Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget rudeness from students, especially in grades 6-12. It's off the chain.

The Karens get replaced by pint-size version of themselves in middle school, lol.

Rude kids have always existed. The difference is that no one is willing to discipline them anymore. There are very little consequences for rude behavior. Admin needs to actually start imposing consequences. I feel sorry for the kids who’s education keeps getting disrupted by their classmates.

Rude kids are much more common now. Parents don't teach their kids basic manners and then side with their kids if the teacher says something about the rudeness. Parents used to respect teachers, and teach their kids to do the same.

Yes. True. But there is an entire cultural shift. So parents don’t teach their kids basic manners and schools don’t enforce consequences for the lack of manners. We can’t control parental behavior. But schools can control what they do and enforce consequences.

There is a lobbying group in Arlington now dedicated to parents rights called Arlington Parents for Education or APE. They are trying to resurrect their image now but they were awful to teachers during the pandemic and a lot of them are pro private school vouchers so teachers leaving and weakening public schools helps their agenda. They also lobbied against Covid safety and one of their priorities is return to normal. This too has caused teachers who don’t want to get infected over and over with Covid to leave.

This is a pretty twisted and inaccurate narrative. But let's not let the truth get in the way of a good smear.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m also an APS teacher and parent. I share your concerns, OP, but I think we need to broaden our approach to retention. Salary, benefits and retirement are important, but so are other things. Getting rid of bullying principals (as mentioned in the thread referenced abroad), cleaning up Syphax (get more of those people into student-facing jobs and lose the bogus extra paid holidays), and generally getting their act together would also keep more teachers in APS.

This! Nobody cares about covid anymore and what happened when. Syphax is overloaded with "specialists" while the teachers in the buildings with students are drowning trying to please admin, parents, etc. all while they are trying to teach kids who are so needy now. Stop talking about covid, do not give Syphax people extra paid holidays (how is APS paying for that?) and get more people in the buildings to work with kids! Then maybe teachers will want to stay.
APS teacher

Anonymous wrote:OMG Could we please have even one post that is not about APE or Smart Restart? It is the year of our lord 2023.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m also an APS teacher and parent. I share your concerns, OP, but I think we need to broaden our approach to retention. Salary, benefits and retirement are important, but so are other things. Getting rid of bullying principals (as mentioned in the thread referenced abroad), cleaning up Syphax (get more of those people into student-facing jobs and lose the bogus extra paid holidays), and generally getting their act together would also keep more teachers in APS.

This! Nobody cares about covid anymore and what happened when. Syphax is overloaded with "specialists" while the teachers in the buildings with students are drowning trying to please admin, parents, etc. all while they are trying to teach kids who are so needy now. Stop talking about covid, do not give Syphax people extra paid holidays (how is APS paying for that?) and get more people in the buildings to work with kids! Then maybe teachers will want to stay.
APS teacher

Anonymous wrote:I’m also an APS teacher and parent. I share your concerns, OP, but I think we need to broaden our approach to retention. Salary, benefits and retirement are important, but so are other things. Getting rid of bullying principals (as mentioned in the thread referenced abroad), cleaning up Syphax (get more of those people into student-facing jobs and lose the bogus extra paid holidays), and generally getting their act together would also keep more teachers in APS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Don't forget rudeness from students, especially in grades 6-12. It's off the chain.

Or… you could listen to PP who is a teacher and his/her complaint of large classes full of kids with exceptional needs. Teachers can’t be social workers, translators, and behavioral therapists, too.

When kids can demonstrate good behavior, a willingness to learn, and proficiency in English, THEN they should be mainstreamed. Not before.

The Karens get replaced by pint-size version of themselves in middle school, lol.

Rude kids have always existed. The difference is that no one is willing to discipline them anymore. There are very little consequences for rude behavior. Admin needs to actually start imposing consequences. I feel sorry for the kids who’s education keeps getting disrupted by their classmates.

Rude kids are much more common now. Parents don't teach their kids basic manners and then side with their kids if the teacher says something about the rudeness. Parents used to respect teachers, and teach their kids to do the same.

Yes. True. But there is an entire cultural shift. So parents don’t teach their kids basic manners and schools don’t enforce consequences for the lack of manners. We can’t control parental behavior. But schools can control what they do and enforce consequences.

There is a lobbying group in Arlington now dedicated to parents rights called Arlington Parents for Education or APE. They are trying to resurrect their image now but they were awful to teachers during the pandemic and a lot of them are pro private school vouchers so teachers leaving and weakening public schools helps their agenda. They also lobbied against Covid safety and one of their priorities is return to normal. This too has caused teachers who don’t want to get infected over and over with Covid to leave.

This is a pretty twisted and inaccurate narrative. But let's not let the truth get in the way of a good smear.

We saw what we saw. Both teachers and normal non APE parents.

DP. Somebody on this forum always claims there's an APE supporter who keeps piping in. It seems to me that PP may be a singular anti-APE person who has to find an opportunity in every chain of discussion, regardless of topic, to bring up APE.

If you think there's just one anti APE person out there, think again. They alienated a whole lot of people.

+1

They have pushed teachers out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget rudeness from students, especially in grades 6-12. It's off the chain.

The Karens get replaced by pint-size version of themselves in middle school, lol.

Rude kids have always existed. The difference is that no one is willing to discipline them anymore. There are very little consequences for rude behavior. Admin needs to actually start imposing consequences. I feel sorry for the kids who’s education keeps getting disrupted by their classmates.

Rude kids are much more common now. Parents don't teach their kids basic manners and then side with their kids if the teacher says something about the rudeness. Parents used to respect teachers, and teach their kids to do the same.

