I am going to SCREAM!

[DawnM]

If you can't tell, I am in a MOOD.  I am guessing it is because it is the end of the school year and I am just mentally DONE, but sheesh.

 

One girl has been absent 25 days and tardy 17 THIS SEMESTER.  And she has started fights, talked back, etc.....

 

Others are similar.  

 

For the past TWO solid WEEKS I have had 5 kids late to first block every dang day!  they just waltz in whenever they feel like it, and disrupt the class.  And yes, they have passes, all UNexcused tardies.

 

They are currently doing seatwork because I don't feel like I can deal with them right now without losing it.

 

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SparklyUnicorn]

frustrating as all get out!!!!

 

 

[Lanny]

Recently (very recently) I read something describing some of the Public Schools in the USA, as a cross between a Medium Security Correctional Institute and a Day Care Center.  the semester will end soon and you will be on vacation

[Selkie]

Geez, that is pathetic. I don't blame you for being aggravated!

[DawnM]

Edited.  Too much personal info.

 

Just frustrated.

Edited May 24, 2017 by DawnM

[Another Lynn]

:grouphug:

[KungFuPanda]

If you can't tell, I am in a MOOD.  I am guessing it is because it is the end of the school year and I am just mentally DONE, but sheesh.

 

One girl has been absent 25 days and tardy 17 THIS SEMESTER.  And she has started fights, talked back, etc.....

 

Others are similar.  

 

For the past TWO solid WEEKS I have had 5 kids late to first block every dang day!  they just waltz in whenever they feel like it, and disrupt the class.  And yes, they have passes, all UNexcused tardies.

 

They are currently doing seatwork because I don't feel like I can deal with them right now without losing it.

 

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

This post is hysterical if your first thought was that you were homeschooling your own large family.  

[Liz CA]

Can you ask them to wait at the principal's office if they are late so they don't disturb the class? :laugh: :laugh:

Edited May 25, 2017 by Liz CA

[KungFuPanda]

I know a dance teacher who closes the door when class begins, then opens it 15 minutes later to admit latecomers.  It works.  People KNOW to just not be late.

[Guest]

Locked doors when the bell rings sound brilliant. I'm sorry you're at the end with students who aren't complying even with the very basic rules. I'd be tearing my hair out too!

[eternalsummer]

This is why I quit during teacher school.  My soft skills at dealing with those kinds of things (within the rules of the school) were terrible, and the things I would have wanted to do (like locking the doors when kids were late, taking their phones and locking them in a cabinet for the next month, etc.) were not allowed, of course.  I was a terrible student teacher and would have made a worse full-time teacher.  I have a lot of respect for anyone who is able to stay sane through it, much less actually teach a kid something.

[DawnM]

And today was even worse.  Can't go into details, but ARGH!

 

I had 12 interruptions at my door during first block.  12.  We got nothing done.  One teacher, two admin, one dean, and 8 students.  

 

Two students have told me they moved out of our school zone area.  I turned them in today.  They are causing problems and I just need them GONE.

[DawnM]

Locked doors when the bell rings sound brilliant. I'm sorry you're at the end with students who aren't complying even with the very basic rules. I'd be tearing my hair out too!

 

 

It doesn't work like that.  They go to the main office, get a note saying, "unexcused, please admit to class" and you have no say.  You have to let them in.

[DawnM]

I know a dance teacher who closes the door when class begins, then opens it 15 minutes later to admit latecomers.  It works.  People KNOW to just not be late.

 

 

I am not allowed to do that in my school.   And besides, they are usually much later than 15 minutes late.

[creekland]

I know a dance teacher who closes the door when class begins, then opens it 15 minutes later to admit latecomers.  It works.  People KNOW to just not be late.

 

This can't work in a public school - not the one I work in anyway.  I can only imagine the headlines after it hit facebook.

