I agree with all the teacher posts above. This is my first year teaching and I feel ready to quit. I am not sure how I will get through the next 6 weeks.
I’m shocked at the rudeness and disrespect that teachers get daily from students.

I’m guessing McKnight and her executives have no clue what is happening in schools. Or maybe they do but have no idea what to do. It certainly feels like MCPS doesn’t give a damn about teachers. I’m thinking about applying to HOCO this summer and also looking for jobs outside teaching. I also work way more hours than the regular school day and the pay is not worth it. I’ve never been this exhausted in my life

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers arent leaving because of McKnight-they are leaving because of parents like Smelkinson, Reesman, Dawn Iannaco-Hahn, etc.

yep - that complain and complain and complain about anything and everything

The problem with this group is they stalk the sign-up for speaking during the public forum portion of the BOE meetings preventing anyone else with differing or opposing opinions from speaking. They bully their way and repeat their opinions, over, and over, and over until they get their way. Their voices don’t represent the majority yet they accounted for probably 3/4 of the public input at the meetings.

Imagine how they are about other things and that is why teachers are leaving. They bully admin to get their way, regardless if it’s in the best interest of the children. For some reason some parents think because they were in school once or they have children, they know better than the teachers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here - school climate has really gone downhill. Some of it is due to Covid. Some of it is due to MCPS refusing to enforce any discipline measures in schools. Ask any high school teacher - cell phone use in most schools is out of control. Kids are constantly on their phones and cheating via cell phones is rampant. MCPS has a cell phone policy with no teeth. Teachers are left to deal with it themselves but when a 6 ft. 11th grade football player refuses to hand over his cell phone or put it away, what are you going to do? School administrators are already swamped and don’t want to deal with troublesome students and parents unless they have to (e.g. fights). Teachers feel abandoned and that is why at least some of them are leaving

I agree with this, but even down to elementary. The discipline problems are out of control and principals refuse to get involved. Fist fights, cussing, kids walking out, phone use…all of it. Teachers are left to figure it out. Parents have no interest in hearing about their kids and don’t help. The well-behaved kids get ignored. Teachers have no time to teach.

If I wasn’t 20 years in, I would leave teaching in a heartbeat. Dr. McKnight is not helping or suggesting any ideas to help. If she was, I might have more hope. All she talks about is diversity but the current climate is not acceptable for ANY child. I just want to teach again in a safe environment and have the opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life.

The racism survey at a time when test scores were in the toilet and children were coming back to school destroying school buildings over tik tok challenges was a telling omen of where the boards priorities lay. Let's face it: the board is made up of senior citizen women who are woefully out of touch with what the current concerns truly are in school.

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here - school climate has really gone downhill. Some of it is due to Covid. Some of it is due to MCPS refusing to enforce any discipline measures in schools. Ask any high school teacher - cell phone use in most schools is out of control. Kids are constantly on their phones and cheating via cell phones is rampant. MCPS has a cell phone policy with no teeth. Teachers are left to deal with it themselves but when a 6 ft. 11th grade football player refuses to hand over his cell phone or put it away, what are you going to do? School administrators are already swamped and don’t want to deal with troublesome students and parents unless they have to (e.g. fights). Teachers feel abandoned and that is why at least some of them are leaving

This is it, right here.
The board and the superintendent have been letting the inmates run the asylum. Principals have no authority or staff to enforce rules. It's depressing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here - school climate has really gone downhill. Some of it is due to Covid. Some of it is due to MCPS refusing to enforce any discipline measures in schools. Ask any high school teacher - cell phone use in most schools is out of control. Kids are constantly on their phones and cheating via cell phones is rampant. MCPS has a cell phone policy with no teeth. Teachers are left to deal with it themselves but when a 6 ft. 11th grade football player refuses to hand over his cell phone or put it away, what are you going to do? School administrators are already swamped and don’t want to deal with troublesome students and parents unless they have to (e.g. fights). Teachers feel abandoned and that is why at least some of them are leaving

I agree with this, but even down to elementary. The discipline problems are out of control and principals refuse to get involved. Fist fights, cussing, kids walking out, phone use…all of it. Teachers are left to figure it out. Parents have no interest in hearing about their kids and don’t help. The well-behaved kids get ignored. Teachers have no time to teach.

