Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What on earth are they doing differently in PW to get the pay higher than Fairfax?

I wonder if they have fewer administrators and central office staff.

Is it because they (PW) don't have that second pension? That $ has to be funded somehow.

That said, the gap between the highest earnings in the 2 counties is really surprising.

It’s because the kids are more difficult.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What on earth are they doing differently in PW to get the pay higher than Fairfax?

I wonder if they have fewer administrators and central office staff.

Is it because they (PW) don't have that second pension? That $ has to be funded somehow.

That said, the gap between the highest earnings in the 2 counties is really surprising.

Anonymous wrote:What on earth are they doing differently in PW to get the pay higher than Fairfax?

I wonder if they have fewer administrators and central office staff.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a high school teacher who was going to retire this year, but I'm staying on to participate in the deferred retirement program that FCPS approved. Several colleagues are also doing it. It's only for the old people, though.

A lot of people don’t like that teachers get pensions but it’s helping keep the schools afloat. So many people would have left already if there wasn’t a pension.

Too many people use past tense when they should use the subjunctive.

The shortage isn’t as bad in certain areas. Elementary and Special Education are definitely the highest. High school and specialist areas (art/music) are far less affected.

Teach high school.

It is not as bad as ES or MS.

Cell phones, chronic absences, asking to go to the bathroom excessively, not completing tasks in or outside of classroom, not prepping for assessments, and having no intrinsic motivation or self-monitoring are the biggest obstacles students bring to the HS classroom.

Most are well-mannered but they just can't rise above what holds them back (home support, peers, lack of academic ambition).

Yes, I love being in the HS classroom.

Anonymous wrote:The workload and behavior combo is what is killing education. Most college programs are curriculum and pedagogy heavy. A young new teacher will be able to write you a beautiful lesson plan but will have minimal knowledge about how to work with high intensity behaviors. With how kids are now it needs to be completely flipped, behaviors taught with more intensity and academics and curriculum taught on the job/ student teaching. If you can’t do behaviors you might as well not show up in an elementary school classroom or Special Education.

Even veteran teachers are having difficulty with behaviors. I retired last year after 30 years. I had about 24 or 25 very good, enjoyable years teaching in an ES. Then I had a class that was very difficult to manage. The next year, 2019-2020 was perhaps my best class ever, but my last two years following the hybrid year were very difficult again. I was spending so much time trying to manage behaviors that I can’t even begin to describe. I was super stressed and had little help from the administrators. I was trying every trick of the trade and I’d be in the class thinking, “I don’t know what else to do”. I’ve done some subbing for IAs and been in classes where I’m still amazed at the way students speak to veteran teachers and there’s nothing the teacher can do about it. The verbal abuse they take from ES students is just awful. Some classes are better than others, but there are classes that have a few students that make teaching and learning very difficult.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of school districts are bringing in teachers from overseas because they just can’t get enough people. A lot of the younger teachers don’t even see it as a forever job anymore. Just a placeholder until they get to stay home with a kid or get a different job.

Teacher here....I've encouraged all three of my kids to avoid education at all costs. I saw a sub leave early last week...she said she didn't feel well but I heard how chaotic the room was~ behaviors and a lot of disrespect towards her. My guess is she was really sick...sick of the ridiculousness.

I am on a hiatus from teaching. Really considering never going back.

I too have strongly discouraged my kids from even considering a career in teaching.

The workload and behavior combo is what is killing education. Most college programs are curriculum and pedagogy heavy. A young new teacher will be able to write you a beautiful lesson plan but will have minimal knowledge about how to work with high intensity behaviors. With how kids are now it needs to be completely flipped, behaviors taught with more intensity and academics and curriculum taught on the job/ student teaching. If you can’t do behaviors you might as well not show up in an elementary school classroom or Special Education.

Anonymous wrote:A lot of school districts are bringing in teachers from overseas because they just can’t get enough people. A lot of the younger teachers don’t even see it as a forever job anymore. Just a placeholder until they get to stay home with a kid or get a different job.

Teacher here....I've encouraged all three of my kids to avoid education at all costs. I saw a sub leave early last week...she said she didn't feel well but I heard how chaotic the room was~ behaviors and a lot of disrespect towards her. My guess is she was really sick...sick of the ridiculousness.

A lot of school districts are bringing in teachers from overseas because they just can’t get enough people. A lot of the younger teachers don’t even see it as a forever job anymore. Just a placeholder until they get to stay home with a kid or get a different job.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any other profession that complains louder than teachers?

This is what happens when nobody listens to them. They leave. There’s almost nobody to take their place. My neighbor supervisors college students during their student teaching. She used to have 40-50 students graduate each year after student teaching. Almost all went in to teaching jobs. Now she has 12 and a few aren’t planning on teaching after they graduate. This is why schools end up hiring unqualified people. So many are leaving and there is next to no replacements. Listening to teachers is long overdue.

This. Thank you for writing this...it's sad where we are.

Anonymous wrote:Is there any other profession that complains louder than teachers?

This is what happens when nobody listens to them. They leave. There’s almost nobody to take their place. My neighbor supervisors college students during their student teaching. She used to have 40-50 students graduate each year after student teaching. Almost all went in to teaching jobs. Now she has 12 and a few aren’t planning on teaching after they graduate. This is why schools end up hiring unqualified people. So many are leaving and there is next to no replacements. Listening to teachers is long overdue.

Anonymous wrote:Is there any other profession that complains louder than teachers?

Yep, parent.

Anonymous wrote:Is there any other profession that complains louder than teachers?

Not sure it's a profession but parents seem to bi#ch non-stop. Just sayin'