MY bil is leaving teaching after years of frustration

[Blueridge]

He is a brilliant teacher, years of experience, was so full of innovative and inspired ideas. He turned in his intent form to leave his huge public high school system at the end of this school year. The reasons? Oh, there are many, I imagine. To mention just one...the new administration has their own ideas of innovation. Besides the TON of new censeless paperwork they are forcing the teachers to complete every month, they have another policy. To prevent parents from complaining that certain teachers are easier or harder than others, the teachers will ALL be forced to have the same proportion of students in their classes receive A's, B's, C's, and D's. Everybody must look the same. Why be a fantastic teacher and encourage your students to do well and make good grades? You will appear to easy, too accommodating, and the parents whose kids are failing with other teachers will complain. Just nuts. Pathetic. :tongue_smilie:

[mom2denj]

Wow, just wow!!!!!:confused::001_huh::glare:

[Pretty in Pink]

He is a brilliant teacher, years of experience, was so full of innovative and inspired ideas. He turned in his intent form to leave his huge public high school system at the end of this school year. The reasons? Oh, there are many, I imagine. To mention just one...the new administration has their own ideas of innovation. Besides the TON of new censeless paperwork they are forcing the teachers to complete every month, they have another policy. To prevent parents from complaining that certain teachers are easier or harder than others, the teachers will ALL be forced to have the same proportion of students in their classes receive A's, B's, C's, and D's. Everybody must look the same. Why be a fantastic teacher and encourage your students to do well and make good grades? You will appear to easy, too accommodating, and the parents whose kids are failing with other teachers will complain. Just nuts. Pathetic. :tongue_smilie:

 

How is that even...legal? :confused:

[elegantlion]

:svengo: I'm sorry, what a horrid policy.

 

I don't get, and I never will, the expectation that the teacher must conform to the student's level. When I was in school (said in my best old lady voice) we had to conform to what the teacher wanted. If you didn't want to take a rigorous class, you knew which teachers to avoid (yeah, I didn't like school).

[LisaKinVA]

To prevent parents from complaining that certain teachers are easier or harder than others, the teachers will ALL be forced to have the same proportion of students in their classes receive A's, B's, C's, and D's. :tongue_smilie:

 

Yeah, I see this going over like a lead balloon the first time someone comes home with an 82 as a D, or a 96 as a B or a C! Of course, they could make the tests so incredibly hard no one could really get an A... and so you wind up with a 46 as a B...which I've seen happen in AP Calc! :lol:

[Tammyla]

:confused: That policy is crazy. (I'm sorry for you brother and his students.)

 

Kid's aren't held back here for any reason in elem; just promoted year after year until it catches up with them. Our test scores contine to drop and graduation rates follow them.

 

 

He is a brilliant teacher, years of experience, was so full of innovative and inspired ideas. He turned in his intent form to leave his huge public high school system at the end of this school year. The reasons? Oh, there are many, I imagine. To mention just one...the new administration has their own ideas of innovation. Besides the TON of new censeless paperwork they are forcing the teachers to complete every month, they have another policy. To prevent parents from complaining that certain teachers are easier or harder than others, the teachers will ALL be forced to have the same proportion of students in their classes receive A's, B's, C's, and D's. Everybody must look the same. Why be a fantastic teacher and encourage your students to do well and make good grades? You will appear to easy, too accommodating, and the parents whose kids are failing with other teachers will complain. Just nuts. Pathetic. :tongue_smilie:

[Joyofsixreboot]

Arg! Which explains why 'the best and brightest' are missing from teaching.

[TXMary2]

It happens all over. I have a friend that teaches high school and she has been admonished for failing kids - basically her job was threatened. Nobody fails anymore. It's ridiculous.

[jlmom]

DH is a ps teacher and we have the "should I stay or should I go" discussion at least once a week. Recently we've been leaning towards leaving. It's sad-he loves what he does and is a very good teacher. Half of all teachers leave the profession within the first 5 years.

[Blueridge]

DH is a ps teacher and we have the "should I stay or should I go" discussion at least once a week. Recently we've been leaning towards leaving. It's sad-he loves what he does and is a very good teacher. Half of all teachers leave the profession within the first 5 years.

 

:grouphug: I guess the more I think about it, the madder it makes me...and I'm not even involved in bil's situation. He must feel like HAL the computer in 2001 A Space Odyssey...

"Johnny, what am I going to do about this *A* paper that you turned in to me?? You know that you are one of my *D* students! This will mess up my grade balance." :glare:

[angela in ohio]

What is he going to do now?

