn. I understand that it's not acceptable to just let them fail and kick them out. However, they are really ruining things for the majority of students who are trying to learn. The administrators in charge of discipline have nothing they can do and they are swamped. Parents don't know what to do - these teenagers aren't little kids. So, instead, they're in my class disrupting learning for everyone else. They're not even allowed to be sent to the hallway because they are unsupervised there.

TLDR;

Expectations for what students are expected to be able to do at each grade have increased. Class sizes have increased. The number of students with "high needs" in the general population of students has increased. Expectations for what teachers are supposed to manage - every textbook, every interaction, attendance every period, nice looking classroom, more graded assignments have increased. It's overwhelming.

Anonymous wrote:Probably should’ve shared my story before drinking wine. Holy typos! Oh well. It’s not like being able to write is actually a valued skill these days.

I say this out of kindness, but after all that, I think you need to find a therapist. You're a mess.

I'm genuinely curious about what the difference is now from 20 years ago?

I know the pay sucks, but is it also that there are so many things you can't do anymore? Like far more restrictions, lessons plans are for more strict, you're teaching to tests now instead of being able to do fun, interesting things? I'm not a teacher, I am genuinely curious about what has prompted this change - why is there a shortage?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These 22 year olds aren't quitting because they're afraid of covid. Each one has said the job is too hard. One was my teaching partner. I gave him all my plans. I spent hours helping him prep. He cried EVERY DAY in my classroom after school.

Wait until he’s an actual parent and has to do it 24/7 for 20+ years of raising kids.

Lol since when does everything HAVE to have kids? Most of my friends don’t want kids. I’m 30. I like working with kids but I don’t want my own. I don’t like babies, toddlers, or teens enough to want one. That’s why I teach elementary. And I see how much parents struggle emotionally and financially. Many take it out on their kids’ teachers lol.... Some of my friends that don’t want kids realized after working in schools or nannying. It’s not something everyone wants to do or has to do. I’m sure he’ll opt out.

So when ur old You’ll be ok dying alone? That’s how sad and lame westerners have become. Allowing society and the grind not continue procreating. Sad indeed.

Ask anyone who works at a nursing home if every person who had kids isn’t alone... many are... but okay...

Also, there are literally social media pages dedicated to parents venting about how much they regret having kids...

It’s a choice and not a “must do.”

Failing parents. If you do positive and proper raising there’s no way an offspring would let you die alone. Those failing parents remind me of these ranting up-in-arms foam-bearing bozos yelling to open up schools cause they’re done and need time for mimosas and tmz.

Should’ve swallowed then if you’re going to be such a failure.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My nephew just started his first job in August in South Carolina. And he’s loving it.

In that state, he’d better because he has virtually no options to improve his working conditions.

I was let go in MA for not being a good fit because I spoke up about the curriculum and didn’t accept disrespect from admin. My building union rep said they had a two hour board meeting this evening and are encouraging staff to document their incidences with my newly former admin though. My union president said this was far from the first complaint she’s received about my admin when I spoke with her during my lunch break. Teachers have no voice and I had no tenure. Those with tenure I suppose do and they’re still speaking up for me. The union president is getting in touch with me next week. They want those two gone as they’ve caused issues with others and realize I’m not afraid to share my experience. I was already let go and I’m not one to pretend something is okay when it’s not. They’re failing my new former students by letting me go on a whim simply because I spoke up for myself and don’t have tenure to protect me. Teaching is toxic.

Probably should’ve shared my story before drinking wine. Holy typos! Oh well. It’s not like being able to write is actually a valued skill these days.

Teaching is toxic in most schools. Most have admin that became admin because teaching was too much stress/ too demanding and/or the pay was too low:

I taught in FCPS last year. Was my first year teaching. I had moved for the position as it can actually be quite competitive to get a teaching job in New England, where I’m from. A lot of people I know have moved out of New England and to states on the south like Arizona to get experience before they could be hired back in the northeast. I wanted to have my own classroom so badly that I even did long distance with my boyfriend. I had wonderful students but I started to realize how disappointing the education seems to be in many places. I was in one of the best center schools. I think I had a lot of stress from moving away from home but also just normal first year teacher stress. My dentist wanted me to get a night guard because they could tell I was stressed. My students were AAP but they were still all at such different levels. The parents were mostly very kind and understanding, but could come off as a bit demanding but I understand parents want what is best for their child and the curriculum seemed to be lacking. I was new and the standards for state were new to me and everything. It was stressful! The worst thing was that they weren’t so great at writing and I didn’t understand why because I had seen younger students writer better where I subbed. Well, where I subbed the schools used Wilson and O-G but FCPS used Lucy Calkins. I didn’t teach reading so I wasn’t given her resources. A specialist (who was a very kind person even though I didn’t like Lucy and she did) would come in to assist me during writing so the kids had a short lesson on what they could write and then went off to write. I wasn’t supposed to correct their errors but other students could. But it seemed like most never learned HOW to write or spell, so it made no sense to me. But I guess most public schools do this style of Writing Workshop, but when I subbed and student taught they didn’t so I just had no clue.

