October 2012 Weddings
sjs1013
member
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
What's going on at work
In April, the NYS governor passed a law attached the budget that said schools that continually fail will be taken over. My school has been failing for years, long before I was assigned there. I have been in my school for 4 years, the state has only visited once and never sent recommendations to help us improve.
My school is the dumping ground for our school district. We get the charter school rejects, the children with problems from other schools and if they are below level when entering from other districts, they come our way. One class had 3 children who were sent to mental hospitals for evaluation. We have about 20 other kids who need pysch evaluations. We have little parental involvement and most parents don't even give us their real phone numbers so we can't get in touch with them when we need to.
The state sees the reason why our school is failing that the teachers aren't doing their jobs. They don't want to hear any other excuses. We have 2 years to turn around or my school will be turned into a charter school and the staff will be laid off. My principal made this detailed plan on changes for next year. She spent 2 weeks writing the plan, researching, visiting schools with similar programs so she has a model to follow and Tuesday afternoon she was transferred to another school. Pretty much the entire staff requested transfers after my principal was told she was moving. The morale at my school the past few days was horrible.
I have wanted out of my school for years, but haven't had enough seniority to get out. I requested a transfer in the first round this year, but I'm almost at the bottom of the seniority list, so I didn't get any of my choices. I requested a transfer in the second round and I might get something. I am praying that I get something because I don't want to be in a sinking ship, especially when they really aren't giving us a fighting chance to succeed. I should know early next week if I get something. I brought all of my personal belongings home with me. I am mentally finished with my school. I am unsure I can teach there next year with the attitude that I left with today.
My school is the dumping ground for our school district. We get the charter school rejects, the children with problems from other schools and if they are below level when entering from other districts, they come our way. One class had 3 children who were sent to mental hospitals for evaluation. We have about 20 other kids who need pysch evaluations. We have little parental involvement and most parents don't even give us their real phone numbers so we can't get in touch with them when we need to.
The state sees the reason why our school is failing that the teachers aren't doing their jobs. They don't want to hear any other excuses. We have 2 years to turn around or my school will be turned into a charter school and the staff will be laid off. My principal made this detailed plan on changes for next year. She spent 2 weeks writing the plan, researching, visiting schools with similar programs so she has a model to follow and Tuesday afternoon she was transferred to another school. Pretty much the entire staff requested transfers after my principal was told she was moving. The morale at my school the past few days was horrible.
I have wanted out of my school for years, but haven't had enough seniority to get out. I requested a transfer in the first round this year, but I'm almost at the bottom of the seniority list, so I didn't get any of my choices. I requested a transfer in the second round and I might get something. I am praying that I get something because I don't want to be in a sinking ship, especially when they really aren't giving us a fighting chance to succeed. I should know early next week if I get something. I brought all of my personal belongings home with me. I am mentally finished with my school. I am unsure I can teach there next year with the attitude that I left with today.
Re: What's going on at work
I really hate NY sometimes. I do believe in some sort of teacher evaluation but the way they are going about it is terrible. I know that there are some horrible teachers out there and not much the schools can do about it once they are in the union. I believe in unions a little bit but I can't stand that they fight for people that should be let go but don't always fight for the good people. (I am in a union and when I had an issue with substantial evidence, they did nothing for me.)
I hope that you are able to get transferred to a better position within the district. Have you looked outside the district at all?
The percentage of failing schools to successful schools is only like 10%. I was in a successful school, we had a massive layoff and when I was rehired, I was one of the last called back and ended up where I am. I am praying I get something better!
As for bad teachers, I've only encountered 2 in 10 years. Teachers should be held accountable but it needs to be fair game. If you're going to base my future on one test, the test needs to be fair. You also need to release previous year's tests so I can train my kids.
I hate teaching to a test when I have students who don't understand NY is a state, not a country and they know no other President beside our current one. It baffles them when you explain there were 43 before him.
ETA- I'm drinking wine.