 

My dh thinks of leaving school administration for teaching all the time. The pay would be better for the hours worked, and it was much more rewarding. But that's special education, which is a lot different than teaching in a regular classroom as far as what your bil has encountered.

Edited March 3, 2012 by angela in ohio

[Heather in Neverland]

Working in a private school is not perfect but it is better than working in a public school in more ways than I can count. If I had to go back to working in a public school I would have an anxiety attack.

[LG Gone Wild]

I am very sorry to hear this, all of it! :glare: :glare: :glare:

 

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!

[Hilltop]

This is so sad. I do not understand why anyone with half a brain would think a policy like that is beneficial.

[kamom]

This is so sad. I do not understand why anyone with half a brain would think a policy like that is beneficial.

 

My dh was speachless. What is this country coming too.

[Grateful for Grace]

ridiculous.. .sigh. Has he considered teaching via an online school like The Potter's School or elsewhere?

[G5052]

It is very common to evaluate teachers at some level by looking at their grades. If a teacher is either failing or giving A's to the majority of the class, questions need to be asked. Obviously some teachers are going to be too hard or too soft. However, requiring strict grade break-downs...arg, I can't imagine. I've had some college classes that got all A's and B's, and some where half the class failed because of missed assignments. My boss thankfully is supportive of both as long as I'm organized and consistent.

 

I see something like that coming locally too though, although maybe not right away. Those we know who are public educators talk about being forced to grade on a curve and pass students who barely made an effort.

 

I have several homeschool-mom friends who have gone back and gotten a teaching certificate, and some are working in the public schools. Nope. I'll stay in the private and post-secondary world.

[Night Elf]

How is that even...legal? :confused:

 

:iagree: I'd report to the state or the media, or both, even if anonymously. There is NO way all classes will have the equal number of letter grades without the teacher fudging grades. What an absolutely horrid policy. It brings to mind the cheating scandal here in Atlanta.

[LisaKinVA]

This just hit me in a different way... in the middle and high schools, you have kids "clustered" more by ability. Your high achievers (usually also very driven, hardworking students), are almost always in the same classes. This policy will mean that kids who are actually doing "A-level" work, will be forced to take lower grades...significantly impacting their GPA, class standing, and ability to get into good colleges.

 

It's not that there weren't honors kids getting C's... but they usually didn't get D's or F's, and most aimed for A's. This truly has the potential (if I'm interpreting it correctly), to have some kids failing a class with an 80% or so average...simply because the class *must* have a proportionate number.

 

I'm sorry for your BIL, but I'm even more sorry for those kids.

[Mommy22alyns]

Oh, goodness. :glare:

[Teachin'Mine]

What is your bil planning on doing?

 

I wouldn't be surprised if we see more small private schools starting up with

teachers who have left the public schools for similar reasons. I'm sure there

are many parents who would love to have the benefits of homeschooling, but

aren't able to do that. There might be a market ...

[ma23peas]

He is a brilliant teacher, years of experience, was so full of innovative and inspired ideas. He turned in his intent form to leave his huge public high school system at the end of this school year. The reasons? Oh, there are many, I imagine. To mention just one...the new administration has their own ideas of innovation. Besides the TON of new censeless paperwork they are forcing the teachers to complete every month, they have another policy. To prevent parents from complaining that certain teachers are easier or harder than others, the teachers will ALL be forced to have the same proportion of students in their classes receive A's, B's, C's, and D's. Everybody must look the same. Why be a fantastic teacher and encourage your students to do well and make good grades? You will appear to easy, too accommodating, and the parents whose kids are failing with other teachers will complain. Just nuts. Pathetic. :tongue_smilie:

 

Now as a teacher of 34 students in writing classes..I can not imagine the hoops they have to jump through...is the goal not to inspire and encourage them to want to learn?? I put little emphasis on grades, it is really interesting...I have some students that have a 100 average and are the first to ask for extra credit...for them there is something very attractive about that top grade (pride)...others, have such a self discipline issue that I have had to get tough and accept no late work...they could come up with every excuse under the sun as to why they did not bring it....homeschoolers (some of us) can learn really quickly how to get away with missed assignments with their moms but it does not fly with me....if you don't do the work, you're not going to learn. Some of my B students have learned more than my A+ students...I just want each student to advance from their own individual starting place...that's all I ask...all the mumbo jumbo about averages and grades...pshh...

[In The Great White North]

This just hit me in a different way... in the middle and high schools, you have kids "clustered" more by ability. Your high achievers (usually also very driven, hardworking students), are almost always in the same classes. This policy will mean that kids who are actually doing "A-level" work, will be forced to take lower grades...significantly impacting their GPA, class standing, and ability to get into good colleges.