[DawnM]

This is why I quit during teacher school.  My soft skills at dealing with those kinds of things (within the rules of the school) were terrible, and the things I would have wanted to do (like locking the doors when kids were late, taking their phones and locking them in a cabinet for the next month, etc.) were not allowed, of course.  I was a terrible student teacher and would have made a worse full-time teacher.  I have a lot of respect for anyone who is able to stay sane through it, much less actually teach a kid something.

 

 

I am reading that teacher ed programs are seeing a 35% decrease in enrollment nationwide.  I am also reading that a large number of people are leaving the profession.  

 

I find none of it surprising.  What I do find surprising is that some areas are saturated with too many teachers, including NYC, where I have no idea how a teacher can live, even off the 100K salary, esp. with a family.

[maize]

Our state has a teacher shortage--linked both to unreasonable work expectations and poor pay.

[DawnM]

Our state has a teacher shortage--linked both to unreasonable work expectations and poor pay.

 

 

I am definitely feeling the unreasonable work expectations and poor pay right now!  Things are very different than they were even 10 years ago. 

 

We could not survive on my salary alone.  We just couldn't.  Dh and I have already discussed how we would be impacted if he lost his job.  We would have to move, change schools for the kids, and not pay for the kids' college at all, or maybe just community college.

 

The pay is HORRIBLE.  I moved states.  It wasn't quite this bad in CA, but now that housing has shot through the roof, it is bad because teachers can't afford to live there and buy anything.  But there is a looming teacher shortage in CA.

[Anne in CA]

This is why I quit during teacher school.  My soft skills at dealing with those kinds of things (within the rules of the school) were terrible, and the things I would have wanted to do (like locking the doors when kids were late, taking their phones and locking them in a cabinet for the next month, etc.) were not allowed, of course.  I was a terrible student teacher and would have made a worse full-time teacher.  I have a lot of respect for anyone who is able to stay sane through it, much less actually teach a kid something.

This is EXACTLY why I don't teach.  I love kids. I love other peoples kids. But the thought of dealing with them and not being able to discipline them for their own good would break my heart. I have had many people over the years express great surprise that I am not a teacher. But this is why.

[Lanny]

I don't know if it passed, but in CA, there was a Bill in the legislature to exempt Public School teachers from the State Income Tax. 

[ErinE]

I don't know if it passed, but in CA, there was a Bill in the legislature to exempt Public School teachers from the State Income Tax.

Median home value of a house in Los Angeles is 10x the median income.

 

http://www.city-data.com/city/Los-Angeles-California.html

 

I think exemptions from the state income tax won't really help.

[Lanny]

That won't help.  I know where my uncle lives, the school teachers have to drive form many miles away.  This was back in 2005, but their house that would be worth maybe 100,000 here was worth 2.5 million there.  At his university they had to give a subsidy to the profs that didn't make 250,000 or they couldn't afford to live there.  And that was 12 years ago.  Absolutely crazy. 

 

Amen.  The house we lived in, when I was a young boy, is not for sale now (and obviously they had either greatly expanded the original house or torn it down and built a larger home on that lot) and is shown on Zillow for almost 2 million dollars. It is in the San Fernando Valley section of L.A. in a very desirable neighborhood. 

 

I think I read a few months ago about Software Engineers in San Francisco who were struggling to support their families on $300K?  (not sure of the amount).  

 

That's probably one reason why Toyota USA moved their U.S. HQ from CA to Plano TX.  Their employees can live in a nice home. Much lower taxes, etc.

[DawnM]

I don't know if it passed, but in CA, there was a Bill in the legislature to exempt Public School teachers from the State Income Tax. 

 

 

It has not passed, it is a proposal.  It would *maybe* net a few thousand, BUT, we have so many deductions that it may not help all that much at all.  It could potentially be nothing for many.

[DawnM]

This is EXACTLY why I don't teach.  I love kids. I love other peoples kids. But the thought of dealing with them and not being able to discipline them for their own good would break my heart. I have had many people over the years express great surprise that I am not a teacher. But this is why.

