....and mean what you say.
I've used this line so many times in life, and want to scream it at both arguing sides of the school district right now.
Everyone thinks it's a game, that in the first proposal they are going way too far, in realization that after negotiations, much less will become the reality.
I am not naive, and realize this is how politics works, but for lack of better word, this is just stupid.
They are talking about people's lives when they throw these numbers out there. Speaking as a single mom, I'm freaked out by the possibility of a 13% pay cut, plus needing to pay for benefits.
(And this is aside from all the other, non-financial ideas, which I'll opine on later when I have time to cool down a bit.)
Clearly, a major effort is being made to push many of the close-to-retirement teachers over the edge, and choose to leave. Well, basic psych 101, how about offering some incentives for that to happen (that will still ultimately save the district money as high-salaried employees make exodus), as opposed to making them scared and angry?
I realize that we are in a financial MESS as a district, and I am actually all for the closing and consolidation of schools. I work at many that will be affected, and though there will be challenges due to these moves, it is much needed. We do not need to keep open buildings that are at 60% occupancy.
However, let's let that play out first. Let's see how much money that saves, see how that impacts teachers and students, and THEN, next year, work with any major changes to the contract.
As a starting point though, can we please be honest and treat each other with respect? It is really frustrating that public education looks so ugly every few years when contract time rolls around. We are teaching students, in a city, where not all that many people would be willing to come teach. Let's make it so that we don't lose quality professionals to educate today's youth.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
I can finally add those four letters to my email signature....
NBCT. Yes, after all this work, I happily placed those letters after my name.
I have worked for three years to earn this certification. The word "Accomplished" is used often in the process. This always sort of bothered me though, especially when I didn't pass in my first two tries. I knew I was an accomplished teacher. I knew that I went above and beyond for my students. It bothered me that I was not getting the official stamp of approval from this organization to validate what I knew.
Of course, certifying feels great. I am very glad that I stuck with the process. For anyone else thinking of doing it, or anyone who did not pass in their first (or second) year, I would say, do it, and keep going.
However, you have to keep this thing in perspective. There are tricks to it. You have to play by their rules. You have to show you are accomplished in the VERY PRECISE ways that they ask for. For those of us in urban districts like Philadelphia, we do not always get to teach in a world where this is easy to do.
My first year, I know that I fell short of what they were asking me to demonstrate in the classroom. However, much of what I wrote up in my entries ended up sounding like a blame-game, and I see that now. I repeatedly mentioned that I just "couldn't" teach the way that they were asking, because our principal never allowed for any flexibility. And this was very true, I was at a school at the time, where I was threatened with write-ups if I strayed from the core-curriculum. However, the National Board people don't want to hear this. They want to see that accomplished teaching, and evidence of its success, no matter what.
Alas, I tried again. My second year, I had to "borrow" classrooms of students, as I was a traveling teacher. This made things quite interesting. So now, I had to prove I was accomplished while working with students that I barely knew. And, was paying $700 to do so, which was beginning to nag at me. (Don't want to digress too much, but many of us in the process were wondering at the money making purpose of this organinzation, much like all the standardized testing out there in the world.)
So, here is where I will call out the NB scorers a bit. I did my video entries in two very different schools. For those that know the city, one classroom was a very tough 9th grade mix of kids at Gratz, and the other was a very respectful group of kids at the Leeds Military Academy. I taped one time, one 20 minute lesson, and had exactly what I needed at Leeds. This small group entry scored wonderfully, passing, and labeling me "accomplished." To be honest, I barely knew these students. Yes, my lesson was quite awesome, as was my write up, but I was floored that this system labels someone accomplished based on 15 minutes of tape, when they knew nothing else.
Now, for the Gratz taping. I taped MANY times in order to get a lesson that I thought could even possibly work. (And had to bribe the kids with pizza in order to get the most out of the lessons, as they were quite used to not participating actively in their Enlish 1 class.) Through the months, I really got to know these kids. I tailored and changed my lessons to meet their individual needs. I know in my heart and gut that my write up was just as good for this entry, but I did not pass. This entry was not scored as if I was an "accomplished" teacher.
