Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP to this thread. I don't like APE but haven't complained about them in this thread before. I can see that prior APE shenanigans at school board meetings and PTA meetings has created a somewhat more hostile work environment for teachers (questioning whether they should receive shots, complaining that they weren't teaching remotely when most teachers I saw were putting in long hard hours, not giving them credit for working under difficult circumstances, generally having a "my way or the highway" attitude with teachers who are professionals with important jobs to teach our youth and not specifically your babysitters. All of that would make me question whether I belong in the system fwiw.

Also, honestly, I don't think Dr. Duran's position toward staff is great. I saw another thread about staff being allowed to work remotely and getting more paid time off than they used to get -- similar to teachers -- which doesn't really seem right to me. Teachers should have more privileges than staff. Teachers are on the front lines. That could also be causing teachers to migrate to cushier staff positions, which would not be ideal imho.

So, anyway, I have a lot of APE thoughts that aren't positive but I don't come into every DCUM thread to post them.

These thoughts are all two years old. Time for some new thoughts.

+1 Right now APE is working on higher teacher pay and smaller class sizes. As a staff member I support that.

And I believe they’re opposed to all those bonus paid holidays for Syphax staff. I welcome that.
- teacher

literally everyone is opposed to that. low bar.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP to this thread. I don't like APE but haven't complained about them in this thread before. I can see that prior APE shenanigans at school board meetings and PTA meetings has created a somewhat more hostile work environment for teachers (questioning whether they should receive shots, complaining that they weren't teaching remotely when most teachers I saw were putting in long hard hours, not giving them credit for working under difficult circumstances, generally having a "my way or the highway" attitude with teachers who are professionals with important jobs to teach our youth and not specifically your babysitters. All of that would make me question whether I belong in the system fwiw.

Also, honestly, I don't think Dr. Duran's position toward staff is great. I saw another thread about staff being allowed to work remotely and getting more paid time off than they used to get -- similar to teachers -- which doesn't really seem right to me. Teachers should have more privileges than staff. Teachers are on the front lines. That could also be causing teachers to migrate to cushier staff positions, which would not be ideal imho.

So, anyway, I have a lot of APE thoughts that aren't positive but I don't come into every DCUM thread to post them.

These thoughts are all two years old. Time for some new thoughts.

+1 Right now APE is working on higher teacher pay and smaller class sizes. As a staff member I support that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The turnover at my school is predictable I think, it’s mainly SPED staff and the teachers who have inclusion clusters in their classroom. We aren’t getting enough support, the needs are too great for many of the students who would have been spending much more time in self-contained a few years ago. I think the new inclusion goals are noble yet unrealistic. I’ve already decided that if I’m ever hit again I’ll quit. FWIW, I rarely hear anyone complain about pay, it’s been pushed to the bottom of concerns in my circle.

what are the inclusion clusters?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

We’re discussing teachers. Parental disrespect & bullying of teachers is a relevant & ongoing issue. It’s not the only factor but it surely plays a part.

Hmm funny thing. A lot of teachers speak at school board meetings. They’ve complained about Duran’s leadership, his cabinet, all the paid days off that syphax is getting, class sizes, compensation, caseloads, and so on. Not a single one has said “help us with mean parents”.

The APE nutters went after the teachers who did speak up, contacted their principals, threatened their jobs.

And you think teachers will continue to speak out publicly about those parents after that?

Clearly you have made it your sole focus and mission to raise the anti-APE flag to rehash 2020-2021 in every single conversation. If you would devote half as much passion to 2023, maybe you could be effective and beneficial in addressing the current problems and moving APS forward. As long as you keep focused on 2020 and work to keep everyone divided into anti-APE or MAGA extremists, APS will keep sliding downhill without the appropriate parental/community pushback. I'm neither of those two groups - never was; but because I won't keep focusing on 2020, I'm sure you'll just decide I'm APE and therefore nothing I say or believe matters because I'm anti-teacher and anti-kid and anti-whatever. Please, please, please....give it a rest! Your life will improve!

APE is unfortunately very relevant to 2023. You are correct that my life, and the lives of many others, would improve if APE would just go away. But they have not. They are more relevant than ever. Their founder is about to be on the school board, and their other leaders are taking over the APS advisory committees. APE has a vision to remake APS in their image with their values and they are executing that plan. We ignore them at our peril.