 

It's not that there weren't honors kids getting C's... but they usually didn't get D's or F's, and most aimed for A's. This truly has the potential (if I'm interpreting it correctly), to have some kids failing a class with an 80% or so average...simply because the class *must* have a proportionate number.

 

Sadly, this is not new. Back in the day, all of our classes at my high school were graded on a curve. No one failed because the curve ended at C-, not F. The kids in AP classes were furious every time 100% was an A, 1 wrong was a B, and 2 wrong was a C. On a 20 question quiz. They claimed it evened out because AP classes got an extra point on their GPA (but some colleges refigure the GPA without that extra point.)

 

Amazingly enough, most of the students when I got my ed degree had never heard of a bell curve and had no idea where their grades had been coming from all those years.

[Denise in Florida]

This is not new. :glare: When I was in high school (70's) teachers were required to grade on the bell curve.

 

Bulk of students get a C, next largest group received B's and D's (outer band of curve), smallest group received A's and F's (bottom tips of curve).

 

Same number of As & F's, same number of B's and D's, mostly C's.

 

Highest grade would be an A even if it was in the 70's or 80's. Everything proportional after that.

[GingerPoppy]

I am very sorry to hear this, all of it! :glare: :glare: :glare:

 

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!

:lol:

[NotAVampireLvr]

Frustrating.

 

Its like grade schoolers who are consistently marked "progressing towards the standard" when they've already proved they've met and in many cases EXCEEDED it.

[HoneyFernDotOrg]

As a teacher who left public school two years ago to start my own school, I can tell you that the only thing he will regret is not leaving sooner.

 

No matter what he does, it will take him some time to de-institutionalize and get out of the PS mentality, just like when you pull a kid out.

 

I, too, would completely rather live in my car (and it's about 50-50 about living on the street) than go back to teaching in a public school.

[sewingmama]

He is a brilliant teacher, years of experience, was so full of innovative and inspired ideas. He turned in his intent form to leave his huge public high school system at the end of this school year. The reasons? Oh, there are many, I imagine. To mention just one...the new administration has their own ideas of innovation. Besides the TON of new censeless paperwork they are forcing the teachers to complete every month, they have another policy. To prevent parents from complaining that certain teachers are easier or harder than others, the teachers will ALL be forced to have the same proportion of students in their classes receive A's, B's, C's, and D's. Everybody must look the same. Why be a fantastic teacher and encourage your students to do well and make good grades? You will appear to easy, too accommodating, and the parents whose kids are failing with other teachers will complain. Just nuts. Pathetic. :tongue_smilie:

 

My DH left teaching last year for similar reasons. The harder he tried to motivate students the more he was met from ooposition from admin and from parents. He was not allowed to fail students or enforce deadlines or anything. If a student didn't complete the work he had to pull grades out of thin air :glare: If he called a parent to discuss why a student wasn't handing in work he was told to "stop harrassing the student". He was so frustrated he couldn't stand it anymore.

[LAS in LA]

Just talked to a (sweet, young, intelligent) middle school teacher last night, who told me that she is not allowed to fail students. She is hoping to teach overseas as soon as she finishes her Masters. I agree with pp who mentioned that the system discourages the "cream of the crop" from entering the teaching profession.

[Snickerdoodle]

Reading this blog entrymade me feel a whole host of emotions.

 

I think to be a teacher must be a very difficult thing.

[Cindyg]

I had that happen to me as a teacher.

 

I was teaching in a private, post-high school situation -- one of those vocational schools like you might see advertising on TV.

 

So I had a student who earned a D or and F, I can't remember now. The school owner instructed me to -- somehow or another -- get that grade up to passing. Why? Because the money the government was giving the student to go to school was contingent on passing grades. If she didn't pass, she didn't get her money, ergo the school didn't get her money.

 

So whose responsibility was it to see that she passed so that she got her money so that the school got its money? Mine. The teacher's!

 

It was just maddening.

 

I didn't work there much longer.

Edited March 4, 2012 by Cindyg

[FO4UR]

This just hit me in a different way... in the middle and high schools, you have kids "clustered" more by ability. Your high achievers (usually also very driven, hardworking students), are almost always in the same classes. This policy will mean that kids who are actually doing "A-level" work, will be forced to take lower grades...significantly impacting their GPA, class standing, and ability to get into good colleges.

 

It's not that there weren't honors kids getting C's... but they usually didn't get D's or F's, and most aimed for A's. This truly has the potential (if I'm interpreting it correctly), to have some kids failing a class with an 80% or so average...simply because the class *must* have a proportionate number.

