PP teacher again. Parents, if you want to help, I think calling for transparency from the Central Office is one place to start. In my view we need to invert this pyramid so that students and teachers are at the top, being supported by a smaller, but EFFECTIVE central and school-level administration who are ASKING what is needed and providing it. In the current culture, even though the central administration pays a lot of lip service to supporting, in truth they are too out of touch to understand. They give us survey after survey about how we feel and provide opportunities to engage, but ZERO teachers have time to actually DO any of it. We need at least twice as much planning time so we have a minute to even THINK. We need more mental health and behavior personnel in each school rather than just TALK about how important social-emotional learning is (yes we KNOW that’s the foundation of all learning). They need to stop hiring fancy speakers for PD who leave us with platitudes and put more boots on the ground. So, in terms of transparency, what are the roles and responsibilities of central office? What is their personnel budget? How many still work from home? When is the last time each has been in a classroom? What does our Chancellor do all day?

Good lord folks don’t harsh on the teachers please. We’ve been holding things together. We KNOW what needs to be done for students to learn and succeed. But the truth is that our central and school-level administrators are too often roadblocks to success, literally making it harder.

Anonymous wrote:All the complaints about DCPS but what about the teacher's own Union? The summer thread that talked about how awful it was. Teachers have to own their part too. You vote on leaders that seem to be incompetent in every way.

I'm sure this tack is going to work out well for your situation.

Union leadership is self serving

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the complaints about DCPS but what about the teacher's own Union? The summer thread that talked about how awful it was. Teachers have to own their part too. You vote on leaders that seem to be incompetent in every way.

Sure the union leadership stinks too. Wouldn't matter if DCPS did anything in good faith. Literally anything.

This is what I don't get. Does anyone even know what's being offered? No one can even offer support. This is on the teachers. Damn shame!

Teachers have no idea what is being offered, either. I would venture that the majority of teachers are extremely frustrated with union leadership over their lack of transparency with us in the negotiation process.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the complaints about DCPS but what about the teacher's own Union? The summer thread that talked about how awful it was. Teachers have to own their part too. You vote on leaders that seem to be incompetent in every way.

Sure the union leadership stinks too. Wouldn't matter if DCPS did anything in good faith. Literally anything.

This is what I don't get. Does anyone even know what's being offered? No one can even offer support. This is on the teachers. Damn shame!

Anonymous wrote:All the complaints about DCPS but what about the teacher's own Union? The summer thread that talked about how awful it was. Teachers have to own their part too. You vote on leaders that seem to be incompetent in every way.

Sure the union leadership stinks too. Wouldn't matter if DCPS did anything in good faith. Literally anything.

All the complaints about DCPS but what about the teacher's own Union? The summer thread that talked about how awful it was. Teachers have to own their part too. You vote on leaders that seem to be incompetent in every way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems much higher than usual at Bruce Monroe this year. Mopre teachers with five years or less experience, left the pofession it seems

I know of one kindergarten teacher that left. What other teachers has BM lost?

in the last couple of years, Ms. Goldkind, Ms Beshared (both at school three years or less, Ms B was only one year), Mr. Ostro (two years at school) those were the most recent teachers my kid had. Seems like they can't find subs for specials either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a DCPS teacher at a school that I really enjoy and where the parents have mostly been really supportive. The kids are great. However DCPS is a disaster. They have added so many unnecessary things to our plates and let me tell you, when you need to get a hold of someone from central office, good luck. They don’t answer phone calls, voicemails, emails — it’s quite a mess. I hate working for an organization that’s so unorganized and shows such little respect for teachers. I’ll be looking at a different district (or may even leave teaching altogether).

+1

My sentiments exactly. I have colleagues who’s paychecks are incorrect, FMLA is not being processed, extra duty pay not being paid from last year, etc. DCPS does not respond to those issues but if you haven’t watched a training video, you receive an email every few days from central office. There seems to be zero accountability at central office to do basic things like process new hires in a timely fashion or help provide support for the lack of mental health staff available to work at schools.

+2, absolutely love my school and despise the district it’s in. I can see how much it pains my principal to spend so much time on DCPS mandates. Just makes it a miserable place to be. I’ve already started looking outside both the district and field

Anonymous wrote:I’m a DCPS teacher at a school that I really enjoy and where the parents have mostly been really supportive. The kids are great. However DCPS is a disaster. They have added so many unnecessary things to our plates and let me tell you, when you need to get a hold of someone from central office, good luck. They don’t answer phone calls, voicemails, emails — it’s quite a mess. I hate working for an organization that’s so unorganized and shows such little respect for teachers. I’ll be looking at a different district (or may even leave teaching altogether).

+1

My sentiments exactly. I have colleagues who’s paychecks are incorrect, FMLA is not being processed, extra duty pay not being paid from last year, etc. DCPS does not respond to those issues but if you haven’t watched a training video, you receive an email every few days from central office. There seems to be zero accountability at central office to do basic things like process new hires in a timely fashion or help provide support for the lack of mental health staff available to work at schools.

I’m a DCPS teacher at a school that I really enjoy and where the parents have mostly been really supportive. The kids are great. However DCPS is a disaster. They have added so many unnecessary things to our plates and let me tell you, when you need to get a hold of someone from central office, good luck. They don’t answer phone calls, voicemails, emails — it’s quite a mess. I hate working for an organization that’s so unorganized and shows such little respect for teachers. I’ll be looking at a different district (or may even leave teaching altogether).

Anonymous wrote:DCPS parent here. This thread alarms me. What can we do, as parents, that helps? I try to contribute what I can and not burden teachers with more work. Is there anything else?

I just feel powerless. I love our teachers and they deserve to be treated well. I've worked in really toxic workplaces before and I know how it eats away at your well being. I don't understand why DCPS is so much worse than neighboring districts.

Another DCPS parent here. This thread also scares the hell out of me. I do long-term sub gigs occasionally and the biggest issues I see are:

- Lack of backup from the admin - teachers feel they are more out to get them then help them do their job better.
- Worse then useless - DCPS Central seems to do very little right and just throw bureaucracy and constant goalpost shifting at the teachers.
- Parents. I generally teach in middle/high school so not too much involvement but there were always some parents that think their child can do no wrong or find endless things to complain about and make life so difficult for the teachers.

I honestly feel the number one issues is the Chancellor/mayor/DCPS Central. Not to mention the DC council coming up with things to just make life harder. The fact that teachers have limited resources to discipline kids who are out of control? The fact that how much money was wasted on renaming Jackson-Reed instead of dealing with the overcrowing that makes teaching even harder?

But, what can we do as parents? Does supporting the WTU get a contract for the teachers help? Calling council members? Getting Fenty back?

DCPS parent here. This thread alarms me. What can we do, as parents, that helps? I try to contribute what I can and not burden teachers with more work. Is there anything else?

I just feel powerless. I love our teachers and they deserve to be treated well. I've worked in really toxic workplaces before and I know how it eats away at your well being. I don't understand why DCPS is so much worse than neighboring districts.

This is my 15th year, about half of those have been in DC. I don’t plan to return. There are far too many expectations of teachers that have nothing to do with teaching. The disrespect from administration, the mayor and chancellor, parents…I’ve had enough.