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Teacher's resignation letter


Alexigail
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I read it yesterday, and he pretty much summed up what most teachers are thinking, and experiencing. Dh is a great teacher, but he isn't really allowed to teach anymore. It's all kind of robotic now. He isn't allowed to make his own tests, and he doesn't even see the test until the night before he gives it.

There's a facebook meme going around w/ a pic of some kids in a classroom that says "Is this the test to prepare us for the test to see if we are ready for the test?" Or something like that, but that's pretty much what public school has become.

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I can totally relate. My wife is an elementary teacher and within her family are a slew of other teachers. The letter sums up what I have oberved and heard in conversation over the last decade or so.

 

Ironically, that teacher's letter is within 90 minutes of my house. That being said, it's the true reality experienced by most teachers. Couple that with undisciplined kids, parents who threaten to sue for obscene reasons and a complete and utter lack of administrative support, you have a failing system in place.

 

My wife, along with many of these teachers are now on daily prescription meds for anxiety and depression that resulted from their jobs. My goal within the next 24 months is to pull her out from under that rubble and hope she never returns to it unless she's volunteering in our child's classroom at will. It will most likely mean a relocation so I can be more gainfully employed, but it's worth it.

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It's understandable that the demise has happened --- the teacher's union has not developed a way of actually insuring their members are teaching with any sort of quality, so others have stepped in to do so as the amt of poor teachers escalated. Honestly, that statement is a load of crap. The people that have "stepped in" don't have a clue how to teach, or what needs to really be covered. The new ones coming in are the crap teachers, because they only know how plug inthe appropriate responses into the appropriate blanks, and couldn't help a struggling kid to learn, or get them exciteda about learning if their life depended on it. They are the ones who think everyone should fit into the same mold. The number of crap teachers is pretty low. The problem is teachers and schools aren't allowed to discipline, all kids are put in mixed level classes, and you can only go as fast as the slowest person in the class, because those are the ones the admin is paying attention to. It's all about making sure the slower kids pass, and to heck w/ anyone else. The new bar is low, but that's to be expected in the full inclusion environment.

 

Did you see the news last week where all the teachers/administrators were being arrested for fudjing test scores because of accountability? (I think it was like 56 in Georgia maybe). That's what happens when you try and hold teachers accountable for kids who don't give a shit, and neither do their parents!

 

Can we afford the academic freedom of the past, where the class objectives weren't taught because the teacher had something else s/he wanted to do? I don't know about you, but I want all the units of algebra taught, not just a few but they aren't being taught. If it isn't on the test, they don't teach it, they don't have time. They're too busy giving practice tests, and just trying to cover test material. -- if I'm putting my kid in the class I want the promised work done. Those that need it slower or less material need to go into a different section or class. The teacher that shows up drunk or high, or is too busy coaching is not doing his job. Neither is the one that is putting more time into developing a 'relationship'.

 

Most responses in blue. I come from a family of teachers, ds is a teacher from a family of teachers, and most teachers just aren't as bad as you make them sound. We have great teachers here, they just aren't allowed to teach.

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I used to be a paid teacher. I taught for 11 years in Christian schools. I'm not looking for a career, but if I were to go back into the workforce, it would not be teaching. Never. And I do not encourage young people to choose teaching as a profession. In our school district, all teachers literally have to be teaching the same thing at the same time on the same day per grade level. They are nothing more than robots. When I taught, what gave me joy was exercising my creativity as a teacher. Now, that is not allowed. Can you imagine a chicken mummy project in public school?

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It's understandable that the demise has happened --- the teacher's union has not developed a way of actually insuring their members are teaching with any sort of quality, so others have stepped in to do so as the amt of poor teachers escalated. The new bar is low, but that's to be expected in the full inclusion environment.

 

Can we afford the academic freedom of the past, where the class objectives weren't taught because the teacher had something else s/he wanted to do? I don't know about you, but I want all the units of algebra taught, not just a few -- if I'm putting my kid in the class I want the promised work done. Those that need it slower or less material need to go into a different section or class. The teacher that shows up drunk or high, or is too busy coaching is not doing his job. Neither is the one that is putting more time into developing a 'relationship'.