Being a first year teacher was SO stressful but my admin were kind, even if we didn’t always agree on things. I did what I was told because I was new, even if I felt like I’d seen things done a better way in my years as as substitute and aide. You just sort of have to- especially if you’re new. At the end of the year I thought I was being let go due to seniority. I let parents know and many emailed kind words. Students were going to miss me. Then I ended up being told someone left so I could stay if I wanted to and I accepted. The only reason I ended up backing out was that I wanted to live back home. I wish I had just stayed as my admin were very kind and I’m sure the second year in the same school might feel less stressful. I really missed home and with so many things closing and worrying about my elderly family I ended up resigning late in summer after I received an offer to teach near home. I can no longer teach in the state of Virginia because I resigned late but I knew that and my mind admin reminded me before I made it official. People in FCPS were kind, even if I didn’t always agree with how things were done. I knew I was inexperienced but I had seen things done differently, particularly with ELA, and I felt like me questioning ELA there didn’t help me get liked by staff. But it is what is is.

I was teaching for a public school in New England since September. I was hired for the virtual academy a public school threw together two weeks before school started. Each grade has one teacher for the kids who chose year round remote. The rest of the kids are hybrid. We all had to teach from the music room of a school. Parents complained they could hear other teachers in the background but admin didn’t really care. I’m sure if we were allowed to teach from home they would’ve complained too. My admin were disliked by everyone in the school we were based at. They have changed what we can and cannot do a million times. The kids loved breakout rooms and working in groups but then we were told we couldn’t do that anymore although none of the teachers had bad experiences with it. My union president thought that was crazy before the kids deserve to do more than just whole class and independent work all day every day. Anyway, I was recently blamed for not checking my email and sending a class code to a new student. I told my admin I was never sent that email and she didn’t believe me. She had me search each folder and nothing could be found. She was very rude and I said I didn’t appreciate the way she was speaking with me because I wake lying. She didn’t like that. Turned out the email she swore I was cc’d on was actually an email the third grade teacher was cc’d on (I’m fourth). She didn’t apologize. Then I was told to email a family of a hybrid kid who would join my class for 20 days as he had to quarantine. I told the family he may be a bit ahead or behind because virtual teachers weren’t given time to plan with grade levels and I had heard another quarantined kid was way behind the virtual second grade in math units. I wanted them to know what to expect and they decided not to have their child join us. They never answered me and I heard they were more upset with admin. My admin was furious the parents didn’t want their kid to join us and blamed me. Coworkers and my union president said nothing was wrong with what I emailed them. It wasn’t rude but it basically subtly let them know this virtual academy was thrown together last minute and was a huge dumpster fire mess. Some of the other virtual teachers already lost students because parents decided to homeschool or do hybrid. One emailed a teacher to say it wasn’t her and she was the highlight of their day. Their issue was with admin and their lack of communication. She never told admin about the email though as she wants to work there next year. I’ve seen other virtual teachers being berated for ridiculous things by these admin. We were all hired as one year only staff as this virtual academy option is hopefully only needed for a year. So they all dislike how we are spoken to and how the leadership is poor. We don’t report to a building principal or AP. We report to the director of teaching and learning (she’s below superintendent and their assistant) and to the person she chose to be the coordinator of the virtual academy... this person is a literacy coach in the district. She WAS a pro major at a school in the city next door but the school she was a principal at closed under her leadership. No one in the school I was based at liked her so she started as a literacy coach there and that admin sent her to a different school, but she was back because we were based there.

This woman was awful. I was thinking of resigning because I went to the dentist recently and he warned me I have to wear my mouth guard every night. I have also been waking up soaking wet from anxiety in my sleep. I’ve been going to bed by 7 or 8pm. Just drained. But I like my students a lot and I know they like me... they’ve written about how great out class is. A younger sibling wanted me when she was in fourth grade. But I told the union rep I wanted to give the thirty days if I left so they could find someone good. This wasn’t her first time hearing complaints from the two admin I had to work under and she called them toxic. My union building rep has taught for 25 years and said they’re the two nastiest people she’s ever worked with. This is Massachusetts so she’s got tenure and gave them some words today when they fired me. I told them it wasn’t good for the kids to fire me in a day but they let me go and I packed up my stuff and won’t be back. In the bright side I can collect and wanted out of teaching after this year anyway. My letter doesn’t say why I was let go and has some typos. I couldn’t even say bye to the kids...

