Back from the Grave...

 

I realize it's been awhile since I posted.  Like it's been about five years.  What was I doing five years ago?  Well, I was an ATR being shifted around from school to school.  Then COVID happened and I settled into some school on the Upper West Side.  It's...OK...not great, not terrible.  Very small.

Having some down time finally, and trying to stay off Twitter, I figure maybe time could better be spent, blogging?

Most education blogs seem to be either about methodology or seem to lean very far left.  I am not aiming to be far right, but there has to be something that straddles the middle, no?  It's frustrating when I read pieces and there is this pronounced bias evident.  No, I do not want this to be the comment section from the NY Post (which often times gets particulary nasty).  But there must be room for reasoned nuance in education, something that is severely lacking these days.

This school really is great!

I haven't updated this in awhile.  It's not because I don't have time.  Time is something I have plenty of as an ATR.  To be honest, I kind of forgot about this blog.  It's funny, I read education blogs everyday to while away the time and yet I forgot that I started one.  So, a quick update.

September to October I was placed at a school in the Park West building.  It was pretty interesting.  The principal and AP were nice, engaged, and seemed to have a genuine interest in helping their kids.  It is pleasing to come into situations like that since I know and have experienced admin who were anything but pleasing.  I enjoyed working there.  The kids were...ok....Some were good, many were average, some were annoying.  They don't have a filter, though they won't be rude to you if you correct them.  It's a first name school, which means, everyone including adults, uses their first name. 

I'm all about acclimating to whatever environment I am thrown into, but I would be lying if I said that using first names for teachers isn't weird to me.  While I consider myself progressive in terms of pedagogy and improving my practice, one area I am traditional in is how you address your teacher.  Last names are a show of respect and demonstrates that, I am the adult, you are the student.  I feel there has to be some sort of line where we establish that.  Overall, not a huge deal, but does take some getting used to.

Since November I have been placed in one of the top schools in the city.  I have to say, I have been very lucky with my placements.  The kids are as good as their reputation says they are.  All of the staff has been pleasant to work with.  I did have a slight issue with one teacher who I covered for, and is also in my field.  She seemed to be bothered that not all the students finished the work she left saying that "my kids said you taught them."  In the back of my mind I was thinking "is she upset that I taught instead of just handed out the work?" 

I love to teach, and will teach, if it's in my field, and I can.  As an ATR I don't get many opportunities like that.  We are basically used as substitutes and I guess, it's common for substitutes just to hand out work and read the newspaper.  Especially with students already engaged to learn.  Course I am going to teach, though it's good to know in case I cover that teacher's classes again.

From Alphabet City to Midtown

I'm writing from the 5th school I've been placed at in my ATR rotation, the Facing History School on West 50th.  Too soon to tell what it will be like, but it seems alright.  Not like my last school which had its own building, this one shares space with several other schools.  Based on past history, that can be a mixed bag.  Time will tell.

Trying to be optimistic though, so far things have been fairly positive.  I would think there are better ways to use my time than having me hang in the teacher's lounge and surf the web all day.  I'm hoping I can meet some of the other Social Studies staff and see if I can hang out in their rooms on occasion.  Someone with my experience, and I have a bit, could be useful in a classroom.  If anything, as ATRs, this is one area where we could be useful.  Helping to grade papers, co-planning.

It's not ideal, obviously, but it's better than nothing.  I know that idea is tempting to some.  Who wouldn't want to just come to school and relax?  I get it.  It's fine for a few days, but after awhile it gets boring.  While I won't say I miss planning, I do kind of miss having my own class and getting to know the kids better.  Now that this DeVos thing is over with (which we all saw coming) I just hope that the activism on the part of people in education doesn't fade away.  On top of that, I hope people realize that the real battle is still here.  Cuomo still hates us, De Blasio still doesn't seem to care too much and schools in NYC are still beset with awful principals (not all) who regularly abuse teachers and try to end careers.

On top of that is the UFT who doesn't seem to do much of anything.  Though I suppose doing nothing is something.

Business as Usual at 52 Broadway

Yesterday, we were informed about the new teaching evaluations.  Not much has really changed, though somehow more was added to it.  So apparently, now instead of using junk science tests to rate us, schools will have the option of using junk science testing OR portfolio work.  While I am not against portfolios and think they can be useful if used properly, the fact of the matter is that at the end of the day, none of this matters if you have abusive and incompetent people rating you.

I've worked at quite a few schools for various abusive and incompetent administrations.  They may not have been directly abusive towards me, but they have been abusive towards others and intentionally low rated people out of spite and anger.  The UFT very well could have said, look, we need to come up with something that is going to make sure that teachers are evaluated fairly.  Did they do this?  It doesn't seem that they did.