So, this left me perplexed and quite jaded with the process last November, when I learned that I fell short of passing for a second time. I began to see just how subjective this really is. I KNOW that I was genuinely a more accomplished teacher with my Gratz students, yet that entry is not the one that passed. It did make me wonder who scored it. It made me wonder if it was someone who never saw a typically urban, high risk classroom setting, and if that altered their ability to score fairly.
But, frustrated as I was, I was not going to try for the first two years, and not finish the third and final attempt. I only had a few points to make up, so I only re-took some of the tests. (Still, three re-takes, that was another $1000...adding to my pressure and frustration). I figured that the tests were at least a bit more objective, even though they are still essays that someone must read and score.
Well, fast forwad to last Saturday, I finally passed!!! I was, and am, thrilled. I did learn a lot about myself as a teacher in the process. I also learned though, that there is no way you should allow some outside group of assessors, who never meets you or your students to make you feel accomplished or not.
I will do my best now to help others through this process (though there are very strict guidelines to what is allowed, so please know that). If you have any questions, just ask!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I have worked for three years to earn this certification. The word "Accomplished" is used often in the process. This always sort of bothered me though, especially when I didn't pass in my first two tries. I knew I was an accomplished teacher. I knew that I went above and beyond for my students. It bothered me that I was not getting the official stamp of approval from this organization to validate what I knew.
Of course, certifying feels great. I am very glad that I stuck with the process. For anyone else thinking of doing it, or anyone who did not pass in their first (or second) year, I would say, do it, and keep going.
However, you have to keep this thing in perspective. There are tricks to it. You have to play by their rules. You have to show you are accomplished in the VERY PRECISE ways that they ask for. For those of us in urban districts like Philadelphia, we do not always get to teach in a world where this is easy to do.
My first year, I know that I fell short of what they were asking me to demonstrate in the classroom. However, much of what I wrote up in my entries ended up sounding like a blame-game, and I see that now. I repeatedly mentioned that I just "couldn't" teach the way that they were asking, because our principal never allowed for any flexibility. And this was very true, I was at a school at the time, where I was threatened with write-ups if I strayed from the core-curriculum. However, the National Board people don't want to hear this. They want to see that accomplished teaching, and evidence of its success, no matter what.
Alas, I tried again. My second year, I had to "borrow" classrooms of students, as I was a traveling teacher. This made things quite interesting. So now, I had to prove I was accomplished while working with students that I barely knew. And, was paying $700 to do so, which was beginning to nag at me. (Don't want to digress too much, but many of us in the process were wondering at the money making purpose of this organinzation, much like all the standardized testing out there in the world.)
So, here is where I will call out the NB scorers a bit. I did my video entries in two very different schools. For those that know the city, one classroom was a very tough 9th grade mix of kids at Gratz, and the other was a very respectful group of kids at the Leeds Military Academy. I taped one time, one 20 minute lesson, and had exactly what I needed at Leeds. This small group entry scored wonderfully, passing, and labeling me "accomplished." To be honest, I barely knew these students. Yes, my lesson was quite awesome, as was my write up, but I was floored that this system labels someone accomplished based on 15 minutes of tape, when they knew nothing else.
Now, for the Gratz taping. I taped MANY times in order to get a lesson that I thought could even possibly work. (And had to bribe the kids with pizza in order to get the most out of the lessons, as they were quite used to not participating actively in their Enlish 1 class.) Through the months, I really got to know these kids. I tailored and changed my lessons to meet their individual needs. I know in my heart and gut that my write up was just as good for this entry, but I did not pass. This entry was not scored as if I was an "accomplished" teacher.
So, this left me perplexed and quite jaded with the process last November, when I learned that I fell short of passing for a second time. I began to see just how subjective this really is. I KNOW that I was genuinely a more accomplished teacher with my Gratz students, yet that entry is not the one that passed. It did make me wonder who scored it. It made me wonder if it was someone who never saw a typically urban, high risk classroom setting, and if that altered their ability to score fairly.