If I wasn’t 20 years in, I would leave teaching in a heartbeat. Dr. McKnight is not helping or suggesting any ideas to help. If she was, I might have more hope. All she talks about is diversity but the current climate is not acceptable for ANY child. I just want to teach again in a safe environment and have the opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life.

I feel like I could have written this myself as a 19-year elementary school veteran. It's so, so bad right now. I feel bad for the majority of my students whose days are turned upside down by a couple of students who can't manage themselves in our classroom. I've never seen so much disrespect, cussing, fighting, hitting, etc. in a 4th grade classroom. I don't blame Dr. McKnight but society in general. We've become too afraid to enforce actual consequences in the name of being politically correct. I understand the school to prison pipeline but if kids get away with murder at home and know that consequences don't exist at school, what else can we expect to happen? My husband thinks I should resign but I've always loved teaching up until recently. I just wish there was some sign of a positive change coming our way.

Anonymous wrote:https://www.fox5dc.com/news/resignations-retirements-rise-among-montgomery-county-teachers

"787 teachers have already indicated they plan to leave at the end of this school year. They're either retiring or resigning."
"It’s you know, far and away, the highest I’ve ever seen in my time in the system"

2019: 494
2020: 444
2021: 543
2022: 787 (indicated)

"267 of the 787 teachers are retirees – meaning more than half are planning to leave for other reasons."
"We still have in the neighborhood of three or 400 positions that were never filled this year."

The McKnight stalker is back!

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here - school climate has really gone downhill. Some of it is due to Covid. Some of it is due to MCPS refusing to enforce any discipline measures in schools. Ask any high school teacher - cell phone use in most schools is out of control. Kids are constantly on their phones and cheating via cell phones is rampant. MCPS has a cell phone policy with no teeth. Teachers are left to deal with it themselves but when a 6 ft. 11th grade football player refuses to hand over his cell phone or put it away, what are you going to do? School administrators are already swamped and don’t want to deal with troublesome students and parents unless they have to (e.g. fights). Teachers feel abandoned and that is why at least some of them are leaving

I agree with this, but even down to elementary. The discipline problems are out of control and principals refuse to get involved. Fist fights, cussing, kids walking out, phone use…all of it. Teachers are left to figure it out. Parents have no interest in hearing about their kids and don’t help. The well-behaved kids get ignored. Teachers have no time to teach.

If I wasn’t 20 years in, I would leave teaching in a heartbeat. Dr. McKnight is not helping or suggesting any ideas to help. If she was, I might have more hope. All she talks about is diversity but the current climate is not acceptable for ANY child. I just want to teach again in a safe environment and have the opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life.

Teacher here - school climate has really gone downhill. Some of it is due to Covid. Some of it is due to MCPS refusing to enforce any discipline measures in schools. Ask any high school teacher - cell phone use in most schools is out of control. Kids are constantly on their phones and cheating via cell phones is rampant. MCPS has a cell phone policy with no teeth. Teachers are left to deal with it themselves but when a 6 ft. 11th grade football player refuses to hand over his cell phone or put it away, what are you going to do? School administrators are already swamped and don’t want to deal with troublesome students and parents unless they have to (e.g. fights). Teachers feel abandoned and that is why at least some of them are leaving

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers arent leaving because of McKnight-they are leaving because of parents like Smelkinson, Reesman, Dawn Iannaco-Hahn, etc.

I've never quit a job over a client. I've quit over many bosses.
Effective bosses know how to insulate employees.

Well that is true I think teachers are more likely to quit over a bad principal versus a bad superintendent. And most teachers say they are quitting due to burnout is from teaching through a pandemic and dealing with behavior problems students.

probably the ceaseless complaining from the hyper-privileged parents

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cannot stress enough how little the superintendent has to do with this massive exodus. You all have no idea how hateful parents have been over the last 2 years. I don’t know any teacher who is happy in the classroom right now. Between the online (and in real life) abuse from parents last year and the behaviors in the classroom this year, teachers are done. It’s not the superintendent, it’s not the union, it’s the parents. I’m sure you will flame away but when you do, know that you are illustrating my point better than I can.

