How Does This Make Sense?

There are more than 70 people who are retiring at the end of this year from my district, four in social science. Instead of rescind lay off notices to fill those positions, they have decide to open the positions to inter-district transfers. The job notice very clearly states that those like me who have received preliminary lay off notices are not eligible to apply. This makes no sense at all.

I asked my principal for clarification and he told me that these positions are opened to those who have enough seniority to be guaranteed a spot next year. I asked him what would happened if people fill those positions (3 social science at my school) and then they decide to rescind our notices. He told me that I am only guaranteed a position in the district with a rescind notice and not my position. So in theory, I could be forced to move to a new site. This makes zero sense!

I understand that there are legal issues with seniority, bumping and layoffs....but why not just take the next 4 qualified people (based on seniority) who have lost their jobs and fill them in to the retirees spots? Yes, some people would have to move schools because there are no retirees at their sites, but most could retain their positions. So much time and energy is wasted the way they do the process. Any teacher who is involuntarily transferred is moved by the district - this costs money. Any teacher who volunteers, does so at their own moving expense. So limiting the involuntary transfers by NOT opening the positions and instead rescinding lay off notices not only makes logical sense, it makes monetary sense as well!

A Kindred Spirit

My husband, mom and I were at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf this morning, when a young man interrupted our conversation about education and told us he was a teacher as well. He teaches middle school in a lower socioeconomic neighborhood. This is his fifth year of teaching and he is burned out, not because he does not like teaching, but because of all the politics and students who don't try. We talked for about 10 minutes about technology and teaching. I could tell he was a kindred spirit...someone who cares about doing the best for students, but gets tired of the BS that we have to put up with.

There are so many teachers like him, who like what they do but get burned out. I have been there almost every year since I started teaching. I have almost quit many times, but never because I did not like my students or teaching history. We all get to that point because of all the extra things we have to deal with.....students who refuse to try, parents who don't value education, useless meetings, etc. We only have 57 minutes per day with each student. There is only so much we can do to help them learn. And yet we are expected to perform miracles. That is what burns us out and makes us wonder if it all is worth it. Then add in the politics and we suddenly become the bad guys. The best teachers in the world get tired of hearing how everything is our fault. We all get burned out. That is why we need vacation...so that we can come back refreshed and recharged and ready to deal with all the challenges for another year.

Speaking of Seniority

Yesterday I attended the Reduction in Force (RIF) hearing in my district. This is where an Administrative Law Judge hears from both the district personnel and a lawyer who representes all of the employees who have received RIF notices. Sometimes people bring about challenges as to why someone who is less senior did not receive a notice.

I had a chance to look at the seniority list for quite a long time yesterday. My number is 1246. There are 1393 total people on the list. In theory, this means there are about 150 people with less seniority than me. The problem is that many of them were not RIF noticed because they teach certain  subjects - science, art, special education, French - and that means they have guaranteed jobs for next year, even though they may be first year teachers.

This has always been my issue with the RIF process. It is not just about when you started in the district, but what you teach. In a perfect world it would be "last hired, first fired." But this is anything but a perfect process! Districts have the right to choose which types of positions they are eliminating. That is why there are elementary teachers who have been in the district 9 years who may not have a job next year, but a first year art teacher will. I think this is completely unfair!

While I do support the idea of seniority because it means there are 6 other social science teachers who will be let go before me, I believe it the process is inherently flawed in how it is carried out. I truly believe the first year art teacher needs to be let go before the district considers laying off any 2nd year teacher. I also believe that we need to do more to protect core subject teachers (math, science, English and social studies). Those are the areas that are tested and measured by the state and the public. Art and music are necessities, but in times of economic crisis, those need to be reduced before the core subjects.

I understand there are certain positions that are more difficult to fill because there are less people who hold those credentials. But if a district needs to eliminate positions, should it not start with last hired (regardless of what position they hold)? If the bottom 10 happen to all be math teachers, then some discretion perhaps needs to be given. But eliminate fairly and equally across all subject areas.

Alternate Status

These were the words I read in an email that I received today: Although we cannot offer you a place at this time, the selection committee found your application impressive, and you have been designated as an alternate.

Today is the day that teachers are notified of their application status for summer seminars through the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). I am officially an alternate for both of the seminars that I applied to. I don't know why this upsets me so much, but it does. One of the girls I met last summer posted on her Facebook that she was accepted to both of the seminars she applied to and I am jealous.

Each of the last three summers, I have been fortunate enough to attend an NEH seminar. In fact, I feel that my summers are incomplete if I don't spend at least one week at a seminar, learning something new to bring to my classroom for the following year. Fortunately there are other organizations that allow anyone who signs up - first come first serve - to attend, so I will now be looking at those.

So for those people who complain that teachers have time off during the summer, consider that many of us spend those weeks traveling and attending seminars to make us better teachers, improve our content knowledge and network with other teachers.

One of the saddest parts of this economic crisis is the loss in funding for many of the organizations and programs that are funded by the federal government. I have learned so much and am saddened by the fact that future teachers won't have these same wonderful opportunities that I have had. If cries continue to make teacher better, please realize that these programs, like the Teaching American History grant which I am currently participating in, are what makes teachers better. Find some other programs to cut, not teacher education and professional development. It is vital that these programs continue if we want better teachers in this country!