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

[CallMeBruce]

Our current HOS is an acceptable end-of-his career band aid hire who is starting his fourth year so my guess is we’ll get the gears turning for a new transition towards the end of this year.

This is exactly what happened to us. They fired our old HOS a few years ago and brought someone out of retirement. Then COVID hit so he ended up sticking around for an extra two years. I actually really liked him, but his wife basically dragged him away at the end of last year (though I don't think she had to drag that hard). They started the search too early, so their first two picks turned them down for a job they could start sooner. This guy had never been a HOS before and was willing to wait, and then he got there and has basically been a complete nightmare who was going to get the school sued if he didn't get his act together.

 

[ctchamps]

A pity they let the old punishments die. Was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming.

School district in Missouri allowing students to be spanked for disciplinary reasons.

 

[ctchamps]

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 is No National Teaching Shortage. The Narrative Does Not Match the Numbers.

Good article. Echoes what you are saying plus additional opinions.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

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 - What's Up Newp

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 from leading state educators. But the teacher shortages in Rhode Island hardly compare with other...

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

and now, for a change, a reasoned and thoughtful opinion on the subject.
There Is No National Teacher Shortage
edit: i just noticed that fleudslipcon posted this already. props.
i got it from rcp. they're pretty good with numbers stuff.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Just finished up my second week with students, how is everyone's start to the school year?

To sum it up, I'd say "tiring, but good".

The three-day overnight sleep-away camp trip to the Del Water Gap area of NJ was exhausting, but fun. Perfect weather, the kids were good and the camp's staff/activities were well organized. Fell asleep that returning Friday at 7:30, though, haha.

The week after Labor Day was first week of real classes. My schedule is really weird this year: four of the five days I teach all my classes in a row and then either meetings or prep periods follow so I just have to get used to that.

After two days of awkwardness, the students have seemed to settle in too. Athletics (I'll do cross-country this fall) and electives (I coach the MathCounts team) start up this week, so nice to clock those extra hours for $$$.

Anyone's immune system adjusting oddly? I'm already on my second stomach bug in three weeks.

 

[CL82]

Just finished up my second week with students, how is everyone's start to the school year?

To sum it up, I'd say "tiring, but good".

The three-day overnight sleep-away camp trip to the Del Water Gap area of NJ was exhausting, but fun. Perfect weather, the kids were good and the camp's staff/activities were well organized. Fell asleep that returning Friday at 7:30, though, haha.

The week after Labor Day was first week of real classes. My schedule is really weird this year: four of the five days I teach all my classes in a row and then either meetings or prep periods follow so I just have to get used to that.

After two days of awkwardness, the students have seemed to settle in too. Athletics (I'll do cross-country this fall) and electives (I coach the MathCounts team) start up this week, so nice to clock those extra hours for $$$.

Anyone's immune system adjusting oddly? I'm already on my second stomach bug in three weeks.

Your school trip was to the Water Gap? Nice! Was it just a camp nearby or did you get out on the Delaware at all? Canoeing the Delaware through Water Gap is a blast.

 

[M.S.G.]

I've been flat out exhausted these first 2 weeks of school. The other 3 teachers in my department either left or were let go, so now I'm the only veteran teacher (of 1 year at this school - 16 overall) left. We don't have department heads at my school, but I've taken on holding the common planning time meetings in my room and running them.. Also have sat in on classes for the 2 first year teachers we hired.. My classes are a piece of cake but all of these added layers (that I may not even get paid for doing) makes it all the more exhausting.

 

[husky429]

I am a dean now. Administration is weird. I don't have to be "on" mentally nearly as much, but the harder moments are much less forgiving and more frequent. I am working less hours but also much more energized after work. I can pee when I want, stare blankly at the wall for a minute and no one throws a chair, plus my salary close to doubled. Life is pretty good at the moment.

We have 11 new teachers, 8 of whom are right out of college. 1 was fired on day 4, but thankfully a person who just retired agreed to step in for a few weeks until we get a new person. Working with the new teachers has been my big job. A couple of these new kids it's already pretty obvious that they aren't cut out for the classroom. A few others look pretty strong though.