So it comes to that, if you are in a good school, you're fine, most likely.  Places where the kids are prepared, parents are involved, kids are respectful.  They will do the work and you can show all their progress for the year and get your highly effective rating.  But those places where the parents are not involved, the kids are unprepared and allowed to be disrespectful because the administration lets them get away with murder, will continue to suffer, despite all the supplies they purchase and hours they spend implementing all the "best practice strategies" some hare brained supervisor forces down their throats.

One good thing about being an ATR is that I get rated S or U, which is the old system.  Which really when you look at what it entails was basically fine before the City went and started messing with everything.  Not that I am saying it was perfect, it wasn't, but it wasn't this vindictive.

It's Friday!!!!

Been a little busy the past few days.  Wednesday, I got a lunch coverage.  Basically I just had to ask where students were going and direct them to the Dean if I had concerns. Pretty simple really.  Met the principal, who introduced himself to me after coming down and talking to the students who ate lunch there.  Seemed like a pretty interesting and normal guy.  Which confirms my theory that this has been a weird year, meeting so many principals who seem like normal, intelligent people.  Who'd have thought?

Got an offer for an application for a transfer school.  Seems interesting.  To be honest, I've warmed to the idea of transfer schools recently.  They don't do regents, except English, and instead focus on a different form of assessment in what is called a PBAT (Performance Based Assessment).  Personally, I think this is an improvement.  I hate the Regents, and I even tell kids that if it were up to me, I wouldn't give them tests.  I'd rather them do projects or some kind of research paper which demonstrates what they know.

I don't get why some schools get to do this and others don't.  I understand why transfer schools do, but other schools that aren't transfer schools (like the one I am assigned to), also have a waiver to do this alternative form of assessment.  Maybe it's just one of those things, like why some schools can pre test kids for admission and other's can't.

Enjoy your weekend!

Lunch Lady Land

Covering lunch today, that's my only assignment.  Funny you know.  I have a Master's Degree and this is what they are paying me for?  Could be worse, though, so will do what I can.

It recently dawned on me that this ATR experience, while at times frustrating is also a very eye opening experience.  Last year, I taught at the Academy for Social Action in Harlem.  The teachers I worked with were good people and we did our best with what we had.  Many of the kids we taught were disrespectful, but many of them also had severe issues which the school was unable to support.  On top of that we had a first year principal with skeptical teaching experience and an AP who I did not feel was very supportive of the teaching staff.  Actually, in many cases they were down right abusive.  Not to me, personally, but to others who I know worked as hard as they could in difficult circumstances.  One teacher was so stressed, he suffered seizures in school and still they found a reason to give him low ratings.  I hope he took legal action.

Most of the schools I've been in so far have been well run, with a clear vision and respect for all the staff.  Really can do attitude going on.  I've seen schools were the principal and AP's still teach, don't overburden teachers with unnecessary paperwork and provide support that is meaningful.  Why is it then that there are many other schools who seem to do the wrong thing over and over?  I know there are simple answers to this, but bear with me.

My last few years at MBHS were marked by a culture of Fear and Intimidation.  We had Dr. Andrea Lewis and Lottie Almonte, both who were run out of Bergtraum, but not before destroying the culture.  The year after I worked for Anne Geiger at Art & Tech who prosecuted a teacher on trumped up fallacious charges and had the temerity to go after the licenses of two hard working first year teachers.  Couple that with last year at Academy, where the principal and AP also went after licenses and gave the science teacher ineffective even though he actually got students to pass the Science Regents, where they had none the previous year.

All the schools I've worked in have been marked by Fear and Intimidation.  No one wants to work for abusive administrators.  The teachers suffer, the kids suffer, nothing gets done.   Not surprisingly, all those schools either close down, get reduced, merged or just manage to linger on though the day is inevitable when they will collapse.  Meanwhile, you have schools where there is respect for the profession that are succeeding.  If only the mayor could see that and actually fulfill his promise to help schools instead of whatever the heck he is doing now.

Awesome Teacher on Rotation

It's been two years since I've written a blog.  Since I am now officially in the ATR pool, I think this would be the best time to dig this blog up.  Especially since I don't have much to do everyday.  I just kind of wander from school to school.  So this post is mostly an update on what I've done up to this point.

Started the year at High School of Fashion Industries in Chelsea, filling a maternity leave for Global History.  The leave was only 5 weeks, but I wanted good experience.  This school was amazing! I loved it.  The principal is this super nice guy who greets the kids every morning.  Most of the school is girls, though there are some boys.  Every class I had, which was mostly freshmen, I had kids ready to work every day, and some real interesting questioning and discussion with them.  Things got a little weird when the regular teacher came back, but overall I really enjoyed being there and was sad to leave.  That was September to October.