My union reps had a two hour board meeting tonight and people are documenting incidences with those two people. They wanted to feature mine and I said if course! The superintendent doesn’t seem well liked either as one teacher ran into a family she knew and they went off on how horrible the super is. She also has been receiving complaints that are the fault of poor leadership and their lack of plans, and blaming it on us. One teacher has cried a lot because of them but is afraid of being let go if she speaks up for herself. AnYway, everyone at the school says I’m better off. In MA you don’t lose your license for being let go unless you like harmed a child. Everyone, including the woman who let me go, says my license is fine. I don’t think I want to teach ever again but I didn’t want them to be why I lose my license in my home state. I lost it in Virginia by choice because I didn’t enjoy living there (too far from home and too hot in summer). I can get free health insurance through my state system since I was let go and collect for a whole, but I know places are hiring. Sadly many dual income families are having one parent quit, but that’s opening up a few opportunities. It is what it is. My building rep emailed a family she knows whose daughter is in my class to let her know that I was let go on the spot and can’t say goodbye. The mom wasn’t happy. She had already told me I was doing a great job before she knew our virtual situation was a mess. She also teaches in the district so she knows the super and director aren’t well liked. I feel so sad for my students as the virtual academy coordinator/literacy coach will be their teacher now. I heard she said she wasn’t happy to have to do fourth grade. She’s made second grade cry when covering for that teacher. The way she speaks with both adults and kids is awful and rude.

Deciding to teach was such a big mistake but I’m ready to move one. I’ve been working in education since 2015. Subbed, worked as an aide student taught, taught in FCPS for one year, then this mess I’ll leave off the resume. I’m glad I have union support and faculty who will be sure parents know what happened and that I didn’t choose to abandon their kids. If you speak up for what you feel is write some admin could care less. I told them this isn’t fair or healthy for the kids and I would stay until they found someone. They didn’t even ask me about the students do they know nothing about them. I have several on IEPs, two diagnosed with anxiety, and one whose father overdosed last year.., the second grade teacher had her sibling and had no idea. The older sibling chose to tell me and I looked it up online and it was true. This woman taking over doesn’t even know that about her and her younger sister who would come and say hi sometimes during her breaks. I’m heartbroken for my students but it wasn’t my choice to leave like this.

Also, this school uses Lucy Calkins and every teacher I’ve talked to thinks it’s ineffective. My admin wouldn’t let us plan with grade levels after learning they use stuff for ELA to supplement Lucy!! They have tenure and can but we can’t get away with much. I had been sneaking parts of speech and spelling though. I spoke with the special ed teacher who admitted a lot of my kids have IEPs for reading and writing because they never learned phonics since Lucy didn’t add they until 2017. It’s all so sad. I guess one time someone said “Lucy caulkins sucks!” At a staff meeting and the admin who fired me kept showing up in her room every day to be sure that’s all she used... so now everyone is afraid to say anything and told me not to. So the poor kids are being failed because you aren’t allowed to speak up or do what’s best for them.

The system is broken and I don’t think I was the best at all... I was very new... but the parent who learned what happened said she could tell I was in a tough situation being full remote with admin that kept changing the plans. I think I’ll be hearing more about families that are disappointed. I know my kids last year and this year enjoyed having me as a teacher even if I was newer and not perfect. And I think most parents could tell I didn’t agree with the curriculum or being told I couldn’t correct student errors on writing.

The system is so bizarre and teachers are afraid to speak up for a reason. Even if you subtly reveal how messy admin and the system is to parents, admin blame you and get rid of you to cover their a$$es. I wouldn’t recommend this profession to anyone and that’s sad because the kids deserve so much more but I know I have no idea how they’ll get that with the way things are. One person I work with was so anxious after admitting she didn’t think Lucy caulkins works that she texted me the next day asking me to not tell anyone what she said about Lucy caulkins. I reminded her I already said I wouldn’t. She’s there just for the year but hopes to be hired next year and they wouldn’t keep her if they knew she doesn’t like Lucy Calkins...

This is a mess and a vent. As I told my friend about my situation they poured me some wine. I apologize if this is hard to follow. But even in union states you can be let go for nothing. My note says no reason why but they verbally said I’m not a good fit... I guess because I won’t pretend things aren’t messy and the admin aren’t the ones making us change things every other week which irritates parents and kids who then decide to homeschool or go hybrid when they weren’t comfortable with that originally. It sad. Please me kind of you reply to this. I just want others to know teachers have little voice or ability to speak up for themselves. Where I am now the tenured staff can though and they gave my admin some words this afternoon for me and said it’s the “final nail in the coffin” for the two that have caused people to leave the district and now caused this with a second year teacher. They encourage me to not be soured away from teaching but it’s officially sour to me now. Just sour.

Anonymous wrote:My nephew just started his first job in August in South Carolina. And he’s loving it.

In that state, he’d better because he has virtually no options to improve his working conditions.