Unless in fact you agree with them, which it seems you may.

I don't follow APE closely and only occasionally read their newsletters, which I find very good overall and not written in a slanted way that is pushing a particular moral agenda. I'm not suggesting anyone ignore anyone. I'm suggesting people drop the huge brick walls they've put up and stop accusing anyone who doesn't agree with them 100% on any particular issue of being APE or MAGA or anti-teacher or anti-trans or homophobic or whatever.

I didn't say your life would be better if APE went away. I said your life would be better if you stopped focusing all your time and energy on bringing them up at every possible - and even invented - opportunity. I'm middle-of-the-road and am generally glad to have some different perspectives in the conversation, even if I don't agree with them. I don't agree with the extreme lefties on everything, either. Doesn't make me an APE-er.

Anonymous wrote:The turnover at my school is predictable I think, it’s mainly SPED staff and the teachers who have inclusion clusters in their classroom. We aren’t getting enough support, the needs are too great for many of the students who would have been spending much more time in self-contained a few years ago. I think the new inclusion goals are noble yet unrealistic. I’ve already decided that if I’m ever hit again I’ll quit. FWIW, I rarely hear anyone complain about pay, it’s been pushed to the bottom of concerns in my circle.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP to this thread. I don't like APE but haven't complained about them in this thread before. I can see that prior APE shenanigans at school board meetings and PTA meetings has created a somewhat more hostile work environment for teachers (questioning whether they should receive shots, complaining that they weren't teaching remotely when most teachers I saw were putting in long hard hours, not giving them credit for working under difficult circumstances, generally having a "my way or the highway" attitude with teachers who are professionals with important jobs to teach our youth and not specifically your babysitters. All of that would make me question whether I belong in the system fwiw.

Also, honestly, I don't think Dr. Duran's position toward staff is great. I saw another thread about staff being allowed to work remotely and getting more paid time off than they used to get -- similar to teachers -- which doesn't really seem right to me. Teachers should have more privileges than staff. Teachers are on the front lines. That could also be causing teachers to migrate to cushier staff positions, which would not be ideal imho.

So, anyway, I have a lot of APE thoughts that aren't positive but I don't come into every DCUM thread to post them.

These thoughts are all two years old. Time for some new thoughts.

+1 Right now APE is working on higher teacher pay and smaller class sizes. As a staff member I support that.

And I believe they’re opposed to all those bonus paid holidays for Syphax staff. I welcome that.
- teacher

literally everyone is opposed to that. low bar.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

We’re discussing teachers. Parental disrespect & bullying of teachers is a relevant & ongoing issue. It’s not the only factor but it surely plays a part.

Hmm funny thing. A lot of teachers speak at school board meetings. They’ve complained about Duran’s leadership, his cabinet, all the paid days off that syphax is getting, class sizes, compensation, caseloads, and so on. Not a single one has said “help us with mean parents”.

The APE nutters went after the teachers who did speak up, contacted their principals, threatened their jobs.

And you think teachers will continue to speak out publicly about those parents after that?

Clearly you have made it your sole focus and mission to raise the anti-APE flag to rehash 2020-2021 in every single conversation. If you would devote half as much passion to 2023, maybe you could be effective and beneficial in addressing the current problems and moving APS forward. As long as you keep focused on 2020 and work to keep everyone divided into anti-APE or MAGA extremists, APS will keep sliding downhill without the appropriate parental/community pushback. I'm neither of those two groups - never was; but because I won't keep focusing on 2020, I'm sure you'll just decide I'm APE and therefore nothing I say or believe matters because I'm anti-teacher and anti-kid and anti-whatever. Please, please, please....give it a rest! Your life will improve!

APE is unfortunately very relevant to 2023. You are correct that my life, and the lives of many others, would improve if APE would just go away. But they have not. They are more relevant than ever. Their founder is about to be on the school board, and their other leaders are taking over the APS advisory committees. APE has a vision to remake APS in their image with their values and they are executing that plan. We ignore them at our peril.

Unless in fact you agree with them, which it seems you may.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

We’re discussing teachers. Parental disrespect & bullying of teachers is a relevant & ongoing issue. It’s not the only factor but it surely plays a part.