From there I was sent to Manhattan Business Academy, also in Chelsea.  This is within the Bayard Rustin building, which I knew nothing about.  It seemed...ok...  I don't know.  The principal seemed nice but the impression I got from the teachers is there is a lot of extra work and there isn't much voice.  Seems like kids were given a lot of power.  Most of my days they had me doing nothing, so I hung in the teacher's lounge with the other Social Studies ATRs as kids walked in constantly asking their regular teachers for work packets, which teachers would print out.  Rarely would these kids complete these, which I got from teachers.  Thankfully, election week was my last week there.

From there I went to Forsyth Satellite Academy.  I have never been in a transfer school before.  It's quite interesting, they do regents but they also do something called a PBAT, which is a Performance Based Assessment.  Also started later, but attendance is still very bad.  But I like the idea of starting closer to 9am.  Most of the time I had little to do but towards the end of my time there I had more and more coverages.  The staff was really cool and supportive and seemed to work well with each other.  I wouldn't mind teaching in a school like that.

Now I am East Side Community High School, on the LES.  This school is really good with a big focus on reading.  They have blocks where kids read and annotate.  I am still learning more about this school but so far everyone has been really nice.

Well I think that's all for today.  I think forthcoming posts will involve me weighing in on teaching topics and maybe doing an expose on principals you should avoid.  Because, well, got to help others out.

Success!

Yeah!!!

So today I came into work wondering what to do.  I had got an email the previous day asking if I could come to the High School for Arts and Tech in the MLK campus for a 9:45am interview.  I was thinking "great, another interview where I will probably just be a number so they can hire some d-bag."  When I told the secretary she was saying how she wasn't sure if I could because she was setting up a coverage for me (today).  So when I came in and saw that my day didn't really start till 11:30am, I emailed the guy at the school and asked if 9:45am was still good. It was, so I went.

I had been in this school twice before when I worked at Bergtraum (actually 3 times because I once saw a bodybuilding competition here.  If you've never been, go, it's...interesting).  Met the principal, she seemed, old and nice, and wheelchair bound but very eager.  The AP was nice and easy to talk to.  Suit wearing guy, Spanish, I checked his linked in profile while he was meeting with a teacher and well, someone who is an AP for over 20 years, that's a good feeling there (as opposed to people who are in their 3rd year).

Really like the vibe, the smartboards, the class (Global 9, my fave).  Start monday, can't wait.  Would type more but hands hurt.

Interview #4

Click here for funny picture

I left work early, after 7th period to travel down to Union Square for my interview today.  I had already cleared it with the secretary yesterday, and I have to say, the people at my school have been overly nice about everything.  I really wish there was a position open there, I would seize it in a heartbeat.  The school I was to interview at was in the old Washington Irving school.  The time was set for 3pm.   Given it was about 2:30pm as I stepped off the train, I dropped by a CVS to get some deodorant because I had worked all day and wanted to smell nice.

Get inside and give my name to the security guard.  A guy comes down to escort me upstairs.  He brings me to the fifth floor office and offers me a seat there.  There was another guy there, much younger, dressed in loose khakis, a shirt and tie.  Since it was an interview, I was wearing a suit.  Some time passes and I hate silence so I introduced myself and we made small talk.  Then more silence....He leans over and whispers to me "I hope this isn't one of those interviews where they already have someone hired."  I nodded and agreed with that.  Then he explained how he didn't know of the interview until late last night, when he was staying at his aunt's house.  He was from Rockland County, and based on what he told me had about 3 years of teaching experience.  He told me his interview was scheduled for 2:45pm.  It was now 3:15pm.

More time passes and a woman comes in and explains how the principal is dealing with an issue, so it will be some time.  She apologizes and then leaves the room.  Minutes later, another candidate arrives, a blonde girl.  She was mostly busy on her phone, but let in some small talk of how the school she was at had her teaching an Economics class and some Health classes out of her license.   More time passes, it is now about 4pm.  Blonde Girl: "I am leaving at 4:10pm." I couldn't blame her.  It was ridiculous to have to wait so long.  4:15pm comes and the previous woman comes in, the chapter leader "Who was scheduled first?"  I point to the younger man.  They leave to go off to gods knows where.

The blonde girl near me was growing in exasperation. "I'm going to just email them that I am leaving, or maybe I shouldn't.  What if I get sent back here as an ATR?  Screw it, I'm leaving."  She does her email and then leaves again.  By now, all the secretaries had left, with the RISO still going.  There I am, sitting in this office, I could have shoved a ream of paper into my bag and no one would have noticed.

