Warning: There is a lot of pent-up anger in the message below. This frustrated teacher asked us to wait to publish this until after she quit.
I just filled out a survey on the topic of the TEM Teacher Evaluation Model and The Tripod Survey. This was what I wrote and signed my name to at the end in the comments section. If you share this, please don't attach my name publicly until I have officially resigned at the end of May. I would like to keep my job until then.Thanks.
"Please, for the sake of public education, get Bill Gates and his foundation OUT of the public schools, elect some politicians who have a background in education and can pass laws that will actually help students, THROW AWAY COMMON CORE, and STOP TORTURING TEACHERS WHO ALREADY WORK 65 HOURS A WEEK AND DON'T NEED ANY MORE WORK OR BLAME PUT UPON THEM! When are teachers going to be respected for all the hard work and love we put into our jobs? Why have teacher evaluations become such a HUGE burden on our poor administrators, who stay up nightly until MIDNIGHT trying to finish evaluation computer stuff! We need to be able to DO OUR JOBS and you are tying our hands!
If I just worked on the computer ALL DAY and did nothing but Powerschool, grading papers, watched PD360 videos, worked on eval self scores and professionalism feedback on My Learning Plan, I would STILL work over 8 hours a day. BUT I DON'T DO THAT. I NEVER EVEN SEE MY DESK UNTIL EVENING. I TEACH. I TEACH. I LOVE. I PUT OUT "FIRES, " I COLLABORATE, I MEET WITH PARENTS, I FACILITATE PROJECTS, AND THEN I TUTOR MY BABIES FOR FREE ON MY TIME ALSO. NOT EVEN FOR AN ECU, BUT ON MY WATCH. I HELP MY STUDENTS LEARN BEYOND SCHOOL HOURS.
What do I get for this? between 3 and 5 more hours of work at the end of an already exhausting day. That's the thanks I get EVERY day for a job well done.
I am going back to college for a totally different profession. I am throwing away ALL my years of teaching and starting over. Will I miss my students? ABSOLUTELY. EVERY DAY. Will I miss the lack of respect nationwide? NO. The torture? NO. The Evaluations ? NO.
I am not delirious enough to think what I choose for a career will not have it's up's and down's as well, BUT I DO KNOW THAT WHAT I AM CHOOSING TO GO BACK TO COLLEGE FOR WILL NOT REQUIRE ME TO WORK OVER HALF OF MY HOURS FOR FREE AND FROM HOME. I will even work 12 hours a day somewhere if I can leave it at work when I do go home and actually rest at home. I am willing to do almost ANYTHING else if I get paid for the hours I work.
Make teachers hourly and see how much overtime you have to pay. Good luck. Our children deserve better. Our teachers deserve better. Our nation deserves better.
By the way- I am not angry because I am not doing my job. I am respected in my school. I am known for being good with troubled kids. My students seem to like my class and my evaluations are pretty good. I am NOT a scorned teacher. I am an angry citizen.
Teachers are against everything that is being done in the educational system today. They just can't say so because they wouldn't have a job. Do you know what the new "buzz word" for teacher lay offs is? They are calling it "ABOLISHING" TEACHERS. To be abolished means to do away with, void. What a terrible way to lay off a teacher! I have already told my principals that I am not coming back next year, so watch them "abolish" me so they won't have to lay off any teachers who plan on staying. If they call it that when I resign, I am getting a lawyer. Anyway, I work in a good school with great administrators. But the entire system is flawed. It's high time someone started sounding off.
~ Sally, a frustrated teacher in Shelby County, TN
This breaks our hearts. This is no way to treat someone who devoted her life to helping children. This insanity must stop.
Keeping great teachers is more important than getting rid of bad ones.
I just filled out a survey on the topic of the TEM Teacher Evaluation Model and The Tripod Survey. This was what I wrote and signed my name to at the end in the comments section. If you share this, please don't attach my name publicly until I have officially resigned at the end of May. I would like to keep my job until then.Thanks.
"Please, for the sake of public education, get Bill Gates and his foundation OUT of the public schools, elect some politicians who have a background in education and can pass laws that will actually help students, THROW AWAY COMMON CORE, and STOP TORTURING TEACHERS WHO ALREADY WORK 65 HOURS A WEEK AND DON'T NEED ANY MORE WORK OR BLAME PUT UPON THEM! When are teachers going to be respected for all the hard work and love we put into our jobs? Why have teacher evaluations become such a HUGE burden on our poor administrators, who stay up nightly until MIDNIGHT trying to finish evaluation computer stuff! We need to be able to DO OUR JOBS and you are tying our hands!
If I just worked on the computer ALL DAY and did nothing but Powerschool, grading papers, watched PD360 videos, worked on eval self scores and professionalism feedback on My Learning Plan, I would STILL work over 8 hours a day. BUT I DON'T DO THAT. I NEVER EVEN SEE MY DESK UNTIL EVENING. I TEACH. I TEACH. I LOVE. I PUT OUT "FIRES, " I COLLABORATE, I MEET WITH PARENTS, I FACILITATE PROJECTS, AND THEN I TUTOR MY BABIES FOR FREE ON MY TIME ALSO. NOT EVEN FOR AN ECU, BUT ON MY WATCH. I HELP MY STUDENTS LEARN BEYOND SCHOOL HOURS.
What do I get for this? between 3 and 5 more hours of work at the end of an already exhausting day. That's the thanks I get EVERY day for a job well done.
I am going back to college for a totally different profession. I am throwing away ALL my years of teaching and starting over. Will I miss my students? ABSOLUTELY. EVERY DAY. Will I miss the lack of respect nationwide? NO. The torture? NO. The Evaluations ? NO.
I am not delirious enough to think what I choose for a career will not have it's up's and down's as well, BUT I DO KNOW THAT WHAT I AM CHOOSING TO GO BACK TO COLLEGE FOR WILL NOT REQUIRE ME TO WORK OVER HALF OF MY HOURS FOR FREE AND FROM HOME. I will even work 12 hours a day somewhere if I can leave it at work when I do go home and actually rest at home. I am willing to do almost ANYTHING else if I get paid for the hours I work.
Make teachers hourly and see how much overtime you have to pay. Good luck. Our children deserve better. Our teachers deserve better. Our nation deserves better.
By the way- I am not angry because I am not doing my job. I am respected in my school. I am known for being good with troubled kids. My students seem to like my class and my evaluations are pretty good. I am NOT a scorned teacher. I am an angry citizen.
Teachers are against everything that is being done in the educational system today. They just can't say so because they wouldn't have a job. Do you know what the new "buzz word" for teacher lay offs is? They are calling it "ABOLISHING" TEACHERS. To be abolished means to do away with, void. What a terrible way to lay off a teacher! I have already told my principals that I am not coming back next year, so watch them "abolish" me so they won't have to lay off any teachers who plan on staying. If they call it that when I resign, I am getting a lawyer. Anyway, I work in a good school with great administrators. But the entire system is flawed. It's high time someone started sounding off.
~ Sally, a frustrated teacher in Shelby County, TN
This breaks our hearts. This is no way to treat someone who devoted her life to helping children. This insanity must stop.
Keeping great teachers is more important than getting rid of bad ones.
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