 

I think you're actually making his point in a few ways. The district this teacher is in does not have the problems you have brought up about your area in the past. The graduation rate is exceptionally high. The number of students attending college, and attending prestigious universities, has always been high. This teacher has successfully prepared many students. He doesn't just teach AP classes. His students pass them with 4s and 5s. Now all those years of successfully preparing students leaves him just as suspect as your drunk, high teachers or unproven new teachers. The exceptional, in-depth class I took will be replaced by a carbon copied Common Core version.

 

The school is not perfect, but it in no way resembles the drop-out factories that help to spur these changes. Regardless of what effect these new standards are having on the poorly-performing schools, they are lowering the quality of education at schools that are currently successful.

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Once upon a time, I was a teacher, although not for long. The more I read about the Common Core and other changes in education, the more I think that before long you won't need much training to be a teacher. It will all come in a scripted book that teachers will read from.

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Once upon a time, I was a teacher, although not for long. The more I read about the Common Core and other changes in education, the more I think that before long you won't need much training to be a teacher. It will all come in a scripted book that teachers will read from.

 

Except it won't be from a book. They're taking those away too. All 9th graders here have ipads. No books, no paper. Next year all high school grades will have ipads. No books, no paper. It's a joke. Teachers spend 1/2 the class period telling kids to turn off the games, and turn off the chat. The school disables one chat room, and in 5 minutes the kids have all found a new one. It's sad.

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That's a good point to bring out. In my district we are 8 years past this point - the point where the outstanding AP/IB teachers have been reassigned to full inclusion req'd classes.

 

 

 

Unicorn, re: Algebra specifically -- it's on the test. All of it. NY has had Regent's Exams in Algebra for over 100 years (see jmap for tests going back to 1866) and the Regents have a list of topics that should be taught. Topics get left out whenever a particular teacher exercises the academic freedom to not teach them, instead going in to review for the benefit of the political placements, hoping to game the test with a pass. Now that books are a thing of the past, the top students can't even teach themselves while waiting. If there is a union, or a teacher, standing up for not dumbing down these courses, please direct me to their website. All we're hearing up here is how unfair it is for those who aren't as good in Algebra to be expected to do so much so fast, and how elitist it is for the top students to ask for a class paced as quickly as in yesteryear.

 

 

I wasn't referring to algebra specifically, but going back to look, I see why you would think so. You said you wanted all of a subject taught, not just parts, my point was the only parts that are being taught, are the parts that make the test. Chapters are left out, because they aren't covered on the test (again, any subject, not one specific).

 

I think we're on the same page, I just wish people would stop blaming teachers- It's the system that's broken. And I agree (and so do teachers) that it needs to go back to ability based classrooms.

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Unicorn: "That's what happens when you try and hold teachers accountable for kids who don't give a shit, and neither do their parents!

 

There's a great deal of truth to this. In my opinion, the Schools & Government aren't able to address or deal with the real issue which permeate a good majority of the issues... The breakdowns in society.

 

Except it won't be from a book. They're taking those away too. All 9th graders here have ipads. No books, no paper. Next year all high school grades will have ipads. No books, no paper. It's a joke. Teachers spend 1/2 the class period telling kids to turn off the games, and turn off the chat. The school disables one chat room, and in 5 minutes the kids have all found a new one. It's sad.

 

 

In many cases it can’t be from a book. They keep changing the tests and the infrastructure of books is too costly and time consuming to keep current so many teachers do not have the resources to teach with any longer to meet the goals of what’s being handed to them by their district leaders. As a result, they are printing worksheets at night and on weekends from various sources on the web.

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The problem is teachers and schools aren't allowed to discipline, all kids are put in mixed level classes, and you can only go as fast as the slowest person in the class, because those are the ones the admin is paying attention to. It's all about making sure the slower kids pass, and to heck w/ anyone else.

