OT: Teachers of Boneyard...Back to School Time

[AZHuskiePop]

To the Teachers of Boneyards, godspeed to you all and hope everyone has an excellent school year.

I'm back for meetings on Tuesday with students coming the following Tuesday and an overnight camping trip in NW NJ from that Wednesday-Friday. Nice way to start the school year without anything heavy content wise.

Also, I'm in a new classroom after staying in the same room for the first twelve years at my school, so I'm looking forward to that change.

Best of luck to all!

My 14 year old grandson is almost 1/2 way through the first quarter .
His school district started on 7/21 the first qtr ends 9/30 .
His district has a plan I think most teachers would like. . They get 2 week vacations at each qtr break , Oct and March Plus 21/2 weeks for Christmas. Thats over 6 weeks plus holidays during the greatest weather.They get out by Memorial Day.
First of all summer is the worst weather of the year so a short summer vacation is no big deal.All the schools have AC .
Getting and keeping teachers in Az except for some districts is difficult as the pay is terrible.
The Districts out here are crazy the Town you live in might not be the District.
My daughter has taught SPED in Ct for years

 

[husky429]

started on 7/21 the first qtr ends 9/30 .
His district has a plan I think most teachers would like. . They get 2 week vacations at each qtr break , Oct and March Plus 21/2 weeks for Christmas. Thats over 6 weeks plus holidays during the greatest weather.They get out by Memorial Day.
First of all summer is the worst weather of the year so a short summer vacation is no big deal.All the schools have AC .
Getting and keeping teachers in Az except for some districts is difficult as the pay is terrible.
The Districts out here are crazy the Town you live in

They've done studies on schedules like that. They're pretty effective in stopping some of that summer slump, but teachers and parents are generally not in favor. It complicates things like summer camp, family vacations, etc. Personally, I'm in favor of it and would definitely vote in favor if given the opportunity. I think most people would get used to it pretty quickly.

AZ is an absolute disaster educationally. They (and quite a few other states) should be embarrassed by what's happening in their public schools.

 

[Minicoop69]

My 14 year old grandson is almost 1/2 way through the first quarter .
His school district started on 7/21 the first qtr ends 9/30 .
His district has a plan I think most teachers would like. . They get 2 week vacations at each qtr break , Oct and March Plus 21/2 weeks for Christmas. Thats over 6 weeks plus holidays during the greatest weather.They get out by Memorial Day.
First of all summer is the worst weather of the year so a short summer vacation is no big deal.All the schools have AC .
Getting and keeping teachers in Az except for some districts is difficult as the pay is terrible.
The Districts out here are crazy the Town you live in might not be the District.
My daughter has taught SPED in Ct for years

That's a balanced calendar and it was pitched in the school district I used to teach in about 13 years ago. The problem was that what they ended up with wasn't a true balanced schedule is was a modified version and it doesn't really do what it was supposed to do.

Balanced calendar is really where it is at though and that is something that every school district should move too.

 

[dennismenace]

Year 15 teacher here in the RV production capital of the US in Indiana. Teach High School math at a public school.

Our 1st day with students was last Wednesday. We were the last district in the area to start school this year. Other districts started the 1st Friday in August.

Really need to get out!!!

Do those who start in early August take time off in the fall for farming (harvest time)?

 

[Minicoop69]

Our school and surrounding area does not. I do not know of 1 actual district in Indiana that takes time off to farm during school. Not saying it doesn't happen, but I haven't ever heard of one.

Around me it is mostly feed corn and soybeans. Feed corn doesn't get farmed until October or even later depending upon the weather.

Soy should be harvested in another month or two.

Factories are the biggest thing there is around me. They employ tens of thousands of workers. A lot of the Amish work in them. And a lot of my students have at least 1 parent who works in them.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Do those who start in early August take time off in the fall for farming (harvest time)?

Plenty of school down south start early to mid-August. I have family in Orlando and they started Aug 10.

Couple of reasons. August is just brutal hot. People don't want to do much outdoors after the warmth of June and July. By August you are sick of the heat. So, families normally spend a lot of time doing indoor activities. Might as well put the kids in an air-conditioned classroom.

Up north you worry about snow days extending the school year. Down south you have hurricanes. Many school systems down south are done by Memorial Day. That is a beautiful thing. If a big hurricane hits, that happens by mid-November at the latest, so you know if there are 8-10 days of classes which need to be made up for the remainder of the school year.

 

[Viet Vet]

I am a Museum Educator at Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington. We have school groups ranging from kindergarten to college. If you are not familiar with Hill-Stead, it houses (in situ) one of the country's finest private collections of Impressionist paintings, works by Monet, Manet, Degas, Cassatt and Whistler. Check it out at www.hillstead.org.

