Submitted by CrassostreaVirginica t3_ycepvc in rva
Comments
JustDyslexic t1_itltbwt wrote
I don't believe charter schools actually pay better or on the whole have better outcomes so that won't help. Education will be our downfall
Diet_Coke t1_itltpjw wrote
I agree with you, privatizing public services doesn't tend to improve those services but it does make a few people a whole hell of a lot of money.
AndThenThereWasQueso t1_itlyhxf wrote
They don’t - to both.
lostspyder t1_itlzw9u wrote
100% this. They literally pay less and only have better outcomes on paper because they kick out all the problem kids. The kids they keep are the kids that were going to do well no matter what.
thuglass88 t1_itnr08j wrote
Thanks Koch brothers! Can't wait to read the few articles printed only in fringe publications 4 years from now detailing the organized and billionaire funded attack on our education system that has led to a charter school system where any random person can make 14.50 an hour teaching students whatever propaganda said billionaires want them to believe. This is so much bigger than we are collectively appreciating, but who has the energy left to deal with it?
God do I hate the rich.
HedleyLamaar t1_itod6b0 wrote
Don't forget the Devos family. They're really super eager for this as well.
thuglass88 t1_itoehmg wrote
Greed consumes everything in it's path.
agnosticdeist t1_itpd4ky wrote
It really feels like we’re on the road to Night City from Cyberpunk…ugh
Technical_Way_6041 t1_itq4h0p wrote
As if Richmond would design their streets to be half as easily driveable as those.
Johnny_BigHacker t1_itm3m2a wrote
Charter schools pay less
ManBMitt t1_itm9e7b wrote
Charter schools aren’t generally for-profit.
Tstewmoneybags99 t1_itmgwn0 wrote
Charter schools are propped up with tax payer money but aren’t beholden to the same legal standards as public schools. While this can look good and in some cases be a good thing for areas of schools districts weak in certain geographic locations. Long term is sets up a terrible situation of breaking legal standards and potentially rights you have through the public school system in return for a more localized school by school education.
This is bad for a number of reasons but mostly because the standard of learning isn’t agreed upon, curriculum isn’t agreed-upon, accreditation isn’t a thing, discipline oversight isn’t a thing. It’s basically a situation where on paper it can sound great, but in practice it will have many severe unintended consequences, that are lived history in the public school system, while making the politicalization even easier in schools.
It’s not “for profit” in the precise terms but it allows for profit parts of education to effects students to much greater effect.
[deleted] t1_itmm85d wrote
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just-the-pgtips t1_itmutp2 wrote
Religious people can just homeschool their kids. It’s very easy in VA. They have no need for charter schools. What a strange take.
VA has very few charter schools, but coming from a place with many more of them, most charter school parents i knew lived in an area where racism and classism have so thoroughly ruined the district, they feel as though they have no other choice. They can’t afford private schools and they are unwilling to send their sons and daughters to schools where kids are stabbed or molested by their classmates (which are actual things that happened to actual people I grew up with).
Please consider that there are real people (poor, black and brown people) who also think that the school system is horribly inadequate and want the opportunity to get their child out of the system. Not everything boils down to “white Christian nationalists.” Black parents want good schools too, and the system has failed us over and over and over (and over, and over again).
Tstewmoneybags99 t1_itn5use wrote
However the issue with this take is that charter schools don’t actually produce better results in these neighborhoods. In fact they produce pretty much the exact same results as public school systems and have similar issues as public schools.
Charter schools are not the golden ticket for poor urban school districts.
Also kids have the potential to get stabbed and molested at any school they go to, this isn’t a school problem. It’s a cultural and socioeconomic problem that doesn’t change with charter schools across the board. If it worked for your friend great that doesn’t work everywhere.
Edit- this issue in your last paragraph is income inequality as well as resource inequity. Your too poor to live in the nice area of town you don’t get the nicest schools. What parents are willing to sacrifice for there kids future is a personal decision and varies from family to family according to resources.
just-the-pgtips t1_itn913x wrote
I agree! I’m not saying that charter schools are actually better, just that there seems to be some idea that the only people who are for them are white nationalist republicans or “stupid” poor/black/brown people who’ve been conned into thinking that they’re a good idea. There are lots of black/brown/poor people who are also in support of charter schools because they feel (correctly) that they have been let down by the public school system.
I feel like “public school above all else” people tend to have a narrative that removes agency from the people they say they want to help. Can’t you see that in a scenario where you have two bad choices, it might be reasonable to try the option that hasn’t totally failed you yet? again, not saying that charter schools are actually better, but please acknowledge, at least, the century of inequality that might lead to a distaste for public school.
Re: your edit, I did start my rant with a reference to the class issues. However, in the US in general and in Richmond specifically, race and class are inextricably linked. It is naive at best to think otherwise. I am sorry for the rant, but this issue always gets highjacked by middle class white people who talk a big game and then move out to the suburbs when their own kid has to go to rps. Poor people (which again, in Richmond city generally also means pocs) have no such escape route.
Tstewmoneybags99 t1_itnafwm wrote
I can see it but I don’t think two wrongs make a right nor do I think fixing two broken systems is easier than attempting to fix one broken system. I can see why, I just don’t think people have through through the unforeseen consequences which to me look far far worse
just-the-pgtips t1_itndksp wrote
That’s fair and a more reasonable take than I normally see.
Tstewmoneybags99 t1_itnj8xd wrote
Listen I’ll try and give a better less simpler take,
I think to your first point about republicans/white nationalist/poc who want change and people understand you want change but I think they see you as getting the wool pulled over your eyes. So willing to get a better situation for your community that your not seeing the underlying reasons why charter schools aren’t any better than what you have while also opening up the door for further unforeseen issues about accreditation, curriculum, discipline that currently have some oversight. When you take that oversight out of the picture it can quickly become a much worse nepotism, favoritism, straight up don’t have the accreditation to get students into college. While you might have a massive uphill battle in RPS to graduate and culture, I think a lot of these issues that have been created are community issues on the importance of an education how much of a role the parenting has in supporting that child in overcoming the odds in school. That to me has more to do with how successful kids are than the bureaucrats on the school board.
This is where I understand that income inequality comes into play, have to work nights and weekends to provide but not help the child thrive, and honestly idk how to fix that other than pay people more, and have subsidies for parents to stay home more work less, but I also think there are plenty of jobs out there that will provide a more normal work week and pay but many people are too scared to leave a situation they have benefits at already.
So honestly when I look at this I don’t look at charter schools and say all bad and public schools as all good, but see this more as a community culture issue of family’s not valuing there kids education over there own personal desires mostly. And I mean this as a whole community, I know there are people doing 1000% to make it work and the odds are against them, but I don’t see how charter schools will honestly change anything. It’s literally the same thing schools with less oversight and less educated teacher qualifications. Like your getting the teachers from the same place, your paying them the same or less, and your dividing up the tax income to pay for it more so to me I look at it and go how is this really any different and how will it fix low income neighborhoods? Cause I don’t see it. I see something with the potential to be even more corruptible than the current public schools system.
Tstewmoneybags99 t1_itmn1mc wrote
I mean no and yes, I can see it happening in certain parts of the country but currently no it’s been used more in very rural locations and urban locations that lack quality teachers and resources. Ironically, they don’t really have better academic achievement, and it’s basically just like restarting the education system by taking off the legal protections of the public school system for your children and parents.
[deleted] t1_itmnek6 wrote
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Tstewmoneybags99 t1_itmol29 wrote
Yeah agreed with all your points! I just don’t think it’s all religious based, as I don’t even think most of the republican party is religious based. It’s a prop for power.
RefrigeratorRater t1_itn5to0 wrote
Is that true of Patrick Henry elementary here in RPS?
The_GOATest1 t1_itmow3h wrote
A for-profit designation doesn’t have much impact on whether or not someone is profiting from it
Few-Ability-7312 t1_itltvaz wrote
What’s your suggestion then? So far the public system is failing kids and COVID made things worse. On top of that the curriculum is crap.
Diet_Coke t1_itlvu67 wrote
I think we need a complete overhaul of the education system, to start with we need to recognize teachers are Masters-level professionals and treat and pay them accordingly. I've heard stories of teachers having to take continuing education classes where they received such amazing lessons as 'students who are interested in the material will want to learn it more'. We need to decide what the purpose of school is - job training, citizenship training, or daycare - and then design the system to support that goal. We also need to recognize as citizens that a lot of factors go into a student's success beyond just the teacher and school. If we aren't building up and supporting our neighborhoods then nothing we do in the schools is going to turn them around.
This one's a bit more out of left field, but hey you asked, and if I was schools dictator then I'd end private schools and homeschooling too. Everyone goes to public schools. Everyone has skin in the game to make them good. Right now the most wealthy and politically-empowered Richmonders tend to send their children to private schools. Not only are they not incentivized to make Richmond schools better, it's easy from that perspective to see taxes going towards education as being a pure loss and advocate for reduced education spending.
[deleted] t1_itlxtsj wrote
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AlreadyShrugging t1_itm07my wrote
> it's too easy for incompetents (Richmond) or nut jobs (Hanover)
Agree 10,000%
Lokky t1_itmi80a wrote
Don't forget about incompetent nutjobs (Chesterfield)!
DinoSnuggler t1_itm9rox wrote
Love to see another person who would end private schools given the chance. Education should be the great equalizer, and private schools by their very existence suck resources from public schools.
The_GOATest1 t1_itmqvi3 wrote
I do agree that education should be the great equalizer but private schools don’t inherently suck resources from public schools. In some instances they definitely do but I don’t think that’s a universal truth. There is an issue of skin in the game in a lot of instances though.
ill-disposed t1_itm9afj wrote
You had me until “everyone goes to public schools”. Different kids have different needs.
Diet_Coke t1_itmaaug wrote
I know it's controversial, but I think ultimately it would benefit society greatly. What kind of needs are unable to be met by public schools to the point that only private or homeschooling is an option?
Thought experiment - If (Dominion Energy CEO) Tom Farrell's kids went to Martin Luther King Middle, what kind of investments and improvements do you think would be made there?
ill-disposed t1_itmh21j wrote
Immunocompromised students.
Diet_Coke t1_itmj2h5 wrote
Is there a reason they couldn't do remote school under the umbrella of public schools?
GrandmaPoses t1_itlwn8p wrote
Had me in the first half, not gonna lie.
Few-Ability-7312 t1_itlwe4q wrote
Beef up security in schools as well
batkave t1_itlya7m wrote
COVID didn't make things worse. It just accelerated everything already on a downward trajectory like our public health and education systems. Its failing kids because the systems are also failing their parents.
twelvesteprevenge t1_itlx52f wrote
That’s a pretty broad complaint. What parts of the curriculum are you specifically referring to?
Tstewmoneybags99 t1_ito1okg wrote
I think it’s quite ironic that we’re saying the “public system is failing them” when that just isn’t true for many many students and teachers in the area. The brass tax is, the public system is to heavily invested in higher income areas of its districts.
The real issue is having a state government that doesn’t want to help its educators and instead wants to have a doxing phone line to complain about teachers, instead of paying them and investing our tax payer surplus into schools we gave everyone a check so we can feel happy about the governor in the next election cycle!
Seance-Fiction t1_itlu7h9 wrote
I quit teaching public high school 5 years ago. I love teaching and would definitely return to it if pay was significantly higher and workload was sane. After ten years of doing it out of a sense of duty I finally had enough.
espressoanddoggos t1_itm71b9 wrote
Absolutely agree! I taught for 7 years and left in Feb for a different job in a corporate setting. It pays so much more and my life is completely different for the better. Best decision I've ever made.
agnosticdeist t1_itpctv3 wrote
If you don’t mind, how did you get past the HR algorithms? I keep getting hit with “yeah we just don’t want public school teachers” although I’m hopeful about an interview I just had for a tech job.
Tylerjb4 t1_itnf90h wrote
If you don’t mind sharing: what did you teach, how much did you make, how many hours did you average per week?
Seance-Fiction t1_itnjx08 wrote
I taught art with level T5 certification in Atlanta metro area Georgia from 2006-2017 (budget cuts ended my position and I spent a couple years freelancing and teaching a college course before returning). See link at the end.
Teachers in Georgia were furloughed several times from 2007-2010 and nobody got that paid back. No union.
Hours per week paid? 40. Hours worked? That’s a long answer. Schools routinely took planning period away so grading was on your own time. When I left I was responsible for up to 40 students per class. You had to enter formative and summative grades at least weekly so that’s 120-ish students’ grades to enter at home or after school unpaid. I honestly don’t even know how many unpaid hours I spent doing that. It was mandatory to tutor after school unpaid every week for two hours, and we were required to attend after school events. Parent teacher conferences and faculty meetings were also mandatory and unpaid, not to mention stressful.
At just under 10 years I was making 51k a year with a graduate degree plus a four year fine art degree.
https://www.nctq.org/dmsView/Gwinnett_FY17_Teacher_Salary_Schedule
I now work in the film industry and started with an hourly rate double what teaching for ten years got me, and if I go overtime I’m paid time and a half. Teachers deserve much much more pay than they get.
Edit: I should add Art budgets are always micro so I was spending at least $200 a semester on supplies.
espressoanddoggos t1_itnnli0 wrote
I taught Art. Made 46,500. I averaged about 55-60 hours per week.
Some numbers that made me pause (and find another career path):
-I had to submit 15 grades per student per 9 weeks.
-125 students = 1875 grades in the gradebook per 9 weeks
-If I spent 1 min on each assignment for each student (reviewing, grading, entering in gradebook)= 31.25 hours of grading each 9 weeks. This usually happened outside of school hours and could not be accomplished during my prep time alone.
Now I make $10,000+ more and work 40 hours a week. My soul is so much happier.
*Edit I now have more time to work on my own art which brings me so much happiness and extra cash!
Seance-Fiction t1_itnsc5f wrote
Ha, we both taught art! Here’s to you
espressoanddoggos t1_itnug4o wrote
That's wild. Cheers! I'm so happy you got out and are in a better place.
CrassostreaVirginica OP t1_itloa7x wrote
FTA:
>To measure the level of teachers leaving the profession in Virginia, the Richmond Times-Dispatch sent public records requests to each of the state’s 132 public school systems regarding teacher resignations submitted in the month of June from 2018 to 2022 and analyzed personnel items from school board meeting documents.
>Those records paint a picture of public school systems across the state struggling with teacher retention.
>Chesterfield County had the most resignations in the Richmond area, with 538 teachers leaving their positions in the past five Junes, followed by 363 in Henrico County, 333 in Richmond and 131 in Hanover County.
Lokky t1_itmip9m wrote
Proud to be one of the teachers that escaped chesterfield, what a complete clusterfuck of a school system. The whole thing is propped up on the pretense of being a good district and just forcing teachers to pass everyone to maintain that image while belittling and infantilizing their own staff.
WalrusInMySheets t1_itmtk78 wrote
Are you still teaching? My gf just moved to the area and is working in Henrico, she hates her school because they micromanage her so fucking much. Just want to get an idea of how she can escape that.
Lokky t1_itmu8ap wrote
I am still teaching yeah. I was ready to call it quits on education as a whole but I got a job at my dream school where I am treated as a professional with expertise in my own field, admin is supportive and most importantly kids actually want to be here. Sadly this place is literally one in a million.
WalrusInMySheets t1_itmugo9 wrote
Yeah she was really excited about her school, but the admin staff that hired her all left like a month later and the new regime is horrific
Lokky t1_itno2fm wrote
Ooof that's really rough. It's sad how bad admin can completely ruin a school.
My recommendation to her is to prioritize herself and do the bare minimum required by contract. Do not give bad admin an inch more. She will have no trouble starting over somewhere else next year.
Bonnienani t1_ito2eor wrote
Would you share what this dream school is? In dm? I need some inspiration
reversiblehash t1_itqeqxf wrote
what school?
Potato_Skin_Suit t1_itpfbst wrote
Micromanaging must be a Virginia thing. I had a state job where I loved the work, but the administration was so awful and micromanaged the crap out of everyone. Almost the entire office quit over 3 months during COVID.
gentlemanl0ser t1_itsidtk wrote
What school?
WalrusInMySheets t1_itspmhu wrote
It’s an elementary school in east henrico county
gentlemanl0ser t1_itsppxb wrote
Thanks.
mc4_life t1_itnbndn wrote
> just forcing teachers to pass everyone
Experienced this with the bonus of violence against my child. Nothing will make me forgive their inaction. This led to us homeschooling. No shit.
Lokky t1_itnhftr wrote
I am so sorry to hear of that but I am not surprised. One of the big reasons why I left was my constant fight with admin about disruptive abusive and downright violent students. Admin wouldn't do anything besides sending them to ISD (which was one big unregulated party) because they were so worried about these kids futures and the consequences of missing out on an education they clearly didn't give a shit about. But not even a thought was ever spared by admin for how having kids like these in an advanced class (which was not even strictly a requirement for graduation) was going to impact the students who were trying their best.
SACGAC t1_itp9m4r wrote
My kid is in Swift Creek Elementary school this year... This is so disheartening. We've been pretty happy with the school district, too
agnosticdeist t1_itpcpm4 wrote
There’s a gap in how the county is treated by those in central office. I work in the southern part of the county. We get shit for help while the northern districts (specifically Swift Creek, where I live, and other areas near that) get anything they ask for. It’s ridiculous.
wanderingwhiskeywave t1_itmuxhh wrote
What’s going on is I have so much fucking work outside of work. And then they keep piling on all the BS data tracking shit as if they don’t trust us to do our fucking jobs. I’m out after this year
fartinaround t1_itn793a wrote
Same! It’s like you’re never “off the clock” because there’s always something more to do. Then you get shamed if you’re not creating incredible and engaging lessons each day that hit like 17 different criteria targets. The expectations are insane and we are never actually given time to complete these tasks because of meetings and coverage
agnosticdeist t1_itpd120 wrote
I’m working on leaving asap myself. I’d recommend not just waiting until year’s end. You are worth more than that.
batkave t1_itlxv9l wrote
I mean would anyone here want to be a teacher? I doubt it. We don't teach children to succeed, we teach them to ace a test. We can't teach anything that is not whitewashed. Parents and politicians want teachers to be security guards, police officers, baby sitters, parents, and many other things. Parents straight up attack teachers and call for their jobs when their kids are horrible. Plus they are horribly underfunded. Take away police and military money and give it to the schools.
lostspyder t1_itm0qsa wrote
I’ll never forget my partner sobbing on the phone because a parent was bitching her out for not printing off their kids homework and driving it to their house for them like some kind of ducking courier service…
SightBlinder3 t1_itmw3dg wrote
>we teach them to ace a test
We don't even do that anymore. We just make them take a test and then change the requirements so enough of each demographic passes.
killedbyacop t1_itmt1fv wrote
I wouldn't mind being a teacher in a world where people actually worked together to accomplish things and support one another, not in a world where everyone is forced to compete for a paycheck and generally only exhibits concern for their own well-being.
So many problems, and there's a solution for every one of them. But this is the world we have instead, because people don't listen to those who know better. Everyone else thinks they know better. So this is the world we have instead.
deltabagel t1_itmdd5t wrote
Denationalize school funding.
JawlessTugBoat t1_itmo9zb wrote
Schools in Virginia are mostly funded through local property taxes. Only a small percentage of a school systems budget comes from the federal government.
ilikesurfing123 t1_itm3ag0 wrote
Pay teachers a higher base salary (70k minimum), or pay them for overtime just like other public service jobs. That will attract talent and reduce resignations
kilofoxtrotfour t1_itmeriy wrote
Children & parents need to be held accountable. My parents both retired early from teaching, they wouldn't go back if you paid them $200,000 year. I work in EMS, and the pay is absolutely $hit, but I love the work. If I was told to f*ck off by my patients 8 times a day, I probably would change careers. Teachers are not respected anymore. Abused is a more appropriate word.
Lokky t1_itmizud wrote
Fun fact is that in America, low pay leads to low respect. People here are so enamored with money that if you'd just bump teacher pay up you'd see a lot more respect for the profession. It sure would be nice if my master's degree led to making more money starting out than a trades job that can be done straight out of high school.
kilofoxtrotfour t1_itmjhje wrote
People love Fire & EMS -- they get paid less than teachers, but that might be an anomaly. I get a chuckle about being referred to as a "Hometown Hero" and simultaneously paid less than a Chik-Fil-A worker.
Chick-fil-A_spellbot t1_itmjitu wrote
It looks as though you may have spelled "Chick-fil-A" incorrectly. No worries, it happens to the best of us!
phree1337 t1_itmwwm7 wrote
I am no expert but my moms friend was a teacher in Connecticut for decades(80k plus) and she still got loads of shit from parents bc they pay so much in taxes it then created a “you make more than I do to babysit” (yeah right). It’s a shame the ones who educate future doctors/nurses/scientists are treated like county paid daycare attendants!!
Diet_Coke t1_itmspnf wrote
>Fun fact is that in America, low pay leads to low respect.
This is so true - how many times have we all heard this scene from the Notorious BIG movie repeated?
Seance-Fiction t1_itnw4l7 wrote
That and higher rates to teach in failing schools. There’s nothing to attract talent to Title 1 schools, and I say this as someone who has only taught Title 1.
Edit to add: especially with merit pay getting thrown around as an incentive/punishment, as it was in my last district.
ilikesurfing123 t1_ito0uij wrote
Definitely agree with you. My sister taught at Laburnum for maybe 5 years and had some crazy stories.
[deleted] t1_itnuw05 wrote
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scbeachgurl t1_itodvff wrote
It's not all about the pay.
Visual-Sheepherder36 t1_itlq3xy wrote
Teachers are already severely underpaid, but RPD is such a shambles that my friend took a pay cut to teach in Henrico.
deltabagel t1_itmdbcn wrote
So it was a work-culture thing? Not a compensation and benefits thing…
Geez I though the was PnS for a second.
Visual-Sheepherder36 t1_itmn9ue wrote
I know a number of teachers in RPS and none of them are fans of the overall administration, but this one had a shitty principal, as well.
simonmagus616 t1_itlvnv5 wrote
Note that these numbers don’t even seem to include all the people who couldn’t make it through the last two years and quit mid way through as far as I can tell.
eziam t1_itnhqmx wrote
As a 18 year veteran teacher, I totally get it. RPS and the eastern end of Henrico is a shit show. I did almost decade (9 teachers) in a school on the east end and eventually got jaded. The shitty administration, shitty parents, and attitudes of the the majority of the students you were teaching just made the job unbearable.
I left 9 years ago to another school in the middle of Henrico that is mostly immigrant and refugee heavy(Afghan, Central American, Vietnamese) and it was a huge relief. The parents love the teachers (cultural since many immigrants view teaching as a higher profession) and the students love to learn. I truly love my job and the kids. Thankfully the principal leaves me totally alone (supports me and allows me to teach).
jellicle-eve t1_itprwtd wrote
It's so good to hear you found a good experience. A family member started teaching in Glen Allen area and I don't want to see them burn out
Also, yes my Latina mom instilled a strong belief in the power of education and "we came to this country for you to get an education". Free, safe education is a god send for many families <3
thuglass88 t1_itnpykf wrote
I like how they are forming a task force for teacher retention to figure out why people are leaving as if it's some kind of mystery. Low pay, abusive and inattentive students, overly entitled parents, a governor who has weaponized parents against teachers, bloated administrations, increased responsibilities without compensation...big fucking mystery.
AndThenThereWasQueso t1_itnu9oz wrote
Making a task force to save face because they probably won’t even consider the task forces recommendations
HedleyLamaar t1_itoc6iv wrote
my wife is a teacher and the stories I hear about parents are gobsmacking. I think the real chefs kiss was the dad who wrote a two page diatribe about how she's a "pronoun picker" who should "do her job" instead of "pushing her liberal agenda" on his kid. This was in response to his kid complaining about not getting the assignment she wanted.
thuglass88 t1_itod0u1 wrote
I can't imagine keeping my cool in that scenario. Parent, tell your kid to deal with it. Learning to do shit we don't want to do is literally a base necessity for living in our society. Stop creating little monsters.
Tell your wife that there are people who still respect and admire the work teachers do. Don't give up if you can avoid it. Push for unions. Push for better working conditions. Don't let public ed fall into private hands.
HedleyLamaar t1_itofjny wrote
She's got about 20 years in and overall has a nice little niche. The kids seem to like her and the admin are generally supportive and have been there a long time. Them parents tho.
Interestingly, it's her kids with parents like the above that are the most stridently LGBT.
lepchm t1_itnnoh3 wrote
I am a student teacher in RPS right now, being offered jobs left and right. I am so absolutely conflicted about this profession right now.
If anyone is interested in seeing the exact results of those surveys they mentioned in the article, let me know. I got a hold of it and it’s pretty horrific (you can really tell which schools to avoid).
[deleted] t1_ittfojx wrote
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lennybriscoforthewin t1_itn2wn3 wrote
I left decided to leave teaching when I got a call at 9:30 pm telling me a threat had been made against the school for the next day, but not to worry because there would be an increased police presence. This in a year where there had been a shooting with injuries at one of my district’s schools, where one of my school’s students shot and killed a student at another school during a game, and where it was discovered one of our students had a gun in school when he posted it on tick tock. I could live with a million pings on my soul including beginning to believe my name was “fat bitch” my entire first year of teaching, being humiliated by an assistant principal, and being told the lowest grade I could give was a 50, but I finally had to admit defeat when I began wearing a Fanny pack with my belongings to school so that if we were evacuated due to a shooting I would at least have my car keys. I feel really badly for parents and kids today because teachers are so fundamental to society, but everything is just so messed up it’s hard to be a teacher.
Horror-Fisherman-575 t1_itm0e94 wrote
It’s amazing how much our society values a fetus (pro life movement) but values the education of children so little.
Edit - to add that this is not a comment on teachers! But rather there should be no question that a teacher is worth way more than they are typically being paid today.
Bluejay929 t1_itnn2uv wrote
My mom used to be a teacher in an RVA-adjacent county. The month after she quit, I swear I could see the weight, stress, and anger just be lifted off of her. Honestly, she smiled so much more and looked about three years younger.
The Board of Education is working our teachers to the bone and breaking their spirits.
Few-Ability-7312 t1_itlt7lf wrote
The school system needs overhaul completely
Cerebraleffusion t1_itmofqf wrote
Lol this thread belongs on the Next Door app. People complaining about pronouns and misbehaving kids? “When I was a kid we played outside and all shared one can of soda and boys were boys and girls were girls and we drank from a hose, respected elders, and prayed to Jesus sky daddy” lol fuckkkk off right wing idiots in this thread.
[deleted] t1_itmtkp6 wrote
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batkave t1_itmyuae wrote
Something people also miss: teacher and child mental health. People act like kids can't be affected by everything around them.
PayneTrainSG t1_itny6qn wrote
It was an abused profession with consistently deteriorating working conditions 3 years ago. Post-COVID and now with the profession under fire from right-wing multimillionaires, we have gone over the precipice.
We keep asking schools in this country to do more and more while giving them less and less. That needs to change, but it will not without collective action.
Brrger t1_itn2cv0 wrote
If you are a current or former Art Teacher at a public school in richmond can you PM me. I would like to know about your experience. (Going to school currently).
VanillaChaiAlmond t1_itn5ul5 wrote
I’m currently taking an intro education course at Brightpoint community college (in midlothian) EDU 200.
You get to do a 20 hour observation at a public school in the county with your choice of grade level and subject.
Highly recommend taking it for anyone wanting to be a teacher!!
I’ll be honest, I don’t really want to after my observation hours and learning all the government bs teachers have to deal 😅
Brrger t1_itnesm1 wrote
:( I’m not too far into my degree and I might consider switching to try to be a librarian. Every person I talk to is leaving teaching because of the problems everyone listed and it’s discouraging.
mermaidmagick t1_itndi9g wrote
I’m an art teacher in Chesterfield.
espressoanddoggos t1_itnpj63 wrote
I'm a former Art teacher- reach out anytime.
wukillabee2 t1_ito6w9q wrote
Double teacher wages at the least and I bet a lot more people would deal with the bullshit
sirensinger17 t1_itmhw1s wrote
When I was a teacher, I had a master's degree and was getting paid 30k a year. I made more than that as a waitress
tramad2652 t1_itoumkl wrote
I resigned from Virginia Beach City Public Schools after 9 years of teaching. No regrets.
ghostlunchbox t1_itp0pzd wrote
lol. any advice for a college senior about to graduate with an art ed degree who’s dreading the thought of teaching in public school? what else am I supposed to do at this point?
cosmicelvis t1_itskz95 wrote
Teachers are micromanaged by administrators, overworked, told not to take days off because there is a shortage of substitutes, disrespected by students and parents, and of course under paid for the amount of mistreatment they receive on a daily basis.
jdbug100 t1_itn0ro1 wrote
Tonight on FOX News:
"Unsatisfied Richmond-area teachers leaving after Glenn Youngkin stops the grooming"
[deleted] t1_ito40fj wrote
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wagonboss t1_itpd1s3 wrote
I respect each of you for either deciding to stay the course despite all that, or doing what you needed to do for your family and quality of life. I’m constantly amazed (in a bed way) with student conduct when we go into schools. These kids are coming in with all kinds of life issues, that appear to be exacerbated since 2020.
With that being said, is education like healthcare. A system that in its current form- not worth saving?
STREAMOFCONSCIOUSN3S t1_itm3190 wrote
We need increased tracking in schools. Instead of having 2 tiers in the form of general population and gifted, maybe split it up into 3 or 4. Let the problem kids be problems amongst themselves while normal kids who want to be in school can actually learn and get something out of it. And also save the sanity of the teacher.
blueskieslemontrees t1_itme3al wrote
To further the idea, we need to stop treating public school as a pipeline for university (and in some districts prison as the alternate). Plenty of other countries have successful models that are built around differing outcomes - trade school track vs university track, etc. I just am not sure how you build an option for track changes if aptitudes change after diversion
Lokky t1_itmj800 wrote
>You are getting downvoted but there is some truth to what you are saying. I do wonder however who exactly are the poor souls who are supposed to be teaching the problem kids.
yyuryyubicuryyme t1_itmml92 wrote
Put all the “problem” kids in the same class and save the sanity of the teacher are quite contradictory. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for how terrible of an idea this is.
STREAMOFCONSCIOUSN3S t1_itoifbs wrote
What makes this a terrible idea? Sacrificing a few for the greater good. Regarding the teachers, you'd just have to advertise the job truthfully and you'd find someone. Maybe bump up the pay a good bit for the hassle.
bigdaddyman6969 t1_itmz0jf wrote
They do this in the wire - the last season I think. Doesn’t end well. The optic of it are political suicide.
Detlionsfan1188 t1_itm48zs wrote
I hate being the negative Nancy but Every job field seems to think they are underpaid when it comes to working between teachers and nurses and police and ems and just about any Public safety or Public job. While yes nurses both work in Public and private sector. We have a huge problem with the workforce between teachers and nurses and police. They serve three very critical area between educating young minds keeping us healthy and then keeping us safe. I’m going to be honest I’m not sure if any of those three ever come back to ever any sort of normalcy. I sadly think we have lost an entire generation of people who have become absolutely useless and worthless to society. I just don’t know what you do to correct losing and failing an entire generation. It’s going to cause a life time of problems for a lot of people.
Diet_Coke t1_itm686z wrote
>I just don’t know what you do to correct losing and failing an entire generation.
It's tough, because Boomers are already pretty old so there's not much you can do to turn it around for them. Unfortunately it just seems like the combo of lead paint and a lifetime of anti-communist propaganda have made them beyond saving. Additionally 'the Me generation' was raised to think only of themselves and are also unable to relinquish power so the Gen Xs, Millenials, and Gen Zs can get to work fixing things before we all die on a planet that's incapable of sustaining life.
Detlionsfan1188 t1_itm7k5t wrote
Well I thin the younger gens are a lot more dumber and have very little ambition to work for a living. I will say boomers have a very big share of people who want to see the younger gens fail but I also think the younger gens have very little ambition and want to be handed everything. I’ve always been told the world doesn’t owe you a damn thing you work for what you get. You just keep working until things change just quitting shows you have quit life altogether. It makes the higher ups and older gen prove their point to us younger gens. If we just walk out and quit our jobs it makes us look really weak. If we just quit our jobs and make ourselves so fragile to where we just quit then it makes us look inferior. I’m a harda$$ blue collar electrician and the pansy stuff has got to stop.
Diet_Coke t1_itm7yb8 wrote
I guess it all depends on your perspective and the people who cross your path. Laziness wasn't invented in 1985, I assure you there are plenty of older lazy people too. On the other side of the coin, plenty of young people take part in hustle culture.
Boomers failed us by letting productivity (total society-wide income produced by an hour of work) decouple from wages (value to an employee of an hour of work) in the 80s. Since 1979 productivity has gone up 62.5% while wages have only gone up 15.9%. That some people might not see the value of working when their work is consistently devalued is not very surprising.
Detlionsfan1188 t1_itmbpwa wrote
So if our wages keep going up then so will cost of living How can you do one without doing the other? We are kind of in that now in a way but out of being desperate for help. I really don’t see wages going up without the cost of living going up. I’m not sure how you do that. I know people want to live comfortable and live a healthy life style but you have to pay these people money and when you start paying them more the cost of goods go up. So explain to me how one gets raised but the other doesn’t? A business owner or tax payer isn’t going to lose money to finance someone else’s demand of a lot more money. People think a ceo will sacrifice by lowering his pay for people lower on the totem pole. Do people really expect someone will actually do that. We need to be content I know prices of crap sucks red tape regulations does that. The more handcuffs you put on stuff the more expensive stuff is. Just like I would never join the electircal union I would be handcuffed into what I could and couldn’t do and have zero freedom they control your entire life. I’m not wanting to be handcuffed not now nor ever.
Diet_Coke t1_itmcdd9 wrote
Wages go up → cost of living goes up → wages go up more ... as long as it stays in balance, that's not a bad cycle! Look around, every single thing has gotten more expensive since 1979, and there are additional expenses like internet bills that didn't even exist back then. Once upon a time, one person working even a modest job like milkman could support a whole family with a car and a nice house in the suburbs. That's just not possible today. Where'd all that extra money go? Straight to the very top of the economic totem pole.
Detlionsfan1188 t1_itmdow8 wrote
While that is very true my worry is I’m not sure if those days will ever return. I went out to short pump yesterday and every single place had a now hiring sign. How do you solve that? It’s absolutely nuts. My career alone as a tradesmen sees a lot of young guys coming in but not enough to fill the older guys both gen x and boomer. It’s going to be a hell hole when the majority of gen x retires. Gen y (millennials) while we will very soon be the largest gen on planet earth we really need to start getting our entire gen to fix this mess. I do remember my early working days even in high school where the cost of living was actually comfortable but over the years it’s gotten so bad. I don’t even know where you begin to correct it and with action the talk has got to stop the sad thing is they want us to quit because they will replace us with robots nobody seems to believe it. But when we are taken over by androids working then our very demise will be our own fault. We will be living in a shack while the android costs very little for a large company to maintain. Going to an urgent care just for a walk-in appt And get turned away because they have no staff is a huge problem.
Diet_Coke t1_itmg2i6 wrote
There's no reason those days can't return, we would just have to make it happen. A ton of places are hiring, and a lot of it is knock-on effects from Covid. Over a million people died, that's going to leave a hole in the economy. Other people decided to go back to school and get better jobs (which was always what they were told to do when they complained about working conditions, so can we fault them?) and others realized that the expenses of child or elderly care made working just not make sense. A lot of people have left the job hunt, and not necessarily just because they're lazy.
The future you envision with automatons is not unrealistic. It's basically what happened with computers, and why productivity and wages decoupled in the 80s. What's the solution? Stronger civics and unions. Why, for example, should bringing on an automaton electrician make everyone else on the job site unemployed? The same number of people could be kept on and, with robotic assistance, earn more for the same amount of work or earn the same for less work. One single employee would never be able to negotiate that, but with everyone's power combined then it is possible.
bruxalle t1_itmc52h wrote
“A lot more dumber”, you say?
gowhatyourself t1_itmcmby wrote
> Well I thin the younger gens are a lot more dumber and have very little ambition to work for a living.
every single generation has said this about the subsequent generation since the dawn of time. It's bullshit.
Lokky t1_itmje8x wrote
>are a lot more dumber
Oh the sweet sweet irony.
ill-disposed t1_itm9tkh wrote
I hope that you don’t work with kids, or frankly have any involvement with them in your life.
twelvesteprevenge t1_itnbup0 wrote
“Well I thin the youngest gens are a lot more dumber…” Hell of a lede there.
bruxalle t1_itmbyx8 wrote
We need teachers and nurses. Cops don’t do shit.
Detlionsfan1188 t1_itmq1ji wrote
I wonder why cops do nothing? Because they get crapped on by people like yourself who belittle them. Why would I help anyone who belittles me and degrades my entire profession. Yes bad cops exist but labeling every last one as evil is actually the evil in itself. People who label an entire group into one stereotype is the true evil.
bruxalle t1_itmstkg wrote
I’ve never done anything to a cop. On the other hand, I’ve been pepper sprayed, tear-gassed, beaten, berated, illegally searched, had things stolen from my car, and had a gun in my face on more than one occasion. On each of these occasions I was breaking zero laws. The cops don’t protect and don’t serve. They deserve every bit of criticism coming their way.
Detlionsfan1188 t1_itnlbas wrote
You say you weren’t breaking laws? Were you apart of the destruction of Richmond or cities in general during all of the riots that were on going before even trump was president? It has been going on since Obama was in office with Ferguson Missouri. This has been proven highly ineffective since the day people started destroying businesses and rioting and looting entire cities. It does zero good. The more people riot the more the cops have had enough of your crap. I don’t blame them for not doing anything now. I would have enough of your crap too. Then if I were your mom and dad and you came home I would smack the living crap out of you and make you wish you never did that to begin with. These kids or adults who act like children should of been put in a boarding school and been taught some discipline. Youngins today are nothing more than little turds who their parents don’t have time for them because they are too busy working. Kids need love they need attention. They need to be prepared for life. This is not how you prepare your child for life by teaching them to throw a giant tantrum.
bruxalle t1_itnpp8q wrote
Haha holy shit. Sorry, I didn’t realize I was talking to a lunatic. I’ll stop now.
Detlionsfan1188 t1_itnqljk wrote
Is that all you dems know how to do is name call and degrade people? that’s all dems resort to is name calling and complaining they don’t ever want to fix things or show any type of action. No wonder dems never make things better everything the dems touch goes to crap because you guys never bother to fix it. You just make things even worse. I hope the majority of the normal average citizen sees how crooked the dems are and when that red tsunami happens don’t looked shocked because it will go hand in hand how you guys handle stuff and approach things. If the red tsunami takes you for a ride I hope it’s a teaching lesson for the dems that what they have done has been extremely damaging. Any normal average person who has a brain won’t vote democrat even if it’s all they have done. You guys can kiss the Latino vote goodbye they see the crap the dems have pulled for decades. Enjoy losing your minority base who you use as political pawns. You reap what you sow and I hope you have enjoyed every last second destroying this country. The world mocks biden and the dems. The Saudi king mentioned today that joe biden isn’t right in the head. The whole world sees it other then the dems themselves. When the whole world sees it that’s a real problem where the dems need to take a good hard look at themselves in the mirror. Enjoy the free fall.
bruxalle t1_itns84z wrote
The fact that you immediately assume I’m a democrat just proves how lost you are.
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PayneTrainSG t1_itnyggz wrote
I would shit on cops less if they could manage to do the easiest fucking parts of their job once in a blue moon. Has anyone in RPD ever done anything as radical as writing a ticket for a car parked in a bike lane?
Few-Ability-7312 t1_itlub32 wrote
Well nobody wants to deal with the crap in today’s schools. kids get to misbehave without consequences, teachers would get a lynch mob for saying the wrong pronouns and in some cases it’s the teachers that are the problem in the system.
GrandmaPoses t1_itlxjs5 wrote
What’s the crap in today’s schools? The standardized testing the teachers have no say in? The threat and fear of gun violence? Conservatives accusing teachers of “indoctrination” while at the same time attempting to dictate what is and isn’t allowable speech in a classroom? Is it the spending cuts? Is it teachers having to purchase their own supplies on an already low income?
Few-Ability-7312 t1_itly7i2 wrote
Not really indoctrination from republicans when when parents from everywhere are saying there’s crap being taught in schools
lostspyder t1_itm0c3p wrote
About half my social circle are teachers and literally none of them complain about the things you are talking about. The problem is absolutely grounded in politics, parents dictating how they should do their job, garbage pay, being expected to work 60+ hours a week, being expected to provide child care and mental health to the kids, and lack of resources for their classrooms.
Donald_Raper t1_itndb2n wrote
+1. Like most, My partner pays for most of their supplies, gets paid lower than they should, works into the night and on weekends just to keep up. On top of parents constantly emailing asking questions afterhours ( which isn't inherently wrong of them )... Admin side of things... Constant training and extra work they have to do for that on top of the other stuff.
Crazy how many titles they hold: mentor, teacher, content creator, "HR", disciplinarian, coach... And more.
Lokky t1_itmk2gk wrote
I've only ever met one teacher who was worried about getting in trouble over pronouns, and of course he was a climate change denier, antivax, pro-January 6th right wing nutjob.
The rest of us functioning human beings know that if you use the wrong pronoun by mistake all you do is apologize and move on.
totallyuneekname t1_itoxgm5 wrote
Yup. When you work with so many kids, sometimes you mess up their names or pronouns. And it isn't a big deal to correct yourself and move on. The people who are upset about the "pronoun war" or whatever tf are so out of touch
HatefulDan t1_itmlidn wrote
Hahaha, woo boy, it's not hard to tell which camp you hail from. Fly that flag
Diet_Coke t1_itlp9h1 wrote
Makes total sense to me, it's an absolute shame the way we as a society treat teachers and especially over the last few years but even prior to that. Now that teachers are leaving en masse, we'll have a couple years of crisis and then for-profit charter schools will come in to "save the day", thus completing the long project of privatizing one of the largest and most important public institutions.