But, frustrated as I was, I was not going to try for the first two years, and not finish the third and final attempt. I only had a few points to make up, so I only re-took some of the tests. (Still, three re-takes, that was another $1000...adding to my pressure and frustration). I figured that the tests were at least a bit more objective, even though they are still essays that someone must read and score.
Well, fast forwad to last Saturday, I finally passed!!! I was, and am, thrilled. I did learn a lot about myself as a teacher in the process. I also learned though, that there is no way you should allow some outside group of assessors, who never meets you or your students to make you feel accomplished or not.
I will do my best now to help others through this process (though there are very strict guidelines to what is allowed, so please know that). If you have any questions, just ask!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Back from Hiatus
I was getting frustrated with sharing my thoughts and observations, as I felt I was seeing the same things year to year.
However, each day there truly is something (or a few somethings) that I see that that makes my head buzz with either shock or awe. I don't think that most people outside of the education world really know what goes on inside school walls, and as it is "public" education, that it should be made more public. Hence my original idea for the blog title.
If I can be one small voice in expressing what really goes on in a large urban district, then despite my frustrations, I feel like I might as well keep on sharing. Whether it is for simple awareness, or to hope on a larger scale for political change in education, truth is needed.
So, I am going to make a real effort to share more of my experiences in Philadelphia high schools. In the meantime, starting again today, I will re-commit to my daily "Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down" on Twitter.
And as an afterthought...some statistics I just learned in a course I'm taking. Just some mind candy for y'all.
58% - the graduation rate of Special Ed. Students
5% - how many in our nation's adult population are ex Special Ed. Students
50% - how many in the prison population are ex Special Ed. Students
The professor said, "Our traditional special education model is fatally flawed."
And as an after, after thought...perhaps a homework assignment... Find any research at all that shows that summer school helps to close an achievement gap or brings struggling students closer to grade level success. Please share if you find it. I doubt you will.
However, each day there truly is something (or a few somethings) that I see that that makes my head buzz with either shock or awe. I don't think that most people outside of the education world really know what goes on inside school walls, and as it is "public" education, that it should be made more public. Hence my original idea for the blog title.
If I can be one small voice in expressing what really goes on in a large urban district, then despite my frustrations, I feel like I might as well keep on sharing. Whether it is for simple awareness, or to hope on a larger scale for political change in education, truth is needed.
So, I am going to make a real effort to share more of my experiences in Philadelphia high schools. In the meantime, starting again today, I will re-commit to my daily "Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down" on Twitter.
And as an afterthought...some statistics I just learned in a course I'm taking. Just some mind candy for y'all.
58% - the graduation rate of Special Ed. Students
5% - how many in our nation's adult population are ex Special Ed. Students
50% - how many in the prison population are ex Special Ed. Students
The professor said, "Our traditional special education model is fatally flawed."
And as an after, after thought...perhaps a homework assignment... Find any research at all that shows that summer school helps to close an achievement gap or brings struggling students closer to grade level success. Please share if you find it. I doubt you will.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Maternity Musings
Being a new mom gives me a totally new perspective on, well, everything. Teaching and all of the issues (time management, pumping at school, childcare, getting around 440 with a stroller, etc) that come with it has been eye opening.
First of all, our maternity leave policy is just sad. I know it's not only in teaching, but 6 weeks, unpaid, is just awful!! At many private companies you get at least 6 weeks, often 12, and it's paid. Had we not been responsible and saved up so I could stay home longer, I would have been an absolute wreck. I have a great baby, who sleeps pretty well, but there was NO WAY I would have been ready to return to work in March.
Then, unfortunately I had some trouble with major post-partum depression/anxiety issues. For me it was more the anxiety piece, but it was no joke. I was going to counseling through my midwives at The Birth Center, as well as a family therapist that I'd been seeing for years. I asked Employee Health Services if my wage-continuation/maternity leave could be extended due to my condition. They said I would have to get a letter written from a psychiatrist. Well, my counselor or midwives are not psychiatrists, so I found one and set up a few visits. She wrote me a letter right away, seeing my condition, and we sent it to Health Services. Within hours, I was told that the district physician did not consider my condition "medically severe" enough.