Had 7 or 8 ISS kids so far, and only a handful of attendance issues. Lots of mouthy kids cussing me out but I'm used to it lol. Not too bad.

 

[temery]

I am a dean now. Administration is weird. I don't have to be "on" mentally nearly as much, but the harder moments are much less forgiving and more frequent. I am working less hours but also much more energized after work. I can pee when I want, stare blankly at the wall for a minute and no one throws a chair, plus my salary close to doubled. Life is pretty good at the moment.

We have 11 new teachers, 8 of whom are right out of college. 1 was fired on day 4, but thankfully a person who just retired agreed to step in for a few weeks until we get a new person. Working with the new teachers has been my big job. A couple of these new kids it's already pretty obvious that they aren't cut out for the classroom. A few others look pretty strong though.

Had 7 or 8 ISS kids so far, and only a handful of attendance issues. Lots of mouthy kids cussing me out but I'm used to it lol. Not too bad.

How does someone get fired after four days?

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Your school trip was to the Water Gap? Nice! Was it just a camp nearby or did you get out on the Delaware at all? Canoeing the Delaware through Water Gap is a blast.

It was a YMCA camp at Fairview Lake in NW NJ just a few miles from the river.

The lodging and obviously the lake wasn’t as impressive as when we used to do this trip in southern Lake George, but the two hour drive was a huge bonus especially getting back early on Labor Day Friday.

 

[CL82]

It was a YMCA camp at Fairview Lake in NW NJ just a few miles from the river.

The lodging and obviously the lake wasn’t as impressive as when we used to do this trip in southern Lake George, but the two hour drive was a huge bonus especially getting back early on Labor Day Friday.

My kids middle school in Northern NJ used to go to Fairview lake for a middle school trip as well. They enjoyed it. As a parent, it was always interesting watching some kids get their gear out of the car versus watching others moms and dads do it. Kids who travel for sports, scouts, etc. sling a bag over their shoulder and are ready to go. Other kids look absolutely lost. But that’s really the point of the trip, to stretch kids a little bit. I always appreciated the teachers who went out on these trips because it always seemed above and beyond the call of duty. A lot of fun though, I’m sure.

 

[husky429]

How does someone get fired after four days?

Adding kids on social media where you have... let's call them "lewd but not nude" photos... and proceeding to flirt with said students on social media via DMs... doesn't end up working out career-wise. People and adding kids on social media. Happens once in a while, never ends up being a positive thing.

 

[husky429]

Adding kids on social media where you have... let's call them "lewd but not nude" photos... and proceeding to flirt with said students on social media via DMs... doesn't end up working out career-wise. People and adding kids on social media. Happens once in a while, never ends up being a positive thing.

I should add... I don't think it was like a majorly perverted thing as much as really REALLY poor judgment and someone who has gotten what she wants in life by being pretty, personable and flirtatious. Well... I hope

 

[temery]

gotten what she wants in life by being pretty, personable and flirtatious.

Need ... a ... link ... please.

 

[temery]

Adding kids on social media where you have... let's call them "lewd but not nude" photos... and proceeding to flirt with said students on social media via DMs... doesn't end up working out career-wise. People and adding kids on social media. Happens once in a while, never ends up being a positive thing.

We had a new teacher who used the phone tree to drunk dial male teachers saying she needed some lovin. Funny thing is that particular principal would have obliged, but she wasn't drunk enough to call the boss.

This was Labor Day weekend (25 years ago). If only she had called me first.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

I am a dean now. Administration is weird. I don't have to be "on" mentally nearly as much, but the harder moments are much less forgiving and more frequent.....

We have 11 new teachers...Working with the new teachers has been my big job....

I can kinda relate to both of these points.

We have a new head of middle school, our first head of middle school to come straight from another school in about twelve years. So far, I really like her: open, fair, communicative, honest, personable without being chummy, hard-working.

The issue is that a second year employee at the school applied for the same job and did not make the final cut (literally no educational leadership experience and very little American teaching experience). She's my age (36) and spent the previous decade in Southeast Asia after living in the Pacific Northwest.

