Frustrations on the job

[Lieutenant Dan]

Re: Frustrations on the job

I'm stuck with just chemistry instead of both chemistry AND physics. If I wanted to teach any biology it would mean 2 commutes each day to different schools. Said no to that. I get a huge chunk of student loans forgiven for staying at 1 school in a critical needs subject for 5 years.


Kind of reminds me of Dr Fleischmann's deal with the State of Alaska in 'Northern Exposure'. Now you have to ask yourself if it's worth it to you or not.


It's scary to know that you can pass 1 subject test and be "highly qualified" to teach 4 others. I have 2 weeks to learn enough chemistry to stay ahead of the students.

Just....wow.

My replies in blue above.

[NYJets]

Re: Frustrations on the job

So the test you had to pass was biology only? Or was it a general science test?

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: Frustrations on the job

So the test you had to pass was biology only? Or was it a general science test?

Praxis II Subject Test for Biology

Not a general science test

[NYJets]

Re: Frustrations on the job

Wow, yea, I don't get that at all.

And to drop this on you less than 3 weeks before school starts is ridiculous. They at least should give you a lot of notice and time to prepare.

[TheShizNo1]

Re: Frustrations on the job

It's scary to know that you can pass 1 subject test and be "highly qualified" to teach 4 others. I have 2 weeks to learn enough chemistry to stay ahead of the students.

That's nothing. I got my undergrad a Intervention Specialist. The school I'm getting hired at says I have to be HQT in a subject area. I was not. All I have to do is take a 8 week online course in which I evaluate links given by the facilitator. Yup, in 3 more weeks I'll be HQT in social studies. Education is all ****ed up.

[Aggies7]

Praxis II Subject Test for Biology

Not a general science test

No offense but that make no sense on how that makes you qualified to teach other scientific courses.

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: Frustrations on the job

No offense but that make no sense on how that makes you qualified to teach other scientific courses.

None taken.... it doesn't.

That's what I kept saying in the meeting.

Only response I got back was...."At a small school you have to be flexible. At bigger schools you might have the chance to specialize and teach just one thing."

Luckily, now I only have to learn one new subject on the fly.

[Aggies7]

None taken.... it doesn't.

That's what I kept saying in the meeting.

Only response I got back was...."At a small school you have to be flexible. At bigger schools you might have the chance to specialize and teach just one thing."

Luckily, now I only have to learn one new subject on the fly.

Well that sucks. Good luck in the meeting.

And that flexible is a bunch of crap. It's their way of moving the chess pieces around the board the way they want to.

For a bunch of people that promote education, it seems the school board and higher ups never learned common sense.

I mean come on that's like taking Tim Tebow and making him a personal protec......err Nevermind bad example.

But on serious not good luck.

[TheShizNo1]

None taken.... it doesn't.

That's what I kept saying in the meeting.

Only response I got back was...."At a small school you have to be flexible. At bigger schools you might have the chance to specialize and teach just one thing."

Luckily, now I only have to learn one new subject on the fly.

Can't this end up hurting your students? If it turns out you weren't qualified to teach the class, they don't get their credits for the class, right?

At least that's how it works in Ohio, I figure it'd be generally the same everywhere.

[bigeastbumrush]

Re: Frustrations on the job

I always wondered as a student why I always saw teachers flip flopping around each year like it was nothing. I always thought it was their own doing.

Now as a working adult I realize that it is just pure greed of the people in management. That is ALL that this comes down to.

There is a budget number out there for everything.

All they're trying to do is to stay within (or under) their Teacher Salary budget.

Meanwhile, Mr. Superintendent and Principal's bonus will come in quite lovely next year as they kept expenses under budget.

It's all a game.

There are plenty of qualified chem/phys. teachers out there looking for work I'm sure. The retired teacher's salary already came off the books. Do some diligence and replace the guy with an experienced candidate out there or promote someone into the position if outside candidate's salary requirements are too high. It's that simple.

Stuff like this makes me sick.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: Frustrations on the job

Can't this end up hurting your students? If it turns out you weren't qualified to teach the class, they don't get their credits for the class, right?

At least that's how it works in Ohio, I figure it'd be generally the same everywhere.

By the time they find out, finish their investigation and all that, the students would have graduated high school. At least that how it was in Chicago public school system in the 80s and 90s. Investigations in schools took YEARS and that was IF they decided to even have one, most of the time they didn't and simply transferred the teacher to another school on the opposite side of the city.

[CMH]

Disgusting. Sadly the education system is messed up beyond even this detail.


Sent from my mobile device.

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: Frustrations on the job

Can't this end up hurting your students? If it turns out you weren't qualified to teach the class, they don't get their credits for the class, right?

At least that's how it works in Ohio, I figure it'd be generally the same everywhere.

In the short-term? No. Chemistry is not a SC EOC course. EOC (end of course) classes have a state administered final exam that counts 20% of a student's final grade and a school's EOC results are used in giving a school it's report card grade (and can put a teacher on the hot seat if your test scores are low). SC EOC classes are Biology, US History, Algebra and English.

Non-EOC classes have standards that tell you what to teach, but you basically control things. Which is why they treated my move to Chemistry as no big deal. I told them I refuse to try and wing physics.

In the long-term? Probably. For any science major, chemistry (and biology) are usually weed out classes. Without a solid foundation, you'll get behind quickly in a college chemistry class/lab.

I'm going to do my best, but will feel bad if 1 or more of my students struggle when they get to chemistry at the college level.

[mgoblue]

Re: Frustrations on the job

None taken.... it doesn't.

That's what I kept saying in the meeting.

Only response I got back was...."At a small school you have to be flexible. At bigger schools you might have the chance to specialize and teach just one thing."

Luckily, now I only have to learn one new subject on the fly.

My dad's a HS math teacher and I don't think they'd do this in Math, would they?

I don't think they'd just say you're certified for general math, so here's the AP Calc class...

So stupid how they're willing to do this with Chemistry...

Good luck, and hope you can make it through the year...It's crap that you have to deal with this, IMO. I have amazing respect for teachers, and it's a shame that you don't get paid enough.

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: Frustrations on the job

My dad's a HS math teacher and I don't think they'd do this in Math, would they?

I don't think they'd just say you're certified for general math, so here's the AP Calc class...

So stupid how they're willing to do this with Chemistry...

Good luck, and hope you can make it through the year...It's crap that you have to deal with this, IMO. I have amazing respect for teachers, and it's a shame that you don't get paid enough.

While obviously not ideal, in SC they can. I wouldn't have believed it until it happened to me. The only way you can't be moved around is if your certification is only in one subject--which makes you less desirable b/c you can't be "flexible"

I've been reading up on the first couple chapters of the textbook. Not sure what I'm gonna do about the labs yet.