I was apalled. Thankfully, I'm mostly better now, but at that time, there is no way that I should have been cleared to work. As is often the case with mental health issues, it was not given the attention that it deserved. What frustrates me is how the district made their decision, by using a doctor who never even met me. How is that fair, when my midwives, counselor, and a psychiatrist all confirmed that I was suffereing from depression and anxiety?
I don't mind talking about it, and I'm not embarrassed about it. Maybe if enough people put it out there, things will change. I did ask if I could appeal, and was told that I could go through the union if I wanted to fight it. I'm sure I could have, and maybe even would have won, but at that time, 6 weeks post-partum, I was busy taking care of a newborn. Adding in a union fight would have only added to my anxiety, so I didn't appeal.
Now, with more clarity and sanity back in my life, I almost want to go back and do something about it. But, what's done is done.
So, then came actually returning to work. Which, thankfully, has been fine. All of the staff who stepped up to help in my absence was great! I'm thankful for all the well-wishes and loving words for Estrella and I. Not once was I ever made to feel guilty for taking over 3 months off. Not once have I been pressured to make up work that I may have missed. Super shout out to all the teachers, principals, secretaries and other staff that made coming back much easier than I had anticipated.
The hardest part (well, other than leaving my precious baby at home) has honestly been finding places to pump at work. This is something else that really should be addressed in a district our size. I know there are actually laws about this, and it's time the district got with the program. I do realize that they have more pressing concerns, but I've had to pump from my car on a a few occasions (luckily I have a car with a full AC outlet) and that's not okay. I generally use nurses' offices (since there are rarely nurses in most of my schools anyway, which is a whole other issue) and that's not so bad in terms of privacy, but the schools are just dirty. No lie, yesterday, in the nurse's office as I'm setting up my pump, a roach ran across the table. ACK! ICK! GROSS. Period.
Two. More. Weeks. I love what I do, and these few weeks were good to "get my feet wet" with the working mom thing, but I'm ready for the summer with my baby girl. I'll stock up with more sanitizing supplies and be ready for September when it rolls around.
First of all, our maternity leave policy is just sad. I know it's not only in teaching, but 6 weeks, unpaid, is just awful!! At many private companies you get at least 6 weeks, often 12, and it's paid. Had we not been responsible and saved up so I could stay home longer, I would have been an absolute wreck. I have a great baby, who sleeps pretty well, but there was NO WAY I would have been ready to return to work in March.
Then, unfortunately I had some trouble with major post-partum depression/anxiety issues. For me it was more the anxiety piece, but it was no joke. I was going to counseling through my midwives at The Birth Center, as well as a family therapist that I'd been seeing for years. I asked Employee Health Services if my wage-continuation/maternity leave could be extended due to my condition. They said I would have to get a letter written from a psychiatrist. Well, my counselor or midwives are not psychiatrists, so I found one and set up a few visits. She wrote me a letter right away, seeing my condition, and we sent it to Health Services. Within hours, I was told that the district physician did not consider my condition "medically severe" enough.
I was apalled. Thankfully, I'm mostly better now, but at that time, there is no way that I should have been cleared to work. As is often the case with mental health issues, it was not given the attention that it deserved. What frustrates me is how the district made their decision, by using a doctor who never even met me. How is that fair, when my midwives, counselor, and a psychiatrist all confirmed that I was suffereing from depression and anxiety?
I don't mind talking about it, and I'm not embarrassed about it. Maybe if enough people put it out there, things will change. I did ask if I could appeal, and was told that I could go through the union if I wanted to fight it. I'm sure I could have, and maybe even would have won, but at that time, 6 weeks post-partum, I was busy taking care of a newborn. Adding in a union fight would have only added to my anxiety, so I didn't appeal.
Now, with more clarity and sanity back in my life, I almost want to go back and do something about it. But, what's done is done.
So, then came actually returning to work. Which, thankfully, has been fine. All of the staff who stepped up to help in my absence was great! I'm thankful for all the well-wishes and loving words for Estrella and I. Not once was I ever made to feel guilty for taking over 3 months off. Not once have I been pressured to make up work that I may have missed. Super shout out to all the teachers, principals, secretaries and other staff that made coming back much easier than I had anticipated.