To make a long story short, she, although having no authority to do so, is asserting herself as almost a middle management role in our middle school, a role that not only is totally unnecessary, but also not even in existence in a middle school of eighty students and six department heads, me being one of them. Micromanaging, as you will, without having the authority to even be in that position, so that's awkward.

What's especially awkward is that our new hires (we have four of them) think it's normal because they don't know any different whenever they get steamrolled. I share a room with a new hire who runs the English department: she's a competent, great co-worker so far, but I occasionally catch her reading my barometer on what I think about how this wannabee admin oversteps her bounds. She's staying corporate, but my guess is that a future happy hour will give some necessary truth serum for some good ol' fashioned smack talking. My goal with this is just tacitly tell the new hires what's important and what's unnecessary aka one of the #1 skills to survive as a teacher.

Somewhat adjacent to this is that I've been kinda volun-told to help our new head of middle school get used to all the idiosyncrasies of our school, something that I really enjoy and don't mind doing, just a time suck during my prep periods, but I like being helpful. Good karma for the future, I guess.

Random aside, I was hand picked by two members of the board to take over our competitive math team. They're typical hands-on board member parents (oblivious that they are hands on), and both of which went to MIT together and have legitimate genius level kids when it comes to math. Anywho, I was warned of this by our AD/Electives coordinator and he basically told me name your price considering the situation and the parents involved, so after a little negotiating, I'll be leading the math team earning more than double per hour that I make coaching. Not bad for a guy who failed his last math class at UConn!

 

[husky429]

We had a new teacher who used the phone tree to drunk dial male teachers saying she needed some lovin. Funny thing is that particular principal would have obliged, but she wasn't drunk enough to call the boss.

This was Labor Day weekend (25 years ago). If only she had called me first.

Showing your age talking about phone trees lol

 

[jibsey]

@M.S.G. ....not sure if this will help. I have heard some crazy stories as well.

My girlfriend is a school psychologist. Top of the scale. Over 20 plus years of experience, plus it's a shortage area in CT right now. Was offered a job in early July at one of the better districts in the state after interviewing twice, and after getting glow reviews from her references. She accepted.

It took HR a week to get back to her to set up an appointment to finalize everything. The HR director was almost an hour late to her meeting, and then said the district was offering her 25 grand less than top of the scale because she had taken 2 years off total during her career (1 each for the birth of her children, which were complicated births).

The HR manager met with her on a Tuesday afternoon, and gave her a Wednesday deadline of 5 p.m to take it or leave it as he put it. He said any questions let me know.

She had one question, emailed him, left 3 voice mail messages over 2 days, and he never got back to her. Finally, on THURSDAY, at 6 p.m. he emailed her and said they were pulling the offer because they never heard from her, and he had consulted with someone in the district who wasn't even part of the interview process. She called the principal who hired her, the Super, and no one would take her call.

Beyond this being ridicilous, unprofessional, etc. she lost almost 2 weeks of time where she could have applied at other places.

Luckily, she just found another job, but it is a wacky world out there.

At my school, we can't find anyone for our psychological services team. Everyone seems to be leaving the field...

That was my wife’s job and it’s a tough one. The good news is there’s always a job……and the bad is there’s always aggravation.

 

[Jbirdp5]

I am a dean now. Administration is weird. I don't have to be "on" mentally nearly as much, but the harder moments are much less forgiving and more frequent. I am working less hours but also much more energized after work. I can pee when I want, stare blankly at the wall for a minute and no one throws a chair, plus my salary close to doubled. Life is pretty good at the moment.

We have 11 new teachers, 8 of whom are right out of college. 1 was fired on day 4, but thankfully a person who just retired agreed to step in for a few weeks until we get a new person. Working with the new teachers has been my big job. A couple of these new kids it's already pretty obvious that they aren't cut out for the classroom. A few others look pretty strong though.

Had 7 or 8 ISS kids so far, and only a handful of attendance issues. Lots of mouthy kids cussing me out but I'm used to it lol. Not too bad.

We lead our district in suspensions last year, 2 weeks in…..none so far, we are happy lol

 

[M.S.G.]

Need ... a ... link ... please.