Hmm funny thing. A lot of teachers speak at school board meetings. They’ve complained about Duran’s leadership, his cabinet, all the paid days off that syphax is getting, class sizes, compensation, caseloads, and so on. Not a single one has said “help us with mean parents”.

Why on earth would they do that? What is the school board going to do? The fact they don't talk to the school board about this doesn't mean this isn't a serious problem for teachers. Nice try....you're probably one of those horrid parents who's just looking for ways to rationalize your entitled behavior.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP to this thread. I don't like APE but haven't complained about them in this thread before. I can see that prior APE shenanigans at school board meetings and PTA meetings has created a somewhat more hostile work environment for teachers (questioning whether they should receive shots, complaining that they weren't teaching remotely when most teachers I saw were putting in long hard hours, not giving them credit for working under difficult circumstances, generally having a "my way or the highway" attitude with teachers who are professionals with important jobs to teach our youth and not specifically your babysitters. All of that would make me question whether I belong in the system fwiw.

Also, honestly, I don't think Dr. Duran's position toward staff is great. I saw another thread about staff being allowed to work remotely and getting more paid time off than they used to get -- similar to teachers -- which doesn't really seem right to me. Teachers should have more privileges than staff. Teachers are on the front lines. That could also be causing teachers to migrate to cushier staff positions, which would not be ideal imho.

So, anyway, I have a lot of APE thoughts that aren't positive but I don't come into every DCUM thread to post them.

These thoughts are all two years old. Time for some new thoughts.

+1 Right now APE is working on higher teacher pay and smaller class sizes. As a staff member I support that.

And I believe they’re opposed to all those bonus paid holidays for Syphax staff. I welcome that.
- teacher

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP to this thread. I don't like APE but haven't complained about them in this thread before. I can see that prior APE shenanigans at school board meetings and PTA meetings has created a somewhat more hostile work environment for teachers (questioning whether they should receive shots, complaining that they weren't teaching remotely when most teachers I saw were putting in long hard hours, not giving them credit for working under difficult circumstances, generally having a "my way or the highway" attitude with teachers who are professionals with important jobs to teach our youth and not specifically your babysitters. All of that would make me question whether I belong in the system fwiw.

Also, honestly, I don't think Dr. Duran's position toward staff is great. I saw another thread about staff being allowed to work remotely and getting more paid time off than they used to get -- similar to teachers -- which doesn't really seem right to me. Teachers should have more privileges than staff. Teachers are on the front lines. That could also be causing teachers to migrate to cushier staff positions, which would not be ideal imho.

So, anyway, I have a lot of APE thoughts that aren't positive but I don't come into every DCUM thread to post them.

These thoughts are all two years old. Time for some new thoughts.

+1 Right now APE is working on higher teacher pay and smaller class sizes. As a staff member I support that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP to this thread. I don't like APE but haven't complained about them in this thread before. I can see that prior APE shenanigans at school board meetings and PTA meetings has created a somewhat more hostile work environment for teachers (questioning whether they should receive shots, complaining that they weren't teaching remotely when most teachers I saw were putting in long hard hours, not giving them credit for working under difficult circumstances, generally having a "my way or the highway" attitude with teachers who are professionals with important jobs to teach our youth and not specifically your babysitters. All of that would make me question whether I belong in the system fwiw.

Also, honestly, I don't think Dr. Duran's position toward staff is great. I saw another thread about staff being allowed to work remotely and getting more paid time off than they used to get -- similar to teachers -- which doesn't really seem right to me. Teachers should have more privileges than staff. Teachers are on the front lines. That could also be causing teachers to migrate to cushier staff positions, which would not be ideal imho.

So, anyway, I have a lot of APE thoughts that aren't positive but I don't come into every DCUM thread to post them.

These thoughts are all two years old. Time for some new thoughts.

+1 Right now APE is working on higher teacher pay and smaller class sizes. As a staff member I support that.

I don't trust them as far as I can throw them. They showed up who they are.