4:30pm comes by, I have now been there about 2 hours (so much for being early!).  The Chapter Leader comes back and I ask if I could use the restroom.  She seems unsure of the question and goes searching down the hall, me in tow.  She calls over one of the custodians.  He takes me to the 7th floor to use an archaic bathroom (I guess the building is 100 years old).  I then go down to room 549.  Finally, the interview takes place.

As I enter, there is the principal, the Chapter Leader and the guidance counselor sitting there.  They direct me to sit but I instead take the moment to introduce myself to each in turn, interview etiquette and all.  They explain how this is an 18D interview  (I would later learn what that is) and they would ask me questions that are taped to the desk in front of me.  I asked them a question and they said they were not allowed to answer any questions.  Strange.

The questions were rather broad and generic.  How would you assist special ed students?  We wear many hats etc.  My problem was with the wait time.  Look, I get it.  It's a school.  Things happen.  This is the 2nd week of school.  You are interviewing people.  I don't even know if the position is still available.  Maybe as a school that has been around two years you have to do certain things.  There was a better way they could have handled it.  I am a teacher.  Just because I am an ATR doesn't mean I shouldn't be treated like a human being.  They didn't even ask for my resume until the end.  And I couldn't ask questions?  What idiot developed this idea?  (When I looked it up, I noticed the UFT stamp was all over it, so question answered).

The education system and evaluation system in this city is a sham.  The interview process is a sham as well.  I am hoping good will come of this eventually, but I won't hold my breath.

Ed Notes Online: MY TIP and IPC Story - by John Elfrank-Dana

If anyone reads this, here is a personal story from my former Chapter Leader.  May the gods always be watching over him and those others still stuck in high school hell that is Murry Bergtraum...



Ed Notes Online: MY TIP and IPC Story - by John Elfrank-Dana: AP: The evaluator chooses if video will be used. (She points out rightly that the UFT gave the discretion of video to the evaluator inste...

Monday September 15

I am not very creative with blog titles.  Maybe as I get more experienced I will add in fancier things.  Of course by the time that happens I will have a full schedule and permanent placement, and will not have time to blog.  Of course I wouldn't mind that.

One thing that annoys me is that we are supposed to be called for interviews starting this week.  How could schools still have openings?  Would I want to teach in one of these places?  I do want to teach.  My fear is being sent to a school like the one in Queens run by a principal I used to have as an AP who was a total nightmare of a boss.  Yes it's better I am not in Bergtraum, which by all accounts, has gotten worse and not better.

I hope I won't ever be observed having to teach out of my license.  Not sure what I would do with a math/science lesson.  English I could probably work my way through and wing my way along admirably.

Being an ATR is boring...

So I did not get that position at Millennium.  Damn!  Stinks for them though, they missed out on a great teacher.  In the mean time I have met my field supervisor, or principal for ATR's.  He doesn't seem so bad really and seems earnest in trying to help me.  Has sort of a laid back attitude.  We shall see.

In the meantime, I have to explain to kids that I am not a sub, just a teacher who does a bit of everything.  Sub is like a dirty word and I hate that kids use it.  Basically, my schedule gets written out by the secretary but most of my time is spent in the teacher's lounge.  Which is fine, because most of the time I spend is reading the Kagan strategies book.  That was one of the few good things I got from MBHS.  Of course, I am sure if I did everything perfect in Kagan's eyes, they would still find it developing.

Today my schedule was pd1 Government, pd5 Government and pd7 a maybe with middle school.  The pd1 class was just there till they could go to brunch and the pd5 teacher returned.  Pd7 I was told they were testing so basically, I spent most of this day in the teacher's lounge.  I really would rather teach! I like teaching actually.  I had thought I was teaching pd5 so I made a lesson for government with lots of kagan strats.  The idea is to get a class at some point, get observed, get a high rating and use that to get into a school.  Although, what kind of school hires teachers mid year?  I don't know, guess anything can happen.

Praying for a miracle

I interviewed at a school in Downtown Manhattan yesterday.  No, it was not Bergtraum, a school further down with a much better reputation.  Met with the principal and we just based talked education for over an hour.  That was really nice, just myself and him, talking about interests, experiences.  I always hate the interviews where it is you at the end of a table and 3 or more people firing questions at you.  I never know how to respond.  In my personal opinion, when schools do that what they are demonstrating is that the principal is not comfortable talking to you, so they need backup to support them.  When a principal meets one on one with you, this demonstrates they are confident in what they are doing and you know what they want.