The hardest part (well, other than leaving my precious baby at home) has honestly been finding places to pump at work. This is something else that really should be addressed in a district our size. I know there are actually laws about this, and it's time the district got with the program. I do realize that they have more pressing concerns, but I've had to pump from my car on a a few occasions (luckily I have a car with a full AC outlet) and that's not okay. I generally use nurses' offices (since there are rarely nurses in most of my schools anyway, which is a whole other issue) and that's not so bad in terms of privacy, but the schools are just dirty. No lie, yesterday, in the nurse's office as I'm setting up my pump, a roach ran across the table. ACK! ICK! GROSS. Period.
Two. More. Weeks. I love what I do, and these few weeks were good to "get my feet wet" with the working mom thing, but I'm ready for the summer with my baby girl. I'll stock up with more sanitizing supplies and be ready for September when it rolls around.
It's been a while...yet, not much has changed
Here we are, June 1st, and once again the SDP budget for next year has everyone in a frenzy. Here we are, getting ready for summer vacation, and once again many teachers are unsure if they will return to their positions in the fall.
Is it stressful? Yes. Is it annoying? Yes. However, I'm trying to go with precedent here, and believe that things won't be so bad when the end of summer rolls around. I know the district operates at a huge deficit, and this is a problem for sure, but ultimately, the city will not just leave students to be without classrooms and teachers come September. (Though, scary rumblings that Chester is actually closing the doors to its high school make my head spin!)
So, what are we to do. We're told to wear red every Friday, and stand in front of our respective buildings. I don't do this. I never have. I know I have some very union oriented teacher friends who participate, and I'm sorry, I just can't do it. Instead, this morning at my school, there was a teacher breakfast (complete with shrimp and grits, gotta love it) which is a much better way to come together as a united front. As the secretary here said (and a shout out here to all the great school secretaries, you are amazing!) these breakfasts are about morale building. And, boy, morale is something that is missing in a lot of schools.
Alas, I will leave on June 19th not knowing for sure where I'll be again in the fall. I've gotten myself to a place mentally where this is okay. I've taught now for 8 years, and with the exception of 2 years in a row as an 8th grade English teacher, I've never been in the same position year after year.
It's just sad to me that education is something that always seems to be on the very public chopping (or auction) block. I do this because I love it. I don't like to hear teachers blamed for problems beyond our control. However, this involves society in general opening their eyes to the real problems (mainly poverty and its symptoms), and no one wants to do that.
I feel like I was writing almost the same thing last spring...sigh.
Is it stressful? Yes. Is it annoying? Yes. However, I'm trying to go with precedent here, and believe that things won't be so bad when the end of summer rolls around. I know the district operates at a huge deficit, and this is a problem for sure, but ultimately, the city will not just leave students to be without classrooms and teachers come September. (Though, scary rumblings that Chester is actually closing the doors to its high school make my head spin!)
So, what are we to do. We're told to wear red every Friday, and stand in front of our respective buildings. I don't do this. I never have. I know I have some very union oriented teacher friends who participate, and I'm sorry, I just can't do it. Instead, this morning at my school, there was a teacher breakfast (complete with shrimp and grits, gotta love it) which is a much better way to come together as a united front. As the secretary here said (and a shout out here to all the great school secretaries, you are amazing!) these breakfasts are about morale building. And, boy, morale is something that is missing in a lot of schools.
Alas, I will leave on June 19th not knowing for sure where I'll be again in the fall. I've gotten myself to a place mentally where this is okay. I've taught now for 8 years, and with the exception of 2 years in a row as an 8th grade English teacher, I've never been in the same position year after year.
It's just sad to me that education is something that always seems to be on the very public chopping (or auction) block. I do this because I love it. I don't like to hear teachers blamed for problems beyond our control. However, this involves society in general opening their eyes to the real problems (mainly poverty and its symptoms), and no one wants to do that.
I feel like I was writing almost the same thing last spring...sigh.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Back on track...thanks to the teachers!