 

[gtcam]

I come from and have a family full of educators and appreciate what teachers do and have to endure (especially these recent years and changing philosophies of the newer BOEs). I could never be a teacher because they would fire me - I couldn't just stand there and take the BS these kids know they can getaway with while the principals tell the teachers that the kids are just expressing themselves. I had a family member who is a 30+ year teacher who was given a written warning for separating two girls (the teacher is female) who were fighting and pulling hair out of each others heads. Absolutely crazy.
God Bless all of you who teach our children - what was once a noble profession has fallen victim to various degrees of idiocy within the administrations.
HAVE A GREAT YEAR

 

[crazyUCfan23]

Once you get used to it and figure out all the ins and outs it’s way better than any other LMS. Everyone will complain. There is a learning curve - more so for the older teachers. But once you get there you’ll realize it blows google classroom out of the water. Google classroom is prettier. That’s it.

Edit to add: feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I used to run PD for it at my old district.

Thank you for the insight - much appreciated!

 

[andy34]

Starting year 3 of teaching social studies at a vocational high school here in CT. Made a mid career switch into education and have generally loved it.

Way back in the day I worked in state politics, and it's ironic that I'm in a field/subject that's almost as political.

 

[dennismenace]

Plenty of school down south start early to mid-August. I have family in Orlando and they started Aug 10.

Couple of reasons. August is just brutal hot. People don't want to do much outdoors after the warmth of June and July. By August you are sick of the heat. So, families normally spend a lot of time doing indoor activities. Might as well put the kids in an air-conditioned classroom.

Up north you worry about snow days extending the school year. Down south you have hurricanes. Many school systems down south are done by Memorial Day. That is a beautiful thing. If a big hurricane hits, that happens by mid-November at the latest, so you know if there are 8-10 days of classes which need to be made up for the remainder of the school year.

I wondered because I knew a number of kids growing up who were French Canadian and lived in potatoe country in northern Maine. They worked in the fall at harvest time and I imagine there are other rural states with the same situation. The image of Fla in the month of August was given to me by a lady who took her kids to Disney in Orlando in August. I asked her "how hot was it?" and she said
"Africa hot"!!

 

[HooperScooper]

The image of Fla in the month of August was given to me by a lady who took her kids to Disney in Orlando in August. I asked her "how hot was it?" and she said
"Africa hot"!!

That's a line from the movie Biloxi Blues with Matthew Broderick. My friends and I use that phrase all the time.

 

[TXHuskyFan]

Do those who start in early August take time off in the fall for farming (harvest time)?

We are in the Dallas suburbs so no harvesting around here. Either has to do with heat or just historical precedent. Several years ago the state tried to get later (late august) starts for everyone, but so many districts applied for waivers that they scrapped the idea and it seems like we start earlier every year now.

 

[RJScootin]

Anyone out there with kids in daycare/pre-school?

We’ve seen massive jumps price recently. I knew it was basically a mortgage going in but a 20-30% jump in cost is a lot ($5k-$6k more per year).

Anyone see the same thing? They say it’s because of inflation, teacher gas costs, they want to increase teacher salaries because they aren’t making much more than minimum wage, budget balancing. I don’t mind paying more but we’re barely getting by as it is. Wild.

My sons daycare went up $25 a week, so not to bad. He could go to kindergarten this year but with a late Dec. Bday we figure let him get another year in before he starts.

Where they get me is having to pay all summer when my wife's a teacher to keep our spot in the daycare for following year.

Although she really doesn't complain about it, enjoys still sending him like 3-4 days a week.

She'll be going into I think year 18 at Park City Magnet in BPT. She's teacher of young kids with special needs. True saint have no clue has she does it.

Best of luck to all this teachers heading back for another year. Hope you all enjoyed your summer.

 

[huskeynut]

Retired several years ago after 33 years as a public school music teacher and band director and department head.

To all the Boneyard educators, all the best as you embark on another year of educational adventures!

 

[Vuce]

My entire family (parents, aunts, uncles) were teachers when I was growing up. Considered doing that too but didn’t. I’ve seen a lot of news stories like the one below referencing major teacher shortages because of how bad everything has gotten. I am very thankful my kids are done with school now. Those of you that are teachers - I assume you are feeling the effects of these crazy staffing shortages?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/08/03/school-teacher-shortage/

 

[husky99]

I am a Museum Educator at Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington. We have school groups ranging from kindergarten to college. If you are not familiar with Hill-Stead, it houses (in situ) one of the country's finest private collections of Impressionist paintings, works by Monet, Manet, Degas, Cassatt and Whistler. Check it out at www.hillstead.org.