Sooooo hoping I get this position.  Especially since school already started.  I guess I took for granted having a teaching job all these years and not having one is annoying.  Sure, I don't "have to" lesson plan.  But maybe I enjoy doing that.  The environment at this school really seems like something that would add to my professional growth as an educator, which is what I want.

Yesterday I was assigned to lunchroom duty.  There's nothing more humbling than being a teacher of 7 years and having to help organize the lunch line.  Then I had to cover an 8th period class of 7th graders who need literacy help but there are no actual teachers for these kids yet.  So the principal told them they should read a book.  Of course, few of them actually did that.  I wasn't so interested in that class, but I think it is possible I will be here longer so I will have to just go into teacher mode and assert myself.

Of course, if I get this teaching position, none of this will matter.  I can already see myself, though I try not to think of it too much.  Though I did get some news from my last chapter leader for people who got ineffective or developing.  If anyone reads this blog, apparently there is a workshop saturday at 52 from 10-12.  Or you can call this number: 212.598.6800.  Apparently you can schedule an intake.  Not that I am confident this will work, but I believe it's worth a try.  The last time I called on the UFT for help was for my U appeal from a few years ago.  It wasn't much help, but the guy definitely tried.  What have you got to lose?

Developing? I'll show you developing

http://www.piratesplunder.com/images/products/flags/Beatings_450.jpg

So I received my rating last night.  I kind of knew it would be developing.   When I did my MOTP last year I was just on the edge of under effective.  Not that I agree with those ratings (who would)?  I did the best I could in a "failure factory" within a structure that did not support teachers in any way shape or form.  Of course, now I feel like less of a teacher because every other blog I read people complain about being only effective.  Not that it really means anything, does it mean anything?  I'm not really sure.

What I do know now is that I am supposed to have some kind of Teacher Improvement Plan.  Which is supposed to come from the principal.  My question is this: What if the main problem with my teaching is that I had bad principals and assistant principals? Would I be fair in requesting that I have competent administrators who will provide me with immediate and actionable feedback (as opposed to waiting 3 weeks or more before scheduling a Post Op)?  Furthermore, I am an ATR now.  Who will schedule this?  The principal who doesn't know me at the school I am at now?

One more day for the official school day.  As I came in this morning the secretary told me "you're card is in that separate area, not with the teachers." I had half a mind to say "Well, I am a teacher."  But I don't think she meant it as a slight, I think she more meant the teachers who are at this school permanently.  I hope I am not an ATR long.  So far this place seems pretty good, but my roommate regaled me with a bad experience yesterday.  If I don't lock up something within the month, I might get sent to a horrid school.  That would not be good.  So far though I am just waiting to see what we are doing today.  People say "hi" but that is about it.  I get it, they are focused on their rooms and what they are teaching on day one.  Still...

New Year, New Role, New School(s)

Began the new year of teaching, 2014.  This will be my 8th year.  What's different about this year is no longer am I going to be at Murry Bergtraum High School.  Instead, I will be an ATR, which stands for Absent Teacher Reserve.  I am holding out hope that this is temporary, though I have heard horror stories, I have also heard success stories.  Considering that I don't want to teach at Murry Bergtraum High School, I'd just rather try this ATR thing out.  Trust me, that school is that bad!

I was sent to Thurgood Marshall Academy, which is up in Harlem, in the Bronx.  They greeted me like I was one of their own, everyone was smiling!  And happy.  I don't think this was an act, it seemed rather genuine.  They had a nice spread for breakfast and the staff meeting was pretty short.  The principal, who seemed to be an energetic young-ish man talked about their success and what they want to improve on.  Then did some introductions and then that was it!  No boring presentation lead by suits from the DOE.  No lecture by the principal about how this is "your" problem and not "our" problem.  I can believe it when they talk of those who stay late.  I get the feeling this is the kind of place people "choose" to stay late at.

They didn't have much for me to do, so that was kind of a bummer.  Everyone was nice though, setting up their classrooms, I offered help here and there.  I mostly spent time talking with one of the AP's who is in his last year and seems like a nice, fair guy.  He was gracious enough to offer talking to some of his principal friends to see if they have any openings.  I figure, yeah, sounds like a good idea.

Of course, it's Day One.  Then there is Day Two, then Day Three is the REAL Day One.  Still, I am excited to help where I can and hopefully get a position somewhere soon.  Which, btw, if anyone is reading this and knows a school looking for an excellent Social Studies teacher, I would appreciate any guidance :)

This just in...

