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Fed Up Teachers Refuse to Teach Summer School in Texas.....

MMC

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Summer school in Dallas is lacking one critical component.

On Tuesday, classes began in the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) with about 6,000 students, and a very limited amount of teachers.

“Since the board hired Mike Miles to be superintendent, his heavy-handed approach has left the teachers and staff demoralized,” Messer told TakePart. “The school board and Mike Miles decided to fire two principals and approximately 400 teachers in late May. Many experienced teachers have left the profession in response to these harsh measures. At some point, you have to expect people to start standing up for themselves, even if their typical response to administrative adversity is to grin and bear it for the students.”

Messer said that teachers can refuse to teach summer school because their contracts do not obligate them to do so. Teachers are only paid a daily rate for teaching summer classes.

The teachers aren’t the only ones saying enough is enough. This week, the school district’s communications chief quit her job just days after the personnel chief and the operations chief quit.

Because of the shortage, students who must attend summer school in Dallas may be placed in larger classes. And more students in one classroom means less one-on-one attention. Therefore, students who were already having trouble understanding the material (or had failed the controversial STAAR exams) have less time with a teacher to explain, Messer said. “It renders summer school an ineffective waste of taxpayer funds, and the students are more likely to repeat classes.”.....snip~

Fed Up Teachers Refuse to Teach Summer School in Texas

Wow teachers walking away from the job. Dallas too? It appears that even Administrators are too. What do you think? Should the teachers just walk away and refuse to do summer school? I didn't know they did Observations of Teachers who were volunteering their time. Giving more of themselves. Moreover the Supt. should know they would have to create lesson plans and the works. Let alone deal with kids that were failing and unruly.

How can they solve this problem?
 
Charge tuition for summer school.
 
my emphasis added:
Teachers attempt to do their best in summer school with struggling students, but it’s tough. In addition, this year there is additional stress for teachers. The staff will be closely monitored with “more spot observations.” She adds, “In short, teachers were promised more opportunities to get fired.”

anyone else wonder why there is a teacher shortage?
 
my emphasis added:


anyone else wonder why there is a teacher shortage?

Teacher shortage? Certainly not in Illinois. I'd say the "teacher shortage" is a figment of teachers' unions' imaginations.
 
Teacher shortage? Certainly not in Illinois. I'd say the "teacher shortage" is a figment of teachers' unions' imaginations.

maggie, if this story had been about the superintendent of chicago schools, your comment would have a bearing on the topic
but unfortunately for all in this thread, the situation is clearly that of the dallas school system, which i do not believe to be located in illinois
so, could you explain why you believe the circumstance of the unionized chicago schools is significant on the dallas school situation, the topic of this thread
 
maggie, if this story had been about the superintendent of chicago schools, your comment would have a bearing on the topic
but unfortunately for all in this thread, the situation is clearly that of the dallas school system, which i do not believe to be located in illinois
so, could you explain why you believe the circumstance of the unionized chicago schools is significant on the dallas school situation, the topic of this thread

You're lucky I'm not talking about rutabegas.
 
Heya AHS. :2wave: Aren't they already raising property taxes?

Hi MMC, I have no idea, not familiar with the area. Isn't summer school mostly for people who didn't pass during the regular year? Seems like those people should pay a bit more for the privilege of attending school again after the first attempt. Sort of an apple for the teacher having to work during the summer on top of whatever per diem they get.
 
Hi MMC, I have no idea, not familiar with the area. Isn't summer school mostly for people who didn't pass during the regular year? Seems like those people should pay a bit more for the privilege of attending school again after the first attempt. Sort of an apple for the teacher having to work during the summer on top of whatever per diem they get.

Yeah.....I am not against it. As you say, these are the kids that failed and weren't putting forth an effort. Still if they are raising property taxes to raise revenue for schools. Then that might be a problem.
 
What do you think? Should the teachers just walk away and refuse to do summer school?