Lots of people went nuts during the pandemic (on both sides) I don't judge them solely on their worst members and I hope they don't judge me on my most insane colleagues in APS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP to this thread. I don't like APE but haven't complained about them in this thread before. I can see that prior APE shenanigans at school board meetings and PTA meetings has created a somewhat more hostile work environment for teachers (questioning whether they should receive shots, complaining that they weren't teaching remotely when most teachers I saw were putting in long hard hours, not giving them credit for working under difficult circumstances, generally having a "my way or the highway" attitude with teachers who are professionals with important jobs to teach our youth and not specifically your babysitters. All of that would make me question whether I belong in the system fwiw.

Also, honestly, I don't think Dr. Duran's position toward staff is great. I saw another thread about staff being allowed to work remotely and getting more paid time off than they used to get -- similar to teachers -- which doesn't really seem right to me. Teachers should have more privileges than staff. Teachers are on the front lines. That could also be causing teachers to migrate to cushier staff positions, which would not be ideal imho.

So, anyway, I have a lot of APE thoughts that aren't positive but I don't come into every DCUM thread to post them.

These thoughts are all two years old. Time for some new thoughts.

+1 Right now APE is working on higher teacher pay and smaller class sizes. As a staff member I support that.

I don't trust them as far as I can throw them. They showed up who they are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP to this thread. I don't like APE but haven't complained about them in this thread before. I can see that prior APE shenanigans at school board meetings and PTA meetings has created a somewhat more hostile work environment for teachers (questioning whether they should receive shots, complaining that they weren't teaching remotely when most teachers I saw were putting in long hard hours, not giving them credit for working under difficult circumstances, generally having a "my way or the highway" attitude with teachers who are professionals with important jobs to teach our youth and not specifically your babysitters. All of that would make me question whether I belong in the system fwiw.

Also, honestly, I don't think Dr. Duran's position toward staff is great. I saw another thread about staff being allowed to work remotely and getting more paid time off than they used to get -- similar to teachers -- which doesn't really seem right to me. Teachers should have more privileges than staff. Teachers are on the front lines. That could also be causing teachers to migrate to cushier staff positions, which would not be ideal imho.

So, anyway, I have a lot of APE thoughts that aren't positive but I don't come into every DCUM thread to post them.

These thoughts are all two years old. Time for some new thoughts.

+1 Right now APE is working on higher teacher pay and smaller class sizes. As a staff member I support that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP to this thread. I don't like APE but haven't complained about them in this thread before. I can see that prior APE shenanigans at school board meetings and PTA meetings has created a somewhat more hostile work environment for teachers (questioning whether they should receive shots, complaining that they weren't teaching remotely when most teachers I saw were putting in long hard hours, not giving them credit for working under difficult circumstances, generally having a "my way or the highway" attitude with teachers who are professionals with important jobs to teach our youth and not specifically your babysitters. All of that would make me question whether I belong in the system fwiw.

Also, honestly, I don't think Dr. Duran's position toward staff is great. I saw another thread about staff being allowed to work remotely and getting more paid time off than they used to get -- similar to teachers -- which doesn't really seem right to me. Teachers should have more privileges than staff. Teachers are on the front lines. That could also be causing teachers to migrate to cushier staff positions, which would not be ideal imho.

So, anyway, I have a lot of APE thoughts that aren't positive but I don't come into every DCUM thread to post them.

These thoughts are all two years old. Time for some new thoughts.

You don't think it's demoralizing to teachers that the leader of this group is about to be on the school board? I do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP to this thread. I don't like APE but haven't complained about them in this thread before. I can see that prior APE shenanigans at school board meetings and PTA meetings has created a somewhat more hostile work environment for teachers (questioning whether they should receive shots, complaining that they weren't teaching remotely when most teachers I saw were putting in long hard hours, not giving them credit for working under difficult circumstances, generally having a "my way or the highway" attitude with teachers who are professionals with important jobs to teach our youth and not specifically your babysitters. All of that would make me question whether I belong in the system fwiw.

Also, honestly, I don't think Dr. Duran's position toward staff is great. I saw another thread about staff being allowed to work remotely and getting more paid time off than they used to get -- similar to teachers -- which doesn't really seem right to me. Teachers should have more privileges than staff. Teachers are on the front lines. That could also be causing teachers to migrate to cushier staff positions, which would not be ideal imho.

So, anyway, I have a lot of APE thoughts that aren't positive but I don't come into every DCUM thread to post them.

These thoughts are all two years old. Time for some new thoughts.