Yeah no kidding

It's just fascinating to watch the trajectory of young teachers. Some get it immediately, but I truly think it has nothing to do with schooling, some to do with overall maturity and tact, and a lot to do with organization. Grad school classes are largely a huge waste of time and a MASSIVE waste of money - but you gotta do what you gotta do.

One of the district admin asked me last year if I had any interest in more schooling and I belly laughed. I can't IMAGINE doing classes ever again. I finished my Masters in 2008 and I've had to take courses for various reasons every few years and the thought of it makes me want to stick a fork in my eye.

 

[husky429]

Yeah no kidding

It's just fascinating to watch the trajectory of young teachers. Some get it immediately, but I truly think it has nothing to do with schooling, some to do with overall maturity and tact, and a lot to do with organization. Grad school classes are largely a huge waste of time and a MASSIVE waste of money - but you gotta do what you gotta do.

One of the district admin asked me last year if I had any interest in more schooling and I belly laughed. I can't IMAGINE doing classes ever again. I finished my Masters in 2008 and I've had to take courses for various reasons every few years and the thought of it makes me want to stick a fork in my eye.

A sixth-year is well worth the extra $$$ if you are young enough. In our district, it ends up being something like a 7k raise each year. Especially if you do it somewhere cheap like the directional state schools. It would pay for itself in just a few years and the rest is extra $$$ in your retirement accounts for the next 20 years of your career.

 

[NJHoops]

Biggest hiccup of the school year so far was a mom sending her identical twin, non-speaking Autistic preschoolers to school on the bus without identifying, in any way, which one was which. So, all in all, it’s been a great start to the year for the teachers and students I support and work with.

 

[M.S.G.]

I work in a district in receivership, in transition from CT -> MA it was a challenge getting anyone to give me a shot once I had jumped through all of their hoops for certifcation (ZERO RECIPROCITY) and they gave me a huge raise to come, which in turn handcuffed me from going elsewhere as I've stated before in this thread.

That being said, the Superintendent is taking a hard line with technology this year, and admin is punching down hard which I REALLY like, and it's getting mixed results in the building. In my classes it's working for the most part, still write-ups daily for kids who refuse to put their phones away but overall I give my first reminder as we're getting ready to start that phones and ear buds have to go away and they actually do for the most part.

My only gripe is that they are NOT allowing kids to listen to music while doing independent work, which is someting I've never had a problem with, but the belief is that if you allow it there you are going to have difficulty getting them to keep it away otherwise which I also understand.

Again, I have very very very little problems in my classroom, to the point where administration asks me on a daily basis "how do you do it, because no one else can". I really do take it as a compliment in year 16 to get this level of professional respect from admin - and even the assistant superintendent who did a walkthrough one morning and wrote me an email essentially saying "I had to see it myself" so it's super flattering.

The building is chaos mostly everywhere else though. I told them the only way I would stay this year (oh and trust me I tried like hell to get another job) was if they let me move up with my 10th graders to 11th grade this year and it's just been a pleasure. Even the students who struggle with behavior don't pull stuff with me because they know my expectations from last year. The school really bent over backwards for me, but loooooooooooooooooooord.. Am I a BCBA or a teacher? I forget sometimes.

These kids come from nothing and have nothing, I truly do like the kids, they absolutely crack me up they are just ridiculous.. SO well adjusted because of what they have to live through but at the same time so naive to the real world because the bar is just so low for them.

/rant over

 

[Hey Adrien!]

I have my weirdest schedule I think I've ever had:

I teach the first five periods in a row Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and have only one post-lunch class total. Also, all of my meetings are between Monday-Wednesday.

Basically, between 1:15 Thursday and 4 Friday, I have only three classes.

Totally imbalanced, but oddly, a lot of teachers have been complaining how the schedule is super imbalanced. For example, another teacher has all of her double periods on one day and then doesn't have any classes for one day.

The schedule was shoddily and quickly made by our lame duck head of middle school, who was known for her non-existent work/life balance, so I guess it was an embodiment of her personality.

 

[husky429]

For example, another teacher has all of her double periods on one day and then doesn't have any classes for one day.

That sounds amazing.