So the California Supreme Court is saying that tenured teachers ruin education.  What a load....just more proof that all you need is a big fancy corporate law firm and you can erode any decision.  Here's the link http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/us/california-teacher-tenure-laws-ruled-unconstitutional.html?emc=edit_au_20140610&nl=afternoonupdate&nlid=55289402&_r=0

Seriously, how does this happen?  My school is a total FAIL FACTORY, as you may have read in the NY Post.  There are several articles related to my school, just type FAIL FACTORY NYC Schools and you will find it.  The latest in a series of miscues has us proctoring for 6 hours straight with two bathroom breaks, starting at 12pm.  This is the weirdest schedule I've ever received.  12pm to 6:55pm with 47 minutes for "dinner?"  And I get two 10 minute bathroom breaks in between?  Yeah, us teachers, JOB FOR LIFE, RIGHT? RIGHT?

Drives me up the damn wall.  I go in each day, love working with these kids, even the annoying ones, implement the different strategies, Danielson and the like and they have some nerve to say it's all developing.  Like, what the heck.  Developing?  Developing is someone who barely tries anything, has little interest in the kid's lives and spends all their time telling kids to log on to some website like castlelearning while they check espn.com.  Which by the way, does happen at my school, it's just called Blended Learning and that brings up another point.  How are these "teachers" being evaluated?  They can't really differentiate since everything is on the computer.  They must be getting ineffectives across the board....though I wouldn't be shocked if they were rated "highly effective" while poor schlubs like me who works with live students have to stick with "developing."

Met some fellow teachers as part of the MORE protest in front of TWEED.  Was good to meet people and listen to their stories.  It still amazes me, as bad as my school is, some are far worse.  The incompetent morons the DOE sends into schools to run them as principals and then I have to read about what is going on in California and be subject to more anti-teacher propaganda.  And bet your bottom dollar, the Post, The Daily, the Times will all having glowing editorials tomorrow praising this victory against those "evil" unions!  Because we all know, teachers hate kids.  The only people that love kids are corporate ceos and super rich charter school operators like Eva Moskowitz, who want to destroy unions so they can hire Teach For America kids who will use their experience working with urban area kids as a resume line as they tried to get into Harvard Law.  All of it...makes me sick.  Good day!

I have returned....

Dusting off the cobwebs here.  For some reason I feel like blogging again which I haven't done in quite awhile.  Seven years of teaching! Wow.  You know before I moved to NYC I never envisioned teaching would be like this.  I remember in Grad school they made it seem like all teachers were just not getting it done.  That there were more constructive ways of reaching kids.  Boy, was I misled!  Teaching is hard!  Especially if you want to do right by the kids.  Sure, you could take the lazy man's way and just copy something off the internet but that kind of stuff doesn't work with kids who lack the motivation.  They want to be engaged, to be inspired, so I have learned that I have to find different ways to engage them.  Which is fine, I enjoy the challenge nowadays, just wish some of them would remember to bring their pen once in awhile.

New principal, well her second year.  She's different from the last one, but worse.  I harbor ill feelings from the last one since I was unjustly "U"'d in my 5th year.  This one is never around.  Today was a NYC snow day, which means schools are OPEN.  In truth it wasn't that bad, but we who know know that kids just don't come to school when it snows, or is icy, or if it rains.  Come into school, see one of my students in the halls then see security come out and be all like "all students need to go to the auditorium."  This was 8:15am.  So I think, hmm ok, no 1st period?  Go into my room, do some editing, teacher walks by and says I have to go to the auditorium to get my students.  I go down and manage to get the two that were there.  Ended up even teaching them something.  Rest of the day passed with bells out of order.

But here I am thinking is.  Would it kill administration to make an announcement?  They never make announcements, ever, unless it is AP security announcing a fire drill.  But surely the magnitude of this storm and its effects would warrant some kind of announcement to teachers.  I was one of the few who was informed to pick up his kids.

Well, at least my lesson is already done for tomorrow!  Just hope more kids show up, so I can teach them the common core "skills" which are so damn important.

Reviewing the past and other ramblings...

After taking so much time off from writing, I read through my older blogs today. Basically because I am in the credit recovery room as a senior basically retakes his US government course in the span of about one hour. Nice to know that a student can do nothing for about 4 months and 4 days before graduation make up that course within the span of two hours. Gotta love the education system we have in this day and age.

Quite frankly, why do we bother teaching 9-10 months of the year? Why not on the first day, just tell the students that it will be a four week course. We give them online packets to complete and at the end, they either pass or fail. Those who fail can just take it again, with a new batch of students and this can become an education factory instead of a school. Might as well right? We're just pushing them out into society with a worthless piece of paper anyways.

One teacher mockingly made the suggestion several weeks ago that instead of giving them grades in the sense of pass/fail, we give them grades but do not fail anyone. They take their courses, and in four years they get a diploma with their overall score on the bottom. So if their overall is a 45, it's a 45. Just hand them the diploma and send them off on their way. Think of the possibilities! Not counting dropouts, His Excellency can boast of 100% graduation rates (though somehow someway, some students would still manage to screw this up).