It's early November, which means we are in the heart of the best learning season of the school year. September is all about getting settled, changing rosters, going over rules and expectations, getting to know one another and getting into the flow of the year. October and November are the two months where we are really able to get down to business and teach...after that, the holiday frenzy gets ahold of everyone, and after returning from the winter break, it's all about PSSA test prep.
I really love this time of the school year, all your plans from over the summer are finally taking shape (and of course the gorgeous fall weather just makes things feel better), and you feel like you can really get things accomplished during this year. First marking period grades have not been entered yet...so for the students, the year is still wide open for them to make it their own.
With all of the budget and leadership craziness this past summer, and so many people not being placed in teaching positions until just before the start of school, I would say that the train has gotten itself back on track pretty smoothly. But then, that's because teachers are running things! We just know how to do it. I mean, you get classes full of children staring at you in September, you better start doing something, lots of somethings really...or you will lose control of the whole year from the start. Despite everyone's grumblings, no one wants to have a bad year in their own classroom, for the students' sake or their own, so smoothing out the wrinkles (even the giant ones here in the SDP) just happens as teachers begin their practice. I just wish credit was given to the teachers where it's due. Yes, in schools where the administration is supportive, they deserve credit too...but I've seen plenty of classrooms back in the swing of things at schools where the administration is sub-par to say the least. So, go ahead teachers, pat yourself on the back!
As for the district, it's still a mess...there's still money problems, leadership problems, safety problems, inequities...the list goes on. However, most teachers I see are going full steam ahead and are deep in the learning process with their students. Happy November everyone! Take a minute to enjoy the path you've now carved out for your school year.
I really love this time of the school year, all your plans from over the summer are finally taking shape (and of course the gorgeous fall weather just makes things feel better), and you feel like you can really get things accomplished during this year. First marking period grades have not been entered yet...so for the students, the year is still wide open for them to make it their own.
With all of the budget and leadership craziness this past summer, and so many people not being placed in teaching positions until just before the start of school, I would say that the train has gotten itself back on track pretty smoothly. But then, that's because teachers are running things! We just know how to do it. I mean, you get classes full of children staring at you in September, you better start doing something, lots of somethings really...or you will lose control of the whole year from the start. Despite everyone's grumblings, no one wants to have a bad year in their own classroom, for the students' sake or their own, so smoothing out the wrinkles (even the giant ones here in the SDP) just happens as teachers begin their practice. I just wish credit was given to the teachers where it's due. Yes, in schools where the administration is supportive, they deserve credit too...but I've seen plenty of classrooms back in the swing of things at schools where the administration is sub-par to say the least. So, go ahead teachers, pat yourself on the back!
As for the district, it's still a mess...there's still money problems, leadership problems, safety problems, inequities...the list goes on. However, most teachers I see are going full steam ahead and are deep in the learning process with their students. Happy November everyone! Take a minute to enjoy the path you've now carved out for your school year.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Things Are Really Heating Up
At least with all the hot air...literal and figurative...smothering us this week we are getting early dismissals to deal with the pressure cooker that has become the School District of Philadelphia.
I personally did not have the dreaded one-on-one layoff meeting with my principal, but many of my fellow teaching friends were not so lucky. I say lucky, because there was no measure of skill involved in these layoff decisions, simply seniority and hiring dates. Some of these teachers are being optimistic, and say they will use the time to go back to school for a Masters Degree. A few I've spoken to say they may interview at Charter and Catholic schools, which they wouldn't normally want to do. Others say they will just put their information online at PA-REAP or PA-Educator online hiring sites, and hope for the best, though they have admitted that with other districts in the same budget binds, that they aren't expecting much. The biggest concern I've heard is not about loss of salary, as most seem somewhat confident they will make out okay with unemployment, but loss of benefits.
Once again this year, I find myself in this unique position of being able to observe so much due to my travels between 5 high schools. Never before have I had the opportunity to talk with so many different people in a school district. My previous 6 years of teaching, I had a small circle of friends that I sought out at lunch or prep. This year, without a classroom of my own at any of the 5 schools, I am much more visible, and have a chance to meet with not only teachers, but counselors, school psychologists, secretaries, school support staff, school police, etc. It has been almost surreal at times to have access to so many different perspectives on the individual schools and the district.