 

This exactly. You hit all the main reasons I decided to homeschool my kids.

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So true, so true.

 

I have several friends who homeschooled, and are now public school teachers. And their stories are so upsetting. One is shifting her focus to the remedial classes because only there is she free to do what she sees fit as long as the scores increase for the majority of her students. She's not expected to bring them all up to the state tests. And she can apply her skills and creativity in ways that she couldn't when she was teaching the regular classes.

 

I briefly considered doing this 4-5 years ago, but am quite happy in private and higher education. The standards there are reasonable IMHO, and I'm not penalized for failing students.

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Unicorn: "That's what happens when you try and hold teachers accountable for kids who don't give a shit, and neither do their parents!

 

There's a great deal of truth to this. In my opinion, the Schools & Government aren't able to address or deal with the real issue which permeate a good majority of the issues... The breakdowns in society.

 

 

 

In many cases it can’t be from a book. They keep changing the tests and the infrastructure of books is too costly and time consuming to keep current so many teachers do not have the resources to teach with any longer to meet the goals of what’s being handed to them by their district leaders. As a result, they are printing worksheets at night and on weekends from various sources on the web.

 

Dh can't even do that. They are only allowed 200 sheets of paper a month. In other words, they are allowed to print up the tests. The teachers want to go back to books, the kids are begging for books/paper, the admin doesn't care. They tell everyone ipads are wonderful, and there aren't any problems w/ gaming, cheating, etc. I really feel sorry for my grandchildren.

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Dh can't even do that. They are only allowed 200 sheets of paper a month. In other words, they are allowed to print up the tests. The teachers want to go back to books, the kids are begging for books/paper, the admin doesn't care. They tell everyone ipads are wonderful, and there aren't any problems w/ gaming, cheating, etc. I really feel sorry for my grandchildren.

 

Oh... we use our own home resources for the paper / toner and time. Because, as you say, the schools won't even provide that. Ipads haven't come our way yet. I'm sure they are just around the corner though.

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Oh... we use our own home resources for the paper / toner and time. Because, as you say, the schools won't even provide that. Ipads haven't come our way yet. I'm sure they are just around the corner though.

 

I told dh at the first of the year, that I would by him a dang printer for his room at school, but he didn't want to do that. He did find an old one that he got to work, so sometimes he uses that. And grading on the ipad takes forever! What used to take him 20 seconds, now takes 5 minutes, sometimes longer.

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I read this on FB earlier and do believe it echoes what many teachers are experiencing. Assembly line education. It makes me value the freedom we have to home educate even more. I want to raise thinkers, not kids who are great at filling in the bubble.

 

A huge part of the equation is not just the assembly line mentality but the fact that teachers and admins have their hands so tied when it comes to discipline--and that goes right back to the breakdown of the family. Plus, if mom is frantic trying to keep food on the table and fight for the basics of life, will she really have to time have thoughtful discussions, follow up on homework, get to know the teachers, blah blah blah. So many factors, so few workable solutions within the system as it exists now.

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Dh can't even do that. They are only allowed 200 sheets of paper a month.

Here the local school teachers ask for donations of reams of paper every month. They also ask for help printing out worksheets from the parents with laser printers at home.

And grading on the ipad takes forever! What used to take him 20 seconds, now takes 5 minutes, sometimes longer.

 

I thought the reason for issuing ipads was that grading was automated using whatever software the school purchased. :confused1:

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Here the local school teachers ask for donations of reams of paper every month. They also ask for help printing out worksheets from the parents with laser printers at home.

 

 

I thought the reason for issuing ipads was that grading was automated using whatever software the school purchased. :confused1:

 

In theory, but it really goes through two or three Systems. The program didn't even work for the first half of the year. He has to go in, load the individual assignment, grade it, then save it. If it saves wrong or the internet goes out while saving, he has to regrade it, and any comments or corrections or whatever have to be redone. Then, after saving, he has to go back and put the grade in someplace else. It's not as simple as grading a sheet of paper, and then entering that into the computer. Very time consuming.

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