 

 

I have to say, I am pretty good at discipline overall in my classrooms, and I work in the inner-city at the high school level.

 

But, I also have a counseling credential and it kills me to see some of these students who truly need counseling, but there isn't much I can do about it, given the restraints of my time in the classroom

 

I am hoping to get back to the counseling office.  

[AngieW in Texas]

I teach in a title I public high school. This year, 1/4 of my students overall are failing either one semester or the full year (9% the full year and 16% one semester).

 

Most of my failing students are failing because they don't do any work. Enough time is given in class to complete assignments. There really is no reason to need to take anything home. They still don't get them done and turned in. They even have all the way to one week after the test over a unit to get assignments turned in for a maximum grade of 80 and they don't turn them in. They can turn in corrections for every test for 1/4 points back and don't do it. They can retest any test they scored less than 70 on (after doing corrections first) and replace their original test score with the retest score (maximum 70), but they mostly don't do it.

 

About 1/3 of my 9th graders will still be 9th graders next year because they will not have 6 credits at the end of the year (8 credits possible). I have students who were actually at school every day who earned NO credits at all. Many of the others got credit only for whatever sport they are in.

 

I feel for you.

 

 

[DawnM]

I teach in a title I public high school. This year, 1/4 of my students overall are failing either one semester or the full year (9% the full year and 16% one semester).

 

Most of my failing students are failing because they don't do any work. Enough time is given in class to complete assignments. There really is no reason to need to take anything home. They still don't get them done and turned in. They even have all the way to one week after the test over a unit to get assignments turned in for a maximum grade of 80 and they don't turn them in. They can turn in corrections for every test for 1/4 points back and don't do it. They can retest any test they scored less than 70 on (after doing corrections first) and replace their original test score with the retest score (maximum 70), but they mostly don't do it.

 

About 1/3 of my 9th graders will still be 9th graders next year because they will not have 6 credits at the end of the year (8 credits possible). I have students who were actually at school every day who earned NO credits at all. Many of the others got credit only for whatever sport they are in.

 

I feel for you.

 

 

I was just told that if there are too many fails they will override the grades and make the final exams passing scores so there won't be so many fails.

 

I have never heard of anything like this.

 

Apparently it is perfectly legal in this state.

[EMS83]

That's nuts.

[Mimm]

Wow this thread is discouraging. Surely things can't continue this way, and changes will have to be made. Changes for the better, right? But then, people have been saying that for decades I think. :(

[DawnM]

Wow this thread is discouraging. Surely things can't continue this way, and changes will have to be made. Changes for the better, right? But then, people have been saying that for decades I think. :(

 

I highly doubt it will get better any time soon,  in fact, I think it about to get a whole lot worse.

 

I have been reading articles saying that there is a 35% drop in enrollment into teacher ed programs nationwide.  And something close to that 35% quit within the first 5 years of teaching.  Things have gotten really bad and current teachers are not encouraging young folks to go into education.

 

The demands are greater than they were 15 years ago, the pay is stagnant or less than 15 years ago, even with costs rising, and the public doesn't value teachers.  It is degrading.  Go get a degree, preferably an advanced one, but we will lump you in with professions what only require a GED and pay you the same too.  

 

Meanwhile, many think we get paid too much.  We couldn't live on my salary alone, and I have 18 years of experience and two MAs, so I am up the pay scale a bit.  But I could not support our family.  

[mom2scouts]

Our state has a teacher shortage--linked both to unreasonable work expectations and poor pay.

 

I always wonder about this when I hear it. The median family income in my area is about $40K, but the teachers in our district and surrounding districts average $75,000 plus benefits (public record). Some long time teachers make much more and it's common to have husband/wife teachers in our district, so they are making much more than the average family. Despite this, I regularly hear teachers complain about their pay and it's really hard to feel sorry for them. 