I appreciate your perspective. Do you think the parents are different people from in past years? If so, what made them change?

Tablets and phones. And while I am absolutely for gentle discipline there is a difference between discipline and just completely giving up and being a super permissive parent

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers arent leaving because of McKnight-they are leaving because of parents like Smelkinson, Reesman, Dawn Iannaco-Hahn, etc.

I've never quit a job over a client. I've quit over many bosses.
Effective bosses know how to insulate employees.

Well that is true I think teachers are more likely to quit over a bad principal versus a bad superintendent. And most teachers say they are quitting due to burnout is from teaching through a pandemic and dealing with behavior problems students.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cannot stress enough how little the superintendent has to do with this massive exodus. You all have no idea how hateful parents have been over the last 2 years. I don’t know any teacher who is happy in the classroom right now. Between the online (and in real life) abuse from parents last year and the behaviors in the classroom this year, teachers are done. It’s not the superintendent, it’s not the union, it’s the parents. I’m sure you will flame away but when you do, know that you are illustrating my point better than I can.

I appreciate your perspective. Do you think the parents are different people from in past years? If so, what made them change?

Not the original poster, but I can answer. Some parents are different that previously (both good and bad) and some parents are just their same terrible, expecting selves. Parents for YEARS have been abusing teachers and the system writ large. Teachers have been talking about for YEARS how bad the situation was getting. The pandemic last year and this year is just the straw that broke the camels back. This is a nationwide issue and experts have been warning all year of an increasing number of teachers and principals leaving this year.

Search you tube for videos on teachers quitting or ridiculous teacher request. Sure the rate has increased over the past two years, but the videos and trend has been a long time coming.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.fox5dc.com/news/resignations-retirements-rise-among-montgomery-county-teachers

"787 teachers have already indicated they plan to leave at the end of this school year. They're either retiring or resigning."
"It’s you know, far and away, the highest I’ve ever seen in my time in the system"

2019: 494
2020: 444
2021: 543
2022: 787 (indicated)

"267 of the 787 teachers are retirees – meaning more than half are planning to leave for other reasons."
"We still have in the neighborhood of three or 400 positions that were never filled this year."

THERE IS NO SWEARING IN.
Monica never takes an oath.

Why should she be sworn in? She wasn't elected to office, like the board members are. She was hired for a job, which starts July 1.

Great! That's even better. Whoever can hire can fire!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers arent leaving because of McKnight-they are leaving because of parents like Smelkinson, Reesman, Dawn Iannaco-Hahn, etc.

Who are these people.

The crazy anti-union reopeners who blame the lazy teachers for everything. Half of em probably work for Cato or its ilk in some capacity. The other half are just the same entitled bigots who post charming things here about "demographic" changes and send their covid-riddled second-graders to school because "everyone has to get it sometime."

I'm not a teacher, but if I had to deal with those people's children, I'm not sure I could be kind.

Agree - I'm skeptical that any of them live here or have kids in MCPS. They just post to sew angst and grievance.

I thought so but then one came after me in a neighborhood group on Facebook, babbling about how the vaccines are pointless and evil lib conspiracies. I googled her. Her house is famous in her moco neighborhood for her dedication to Halloween decorating... So, yeah. Some of them live here.

I will agree they've been manipulated by a bunch who don't.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.fox5dc.com/news/resignations-retirements-rise-among-montgomery-county-teachers

"787 teachers have already indicated they plan to leave at the end of this school year. They're either retiring or resigning."
"It’s you know, far and away, the highest I’ve ever seen in my time in the system"

2019: 494
2020: 444
2021: 543
2022: 787 (indicated)

"267 of the 787 teachers are retirees – meaning more than half are planning to leave for other reasons."
"We still have in the neighborhood of three or 400 positions that were never filled this year."

THERE IS NO SWEARING IN.
Monica never takes an oath.

Why should she be sworn in? She wasn't elected to office, like the board members are. She was hired for a job, which starts July 1.