I notice my blog is less positive than it used to be. Maybe I am becoming one of those old curmudgeony teachers who sits in his room and gives students ditto's to complete while I read through the Wall St. Journal. That's actually a scene from a movie in the 80s called "Teachers" (which is good to watch actually, has Nick Nolte, the guy who played the Karate Kid, some other people). Kind of funny actually when I think of the plot of the movie, which was basically how you had this school where there was a student who was passed through the system who didn't learn anything and was suing the school for this reason. And the main character played by Nolte, was this Social Studies teacher who had a problem with this and still believed in the Karate kid character even though the kid was a lost cause. Ok, maybe not so realistic. But ironic how we are basically doing the same thing to all these students, just pushing them through, even though they lack the skills to achieve, just so our stats are high.

Sure, it's not really our fault. Half the students we get read below grade level, some have psychological issues, some can't perform in the class environment even with a good teacher, half the parents are either unresponsive, don't care, or are too busy to make a concerted effort (among a host of other possible variables). I'm not saying we all need to re-introduce vocational schooling (wouldn't hurt in my opinion), but something needs to change and it can't always be an absolute intense focus on academics only. Creative arts programs are cut because they aren't seen as worthwhile, but if a student shows interest in that maybe they can produce something that would be rivalled in the arts community.

I don't know what the answers are, but demonizing public schools in favor of charters is not the answer. Plus the fact that it creates a simmering war between public and charter schools which is unfair because all teachers work towards the same goal, and I am not better than charter school teachers, nor they me. But when politicians say this this and that about the public schools and do nothing to improve them except more tests the students can not pass, then throw the blame on the public school teachers and the "evil greedy" union, then, there is a problem.

Credit Corruption

Ok, so I haven't written here in nearly a year, actually since the start of the school year under the new principal. Which is kind of funny, because looking back I can provide some sort of piece on how things went under the reign of this new principal, who in some ways isn't so new anymore and yet, I still feel like I barely know her.

But first, I write this now on the Board of Ed's dime, babysitting...errrr facilitating a group of "unsuccessful" students in credit recovery. This is something I am sure all of you are familiar with. I will be honest, in the four years I have been here, I haven't had much exposure to it. Perhaps it is because I have always been someone who was away from all of this. And so, now during Regents week, my AP assigned me to oversee this, or basically, add the kids to the program so they could do the work.

Now, I don't know about anyone else, but to me, this whole system is something more along the lines of corruption. Within the class right now is one kid who the other teacher told me is a good kid who just wasn't successful and then two not so good kids who did the wrong thing for four years here and are basically being rewarded for their bad behavior for getting a second...scratch that...third...no....fourth? fifth? sixth? chance? Et cetera, the list goes on. For whatever reason, the idea of this credit recovery thing goes against all my moral beliefs about education. Is it wrong for me to all of a sudden feel devalued as an educator (notwithstanding all the previous b.s. the mayor and his minions have done to demonize the people in our profession)?

But think of this. In the minds of these kids, who in their minds think all they need to get a H.S. diploma is a 65 (and for the most part, how can we really dissuade them from thinking this), they can goof off all year, fail their classes and no matter how much of a jerk they are, just say "Oh I will take credit recovery" come in for an hour or so, do the minimal work possible for an online course and graduate on stage with their friends a week later. And because the school is so intent on pushing kids through, because the mayor wants us all to pass students, not for their own benefit, but because it makes him look good, then schools do this. The principal forces the teachers to do this, because if they don't they will be fired, and as much as tenure is supposed to mean something, if you consistently get U ratings, you won't be teaching very long, or get sent somewhere you really don't want to be teaching.

What is my moral dilemma here? Why do I feel so devalued? Besides the fact that regents exams are more a joke that they used to, where I am told to give 3 and 4 ratings to essays that are barely a 1. To allow essays in World History that talk about Thomas Edison, even though the rubric says otherwise. Why am I bothering? If a student knows they can screw around/cut class all year, then come in the last week of June and pass the course, why are we here? There is no point for us really, we may as well just do what everyone else tells us to do and get a "real" job.

I love teaching. I love teaching engaged students and helping students who struggle but honestly want to do well. I feel good when students become engaged in a subject or activity, and show that they thought deeply about something. I love when I read a good essay on a subject that shows transitions, interpretation and analysis of a question. Yeah there are some problem instances during the year, but for the most part, the student equation isn't all that bad. It's all the other things that drive me nuts.