I walk away every single year. Ain't no way in hell am I giving up my summer to do more paperwork.
 
Summer school in Dallas is lacking one critical component.

On Tuesday, classes began in the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) with about 6,000 students, and a very limited amount of teachers.

“Since the board hired Mike Miles to be superintendent, his heavy-handed approach has left the teachers and staff demoralized,” Messer told TakePart. “The school board and Mike Miles decided to fire two principals and approximately 400 teachers in late May. Many experienced teachers have left the profession in response to these harsh measures. At some point, you have to expect people to start standing up for themselves, even if their typical response to administrative adversity is to grin and bear it for the students.”

Messer said that teachers can refuse to teach summer school because their contracts do not obligate them to do so. Teachers are only paid a daily rate for teaching summer classes.

The teachers aren’t the only ones saying enough is enough. This week, the school district’s communications chief quit her job just days after the personnel chief and the operations chief quit.

Because of the shortage, students who must attend summer school in Dallas may be placed in larger classes. And more students in one classroom means less one-on-one attention. Therefore, students who were already having trouble understanding the material (or had failed the controversial STAAR exams) have less time with a teacher to explain, Messer said. “It renders summer school an ineffective waste of taxpayer funds, and the students are more likely to repeat classes.”.....snip~

Fed Up Teachers Refuse to Teach Summer School in Texas

Wow teachers walking away from the job. Dallas too? It appears that even Administrators are too. What do you think? Should the teachers just walk away and refuse to do summer school? I didn't know they did Observations of Teachers who were volunteering their time. Giving more of themselves. Moreover the Supt. should know they would have to create lesson plans and the works. Let alone deal with kids that were failing and unruly.

How can they solve this problem?

Wow in KY where my mother in law teaches they get paid in addition to their salaries and it is a voluntary program. They love it.
 
Wow teachers walking away from the job. Dallas too? It appears that even Administrators are too. What do you think? Should the teachers just walk away and refuse to do summer school? I didn't know they did Observations of Teachers who were volunteering their time. Giving more of themselves. Moreover the Supt. should know they would have to create lesson plans and the works. Let alone deal with kids that were failing and unruly.

How can they solve this problem?

I'm not sure that they can solve the problem. I feel bad for teachers, as they are given great responsibility to do a good job, and often, the students just aren't capable of doing well, because of lack of a stable and healthy home life. I wouldn't be a teacher in a large metro area anywhere, as so many of the kids you have to deal with are already greatly disadvantaged, and the school atmosphere can be hostile.
 
Wow in KY where my mother in law teaches they get paid in addition to their salaries and it is a voluntary program. They love it.

Sounds like it's the same in Texas. It's not in their yearly contract. It's an hourly wage during the summer.
 
Teachers attempt to do their best in summer school with struggling students, but it’s tough. In addition, this year there is additional stress for teachers. The staff will be closely monitored with “more spot observations.” She adds, “In short, teachers were promised more opportunities to get fired.

Does this comment strike anyone else as dumb? Perhaps if you are performing your job as you should be, you wouldn't need to worry about being monitored more.
 
Does this comment strike anyone else as dumb?
no. not at all
the summer school classrooms are filled with school age recidivists who could not achieve over nine months what will be provided in three
an assembly of the inept, unwanted, unwashed, uncivil, uncouth; generally the worst of the worst and the teacher is now being charged with teaching them in one-third the time what they were unable to grasp in three times the span of summer school
and to compound the problem, the number of students per class room has increased
why would an educator dare pass up such a great opportunity [/sarcasm]

Perhaps if you are performing your job as you should be, you wouldn't need to worry about being monitored more.
the teachers' assignment is to succeed in one-third the time what could not be achieved previously: academic success. and now the teachers are to be monitored/evaluated even more frequently than thru the normal school year
if the performance expectations exceed babysitting these misfits without great numbers experiencing severe trauma, then the job performance criteria should be found excessive, as has been demonstrated by the teachers voting with their feet

that the new ed chief arrived and promptly fired 400 teachers probably factored into the teachers' decision, too
 
Teacher shortage? Certainly not in Illinois. I'd say the "teacher shortage" is a figment of teachers' unions' imaginations.
There are plenty of teacher shortages, just in specific fields. For example, the social studies and physical education fields are full of unemployed teachers (at least around here), but good luck trying to find a math or science person.
Hi MMC, I have no idea, not familiar with the area. Isn't summer school mostly for people who didn't pass during the regular year? Seems like those people should pay a bit more for the privilege of attending school again after the first attempt. Sort of an apple for the teacher having to work during the summer on top of whatever per diem they get.
Schools don't have to offer summer school, at least not in all states (don't know about Texas).
Wow in KY where my mother in law teaches they get paid in addition to their salaries and it is a voluntary program. They love it.

Same way where I work. I used to teach summer school, but now I'm just on an extended contract so I work during summer school anyways.
 
Having come from Texas and going through those schools just a couple years ago, I can tell you the policy for summer school is dependant on the school district itself, as well as graduation requirements and what they do with the amount of the budget alloted to them, which is based on attendance and test scores. So this isn't an overall "Texas" thing, although the budget cuts are hitting across the state, this sounds like it's just DISD making dumb decisions and jacking the teachers around, which, sadly, they're prone to do. I had a couple friends move to my area from Dallas because the parents hated the way the schools worked up there.
 
If I had to guess, this would be the main motivating factor...

“The entire student body consists of the students who failed despite all interventions. A large percentage of these same students are disruptive and unable to behave appropriately in a classroom,” she wrote. “It’s a tough gig to jump in the trenches with so many below-level kids and get them up to speed so they can promote to the next grade.”

Dont know of too many people that want to have to deal with that, given a choice, especially not without top cover.
 
If I had to guess, this would be the main motivating factor...

“The entire student body consists of the students who failed despite all interventions. A large percentage of these same students are disruptive and unable to behave appropriately in a classroom,” she wrote. “It’s a tough gig to jump in the trenches with so many below-level kids and get them up to speed so they can promote to the next grade.”

Dont know of too many people that want to have to deal with that, given a choice, especially not without top cover.

Give me a group of low-level kids any day and I can teach them.

Give me a group of low-level kids who have never been disciplined, have ****ty parents and think they are in charge? No thank you.
 
I have seen how much damage a bad superintendent can do to a school district in our town. We had one who created all sorts of dissension and strife amongst the board, teachers and parents for years. Then she finally quit and received a generous severance package and then moved to another city where she created the same type of problems that she had a long history of creating. Her successor succeeded in improving student performance while bringing all the factions into much greater harmony.
 
Wow in KY where my mother in law teaches they get paid in addition to their salaries and it is a voluntary program. They love it.

Heya DT. :2wave: My wife does the same. Although this year she took off. She has done so for several years in a row. She gets paid the same way. Plus she is a Rainbow Facilitator. Which is a program for Kids whose parents are going thru Divorces and or other Family Problems.

Still she didn't walk away when her and her teachers had problems with the School District Supt. Although my OL works with kids Grades K thru 6th grade. Not teenagers. So parents were more of an issue for her than the kids themselves.
 
I'm not sure that they can solve the problem. I feel bad for teachers, as they are given great responsibility to do a good job, and often, the students just aren't capable of doing well, because of lack of a stable and healthy home life. I wouldn't be a teacher in a large metro area anywhere, as so many of the kids you have to deal with are already greatly disadvantaged, and the school atmosphere can be hostile.

Hiya Liz. :2wave: Yeah, I would be a bit upset that they get an Eval while in Summer. After having an Eval during the Year. My OL says Tenure teachers only get One Eval for the Year. So I don't think it would be fair to Eval those that are volunteering their time if they had one during the year.
 
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