 

I'm sorry for your BIL, but I'm even more sorry for those kids.

 

 

 

:iagree: My highschool experience was already lop-sided that way...with AP level courses that were NOT weighted. So...taking calc and physics and Latin and getting several B's tanked my class standing to below people who took Alg 2 as their highest math, started with physical science, and only 2 years of Spanish.:glare: I can't imagine being penalized further for taking the challenge of rigorous courses!

 

 

And, :grouphug: to your dh and other ps teachers. It's an impossible job. (which is why I'm HSing:tongue_smilie:)

[Miss Cornelia Snook]

Really...where will this end?!?!

[SunnyDays]

:iagree: My highschool experience was already lop-sided that way...with AP level courses that were NOT weighted. So...taking calc and physics and Latin and getting several B's tanked my class standing to below people who took Alg 2 as their highest math, started with physical science, and only 2 years of Spanish.:glare: I can't imagine being penalized further for taking the challenge of rigorous courses!

 

 

And, :grouphug: to your dh and other ps teachers. It's an impossible job. (which is why I'm HSing:tongue_smilie:)

 

That's how my high school was, too. I had absolutely no incentive to take more challenging classes.

 

This story is just so sad... any teacher who really cares is eventually going to get frustrated enough to jump ship. I cannot understand our (as a culture) obsession with not letting anyone fail. If you don't do any work, don't show up, or don't understand anything you've been taught, you shouldn't pass a class. Nor should you be doing A work, but be denied an A because too many others in the class have one. Ugh.

[Ibbygirl]

This is just so sad to read and hear all of your stories. It really breaks my heart for the kids whose only option is PS. :(

[Rosie_0801]

My DH left teaching last year for similar reasons. The harder he tried to motivate students the more he was met from ooposition from admin and from parents. He was not allowed to fail students or enforce deadlines or anything. If a student didn't complete the work he had to pull grades out of thin air :glare:

 

My hubby left a few years ago for the same reasons. Who knew you could pass without taking your exams? :glare:

 

Rosie

[Lang Syne Boardie]

This is just so sad to read and hear all of your stories. It really breaks my heart for the kids whose only option is PS. :(

 

We desperately need more options. Homeschooling can never and will never be the solution for more than a few.

[Ibbygirl]

We desperately need more options. Homeschooling can never and will never be the solution for more than a few.

 

:iagree:

[tex-mex]

Working in a private school is not perfect but it is better than working in a public school in more ways than I can count. If I had to go back to working in a public school I would have an anxiety attack.

:iagree:

 

If I had to go back to teaching, teaching at a Charter School (which I did before homeschooling and it was a wonderful experience) or at a private school would be my preference over public schools.

[elegantlion]

:iagree: My highschool experience was already lop-sided that way...with AP level courses that were NOT weighted. So...taking calc and physics and Latin and getting several B's tanked my class standing to below people who took Alg 2 as their highest math, started with physical science, and only 2 years of Spanish.:glare: I can't imagine being penalized further for taking the challenge of rigorous courses!

 

 

And, :grouphug: to your dh and other ps teachers. It's an impossible job. (which is why I'm HSing:tongue_smilie:)

 

Yeah, sorry that was me, although our school didn't have Latin. I did take 4 years of Spanish, which has been incredibly helpful in teaching Latin. I took the hardest art and history classes I could, everything else was easy. I hated school. I never studied a book my senior year and graduated at semester. I was totally surprised when I ended up in the top 10% of my graduating class.

[Ann]

I am not really surprised. I stay in teaching cause I want my students to have the kind of education my kids get and other homeschooled kids also. I am lucky though since my admin leaves me to my job.

[chepyl]

:iagree: I'd report to the state or the media, or both, even if anonymously. There is NO way all classes will have the equal number of letter grades without the teacher fudging grades. What an absolutely horrid policy. It brings to mind the cheating scandal here in Atlanta.

 

My dad always talked about "grading on the curve." When I got to college, there were still a few professors who did it that way, but most had stepped away from it. I think ot is awful that they are going backwards.

 

Sorry your bil has to deal with this.

[Momma H]

This is what happens when you try and make things "fair". I used to when my kids were little try and make things fair. It was insane. I always had to split things exactly, buy one kid something whenever the other kid got something. They expected it. They complained if it was't "fair". I finally pulled my head out and told them that you get what YOU need when you need it. It IS fair to earn things. It is not fair to expect things just because someone else got something. Making things "fair" in school makes people (parents) expect you to make everything even. If you tell them that it's just not going to happen that way they will have to adjust. But the government just keeps trying to bend over backward to keep it "fair". It is insane. Does that make sense?