I have been a few times and live close. Great place
@Viet Vet

 

[husky429]

My entire family (parents, aunts, uncles) were teachers when I was growing up. Considered doing that too but didn’t. I’ve seen a lot of news stories like the one below referencing major teacher shortages because of how bad everything has gotten. I am very thankful my kids are done with school now. Those of you that are teachers - I assume you are feeling the effects of these crazy staffing shortages?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/08/03/school-teacher-shortage/

Teachers are in shortage where they don't pay, or where working conditions are poor. All across the south, Mid-west etc. there are shortages because they treat teachers like crap. My sister-in-law works in North Carolina in a HUGE regional high school. I make more than their principal.

In CT, there are shortages in science/math, basically. And it's only really a shortage in districts people don't want to work in. In good districts there's still a variety of applicants.

 

[NJHoops]

We had our yearly start of the year let’s get inspired “celebration” today, which, as usual, did the exact opposite.

In my world of special education, we’re short on school psychs and instructional assistants.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Retired several years ago after 33 years as a public school music teacher and band director and department head.

To all the Boneyard educators, all the best as you embark on another year of educational adventures!

As someone who did marching band, jazz band and the symphony in high school (alto, tenor and baritone sax, respectively) thanks for being a music educator!

One of my highlights of high school!

I remember being super nervous before my first marching band performance because I was worried people would think it was super lame. However, we were like 200+ students, played well and our football team was good, so the sense I got from students was at worst ambivalent and at best lots of support. Pregames were a good party scene too!

I'll never forget talking myself out of getting in trouble for eating edibles on the bus ride to a competition in Virginia . The key was talking myself out of it weeks after I ate the brownies!

 

[tzznandrew]

I'm in the building tomorrow, don't start teaching until after Labor Day.

On balanced schedules: I love summer too much. But I'm at a private school that gives me lots of time off, so it's not quite the same.

 

[superjohn]

Teachers are in shortage where they don't pay, or where working conditions are poor. All across the south, Mid-west etc. there are shortages because they treat teachers like crap. My sister-in-law works in North Carolina in a HUGE regional high school. I make more than their principal.

In CT, there are shortages in science/math, basically. And it's only really a shortage in districts people don't want to work in. In good districts there's still a variety of applicants.

There seems to be shortages all over the country, not just the Midwest and South. I would assume there's a shortage in districts people don't want to work in all over the country.


Face the Facts: Addressing the Teacher Shortage in Conn. – NBC Connecticut

Face the Facts: Addressing the Teacher Shortage in Conn.

The state is facing a shortage of qualified teachers as we head into the new school year. President of the Connecticut Education Association Kate Dias joins Mike Hydeck to give an update on how districts are working to resolve the problem. Mike Hydeck: Hartford is offering $5,000 bonuses and...

www.nbcconnecticut.com

Amid teacher shortage, N.J. looks for ways to make it easier to become an educator

Amid teacher shortage, N.J. looks for ways to make it easier to become an educator

The New Jersey Board of Education Wednesday considered a variety of rule changes regarding standards for the teaching force.

nj.com

New York state facing teacher shortage - WNYT.com NewsChannel 13

New York state facing teacher shortage

As millions of students prepare to get back in the classroom, schools across the country are facing a teacher shortage. It’s causing school districts and law makers to find ways to combat the problem that's been a growing problem for years now. NBC's Jesse Kirsch reports. New York State is not...

wnyt.com

With school set to open in a few weeks, school districts facing staff shortages - What's Up Newp

With school set to open in a few weeks, school districts facing staff shortages

Just a few weeks before the opening of schools throughout Rhode Island, many school districts are still trying to fill teacher and other vacancies, according to published reports and comments […]

whatsupnewp.com

Nearly 1 out of 5 classes in California taught by underprepared teachers | EdSource

Nearly 1 out of 5 classes in California taught by underprepared teachers

A new state database of teacher assignments shows that 17% of K-12 classes in 2020-21 were taught by teachers without the credential or training to teach the course.

edsource.org

 

[uconnfan68]

They've done studies on schedules like that. They're pretty effective in stopping some of that summer slump, but teachers and parents are generally not in favor. It complicates things like summer camp, family vacations, etc. Personally, I'm in favor of it and would definitely vote in favor if given the opportunity. I think most people would get used to it pretty quickly.

AZ is an absolute disaster educationally. They (and quite a few other states) should be embarrassed by what's happening in their public schools.

When politicians are in charge…

 

[M.S.G.]

Welp, finally got my last "no" as far as interviews.. Finalist @ 3 places, missed out on all of them..

Guess I'm back at my school for another year, seems like I'm now trapped, too many years and too pricey, sigh.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Welp, finally got my last "no" as far as interviews.. Finalist @ 3 places, missed out on all of them..

Guess I'm back at my school for another year, seems like I'm now trapped, too many years and too pricey, sigh.

#quietquitting.