 

ETA: The housing costs in CA are crazy! :ohmy:  

Edited May 29, 2017 by mom2scouts

[DawnM]

I always wonder about this when I hear it. The median family income in my area is about $40K, but the teachers in our district and surrounding districts average $75,000 plus benefits (public record). Some long time teachers make much more and it's common to have husband/wife teachers in our district, so they are making much more than the average family. Despite this, I regularly hear teachers complain about their pay and it's really hard to feel sorry for them. 

 

ETA: The housing costs in CA are crazy! :ohmy:  

 

 

Where are you getting the info that the median income is $40K?

 

In the area in CA where I lived, the median income is currently $105K.

 

Can you name 5 career choices in California that require a Master's Degree and pay $40K for full time work?

 

Can you find a house a person can afford on a $75K salary with 3 kids in a good/decent area of California?

 

Since teachers in NJ make over $100K, I would say $75K is not all that much for the area.

[Anne]

Teachers in our area are paid decently, but the administrative micromanaging is unbelievable.  Math curriculum which the teacher has no discretion in - all classes in the building must move in lock-step.  No time for extra help, creative approaches, nothing.  Language arts programs designed for struggling learners that involve almost daily testing, no book reading whatsoever, and canned reading selections that are so incredibly boring or uninteresting that nobody could possibly be drawn to reading after being dragged through them.  State and federal testing that boggles the brain and cuts away in dramatic fashion at the available teaching hours.  

 

mind-boggling.  And not in a good way.

 

Anne

[Selkie]

I always wonder about this when I hear it. The median family income in my area is about $40K, but the teachers in our district and surrounding districts average $75,000 plus benefits (public record). Some long time teachers make much more and it's common to have husband/wife teachers in our district, so they are making much more than the average family. Despite this, I regularly hear teachers complain about their pay and it's really hard to feel sorry for them. 

 

ETA: The housing costs in CA are crazy! :ohmy:  

 

This piqued my interest so I looked up the numbers for our county. I'm in the rural midwest and COL is fairly low here.

 

Median family income is $60K and teachers average $56K plus benefits. School runs from late August to mid-May, so they have between 2-3 months off. Teachers are not required to have a master's degree and many of the ones I know only have a bachelor's.

[DawnM]

Teachers in our area are paid decently, but the administrative micromanaging is unbelievable.  Math curriculum which the teacher has no discretion in - all classes in the building must move in lock-step.  No time for extra help, creative approaches, nothing.  Language arts programs designed for struggling learners that involve almost daily testing, no book reading whatsoever, and canned reading selections that are so incredibly boring or uninteresting that nobody could possibly be drawn to reading after being dragged through them.  State and federal testing that boggles the brain and cuts away in dramatic fashion at the available teaching hours.  

 

mind-boggling.  And not in a good way.

 

Anne

 

Welcome to Common Core.

[mom2scouts]

Where are you getting the info that the median income is $40K?

 

In the area in CA where I lived, the median income is currently $105K.

 

Can you name 5 career choices in California that require a Master's Degree and pay $40K for full time work?

 

Can you find a house a person can afford on a $75K salary with 3 kids in a good/decent area of California?

 

Since teachers in NJ make over $100K, I would say $75K is not all that much for the area.

 

I don't live in CA. I live in the Midwest in an area with a LCOL. It is easy to find information about median family income. My family of 7 has never had an income as high as $75K and we could do quite well on that in our area. Brand new houses in my area sell for well under $200K. My point is that teachers in my area are very well paid and make more than most other families. 

[DawnM]

I don't live in CA. I live in the Midwest in an area with a LCOL. It is easy to find information about median family income. My family of 7 has never had an income as high as $75K and we could do quite well on that in our area. Brand new houses in my area sell for well under $200K. My point is that teachers in my area are very well paid and make more than most other families. 

 

I would have to know where.  The only area I see that has that kind of income is Chicago, but that isn't a low cost of living area.  Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleveland, are the other two major areas I looked up and their teacher salaries are around $50-$55K.

Edited May 29, 2017 by DawnM