Yes. True. But there is an entire cultural shift. So parents don’t teach their kids basic manners and schools don’t enforce consequences for the lack of manners. We can’t control parental behavior. But schools can control what they do and enforce consequences.

There is a lobbying group in Arlington now dedicated to parents rights called Arlington Parents for Education or APE. They are trying to resurrect their image now but they were awful to teachers during the pandemic and a lot of them are pro private school vouchers so teachers leaving and weakening public schools helps their agenda. They also lobbied against Covid safety and one of their priorities is return to normal. This too has caused teachers who don’t want to get infected over and over with Covid to leave.

This is a pretty twisted and inaccurate narrative. But let's not let the truth get in the way of a good smear.

We saw what we saw. Both teachers and normal non APE parents.

DP. Somebody on this forum always claims there's an APE supporter who keeps piping in. It seems to me that PP may be a singular anti-APE person who has to find an opportunity in every chain of discussion, regardless of topic, to bring up APE.

If you think there's just one anti APE person out there, think again. They alienated a whole lot of people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I realize squabbling is fun, but are teachers actually citing APE as their reason for leaving? I would expect it's the usual reasons like life changes, high cost of living, crappy bosses, etc.

I personally know multiple teachers and staff members (and good ones too) who quit because they did not feel safe being in schools given the level of Covid precautions, and they did not feel their health and well-being was supported by either APS or parents. So yes.

The "usual reasons" were always there. There's a reason things are much worse now.

They're leaving now because of COVID? I don't think this thread is about teachers who left two years ago.

Exactly. It's an ongoing problem. COVID had its impact; but it's the other stuff now.
Let's also not forget that many teachers leave each year due to retirement.

The ones who I know of who were concerned about Covid did leave 2 years ago. But let's no forget the elephant in the room. Covid can be a disabling illness and teachers are particularly exposed. Some of them can't work anymore because of long Covid, or it's harder to work so they are retiring earlier than planned.

Your position is that teachers are leaving because of long COVID?

Anonymous wrote:I still do not understand how the class size increase happened in Arlington without more of an outcry by parents and teachers. How did there staff and Board manage to slip that one through?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget rudeness from students, especially in grades 6-12. It's off the chain.

The Karens get replaced by pint-size version of themselves in middle school, lol.

Rude kids have always existed. The difference is that no one is willing to discipline them anymore. There are very little consequences for rude behavior. Admin needs to actually start imposing consequences. I feel sorry for the kids who’s education keeps getting disrupted by their classmates.

Rude kids are much more common now. Parents don't teach their kids basic manners and then side with their kids if the teacher says something about the rudeness. Parents used to respect teachers, and teach their kids to do the same.

Yes. True. But there is an entire cultural shift. So parents don’t teach their kids basic manners and schools don’t enforce consequences for the lack of manners. We can’t control parental behavior. But schools can control what they do and enforce consequences.

There is a lobbying group in Arlington now dedicated to parents rights called Arlington Parents for Education or APE. They are trying to resurrect their image now but they were awful to teachers during the pandemic and a lot of them are pro private school vouchers so teachers leaving and weakening public schools helps their agenda. They also lobbied against Covid safety and one of their priorities is return to normal. This too has caused teachers who don’t want to get infected over and over with Covid to leave.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I realize squabbling is fun, but are teachers actually citing APE as their reason for leaving? I would expect it's the usual reasons like life changes, high cost of living, crappy bosses, etc.

I personally know multiple teachers and staff members (and good ones too) who quit because they did not feel safe being in schools given the level of Covid precautions, and they did not feel their health and well-being was supported by either APS or parents. So yes.

The "usual reasons" were always there. There's a reason things are much worse now.

They're leaving now because of COVID? I don't think this thread is about teachers who left two years ago.

Exactly. It's an ongoing problem. COVID had its impact; but it's the other stuff now.
Let's also not forget that many teachers leave each year due to retirement.

The ones who I know of who were concerned about Covid did leave 2 years ago. But let's no forget the elephant in the room. Covid can be a disabling illness and teachers are particularly exposed. Some of them can't work anymore because of long Covid, or it's harder to work so they are retiring earlier than planned.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget rudeness from students, especially in grades 6-12. It's off the chain.

The Karens get replaced by pint-size version of themselves in middle school, lol.

Rude kids have always existed. The difference is that no one is willing to discipline them anymore. There are very little consequences for rude behavior. Admin needs to actually start imposing consequences. I feel sorry for the kids who’s education keeps getting disrupted by their classmates.

Rude kids are much more common now. Parents don't teach their kids basic manners and then side with their kids if the teacher says something about the rudeness. Parents used to respect teachers, and teach their kids to do the same.

Yes. True. But there is an entire cultural shift. So parents don’t teach their kids basic manners and schools don’t enforce consequences for the lack of manners. We can’t control parental behavior. But schools can control what they do and enforce consequences.

There is a lobbying group in Arlington now dedicated to parents rights called Arlington Parents for Education or APE. They are trying to resurrect their image now but they were awful to teachers during the pandemic and a lot of them are pro private school vouchers so teachers leaving and weakening public schools helps their agenda. They also lobbied against Covid safety and one of their priorities is return to normal. This too has caused teachers who don’t want to get infected over and over with Covid to leave.

This is a pretty twisted and inaccurate narrative. But let's not let the truth get in the way of a good smear.

We saw what we saw. Both teachers and normal non APE parents.

DP. Somebody on this forum always claims there's an APE supporter who keeps piping in. It seems to me that PP may be a singular anti-APE person who has to find an opportunity in every chain of discussion, regardless of topic, to bring up APE.