Though I was not given a lay-off notice, I have yet to be assigned a position for next year. Hopefully this will happen sooner than later, but in the meantime, I will digest all that I've been exposed to this year. By mid-year, I was feeling refreshed, thinking that this year was just what I needed to give me some perspective on the SDP. I had become frustrated with many things at my previous school, but this year helped me to see that I would find many of those issues at any school. I was able to come to a place of understanding where I would take things less personally. However, as the year is now winding down...these last few months I've felt that understanding turn into frustration and lack of hope for this district. As much as I try to be an optimist, and a pragmatist, I'm not seeing the place for either of those things. This city's school system is just a HOT MESS!
I'm sure all of this has be exacerbated by recent developments, and I'm feeding off of the high stress levels of everyone else around me. It also doesn't help that my school-issued teacher laptop was stolen out of my office last week at Overbrook High...and nothing has happened to the 2 students who were obviously involved....sigh.
Alas, I hope that I can use the summer to re-charge, and use this new district-wide perspective that I've been privy to this year in whatever position I land for next September.
Making my day today, and something I'll try to focus on, was saying goodbye to one of fabulous 11th grade ESOL students from Germantown. She was truly sad that I wouldn't be her teacher again next year, and said, "No other ESOL teacher will be as nice as you." She also remembered that I loved a bird that she painted earlier in the year...and gave me a smaller version that she recently made. I guess I've gotta just really treasure these little moments, and forget all the $4!+ that won't change anytime soon....
I personally did not have the dreaded one-on-one layoff meeting with my principal, but many of my fellow teaching friends were not so lucky. I say lucky, because there was no measure of skill involved in these layoff decisions, simply seniority and hiring dates. Some of these teachers are being optimistic, and say they will use the time to go back to school for a Masters Degree. A few I've spoken to say they may interview at Charter and Catholic schools, which they wouldn't normally want to do. Others say they will just put their information online at PA-REAP or PA-Educator online hiring sites, and hope for the best, though they have admitted that with other districts in the same budget binds, that they aren't expecting much. The biggest concern I've heard is not about loss of salary, as most seem somewhat confident they will make out okay with unemployment, but loss of benefits.
Once again this year, I find myself in this unique position of being able to observe so much due to my travels between 5 high schools. Never before have I had the opportunity to talk with so many different people in a school district. My previous 6 years of teaching, I had a small circle of friends that I sought out at lunch or prep. This year, without a classroom of my own at any of the 5 schools, I am much more visible, and have a chance to meet with not only teachers, but counselors, school psychologists, secretaries, school support staff, school police, etc. It has been almost surreal at times to have access to so many different perspectives on the individual schools and the district.
Though I was not given a lay-off notice, I have yet to be assigned a position for next year. Hopefully this will happen sooner than later, but in the meantime, I will digest all that I've been exposed to this year. By mid-year, I was feeling refreshed, thinking that this year was just what I needed to give me some perspective on the SDP. I had become frustrated with many things at my previous school, but this year helped me to see that I would find many of those issues at any school. I was able to come to a place of understanding where I would take things less personally. However, as the year is now winding down...these last few months I've felt that understanding turn into frustration and lack of hope for this district. As much as I try to be an optimist, and a pragmatist, I'm not seeing the place for either of those things. This city's school system is just a HOT MESS!
I'm sure all of this has be exacerbated by recent developments, and I'm feeding off of the high stress levels of everyone else around me. It also doesn't help that my school-issued teacher laptop was stolen out of my office last week at Overbrook High...and nothing has happened to the 2 students who were obviously involved....sigh.
Alas, I hope that I can use the summer to re-charge, and use this new district-wide perspective that I've been privy to this year in whatever position I land for next September.
Making my day today, and something I'll try to focus on, was saying goodbye to one of fabulous 11th grade ESOL students from Germantown. She was truly sad that I wouldn't be her teacher again next year, and said, "No other ESOL teacher will be as nice as you." She also remembered that I loved a bird that she painted earlier in the year...and gave me a smaller version that she recently made. I guess I've gotta just really treasure these little moments, and forget all the $4!+ that won't change anytime soon....
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