In my day (wow I feel old), if you failed something, you went to summer school to make up what you didn't learn (I went twice, guess I enjoyed summer school XD). Yeah, they still have summer school, but with credit recovery, there is no need for it now. You can just fail the class and take it later on. Sure some might argue with regents classes that students need summer school and sure they all do, but with the rampant corruption that goes on regarding regents grading, that argument might not be as strong as before.

What the real problem is this. We are handing diplomas out to students who are going to be shoved into a world they are not ready for. They will think they are ready for college, get there and face a hard truth, that they aren't ready for college, that the skills they failed to learn in high school are actually useful and they will face a serious issue in their life. Instead of us taking a reasonable approach to the education of these students, we show them through all so His Excellency at Tweed can talk about how many kids are passing. But if they are passing without having learned anything, what do they gain? A false hope and a brutal slap in the face. So when these kids realize the best job they can get is a job they could have had in high school, where are they going to turn? Their parents won't be around forever, some of which come from one parent households anyways. Drugs and crime are always around them, and the sad reality is that the school, the place where they are supposed to get a proper education is the place that is denying that education.

Who's to blame? I mean yeah, the mayor is mostly at fault, but if we are complicit in this, even under the guise of, well it will save our jobs (which is debatable), then we are at fault as well. And to be honest, if this is how it will be, I'm seriously considering other career options.

New Year...New Fears....

Has it really been since February since I last posted? Wow. And to think, June feels like it was just last week. Where did the summer go? For all those who say we get too much time off, I say, no, we don't. We don't get enough, and I actually enjoy my job. Then again, what do I know? I sure as hell ain't telling people how to do their job, even though every Tom, Dick and Harry thinks they can tell me how to do mine.

We have a new principal. Let's call them Wu. Wu is very much like the pleasant looking kind of person, with a mean streak. Wu wants us to teach a certain way. Wu wants the classrooms to be organized a certain way. Wu wants the boards to have some kind of "agenda" on it everyday, so late students know what we are doing. Wu wants a lot of things. Many teachers at our school do not understand what to do, because many A.P.'s at my school are incompetent fools who couldn't lead the way out of a room with four exits. Moreover, many teachers at my school get frustrated. They don't know what to do, the AP's hand out directives that are not exactly what Wu said, they create a climate of fear, and suddenly everyone is screaming bloody murder.

Fact is, my school has not performed well. It's a big school. We have some bright kids and we have some lunatics. But no one's ever been stabbed since I've been here, we don't have metal detectors and I don't really think it's a bad school. There's a host of things we could be doing better. I don't really understand how a school becomes successful, but I do know that what we've been doing isn't the way, at least according to the DOE. Not that the DOE has the best standards, but they cut the checks, so we have to do what they say.

And here is my point, which Wu enunciated today. We can whine and complain all we want, but the fact is, unless our school gets a passing grade next year, we're done. Finished, caput, out to pasture. Wu will still have a job, because principals obviously are not held to the same standards. (Hell, a former AP of mine who is the most incompetent man I have ever met, is a principal at a school in Queens. Teachers are getting U-rated and leaving the school in droves, yet it would be no surprise to me if the man has a long career in the NYC public school system). Where was I? Oh yes. Reality is this. We either do what Wu wants and pray it works, or we get turned around, many teachers lose their jobs, most likely the ones who actually work their asses off, and things will be done Wu's way anyways.

I am still debating how to view Wu. This is my 4th year. The previous principal was someone who really did care about the school, and was someone who was approachable. You didn't always agree with them, but you knew their heart was in the right place. This one makes crazy decisions and you almost wonder if the DOE sent Wu in here to intentionally sabotage the place, so the DOE can turn around and say "big schools don't work." IDK. I just know what I see, and this is it....

I see teachers who don't enforce the rules in this school. Security doesn't do anything except take up space in the hallways. I always tell students to take off their hats, put away their electronic devices and pull their pants up, and this is not limited to my classes either. I stand by the door and tell all students this, and observe teachers who say NOTHING, but rather walk right by because it isn't "their" problem. Security won't do anything unless I tell a student right in front of them, then they get their bravado. I do this because I will not allow my students to be unsuccessful. My job is to turn them into professionals, and I explain as much to them. I want them to be respectful, and I model respectful behavior everyday to them. I model it in the hallways as well. Don't get me wrong, I'm a pro-teacher kind of teacher. I realize we get shit on and blamed for all the world's problems and the majority of it isn't our fault. However, I can't do my job that well if everyone else isn't doing their job.

Maybe if some of my associates were less apathetic, we wouldn't be in the situation we are in. The fact of it all is, this is what we are dealt with. We either step up, accept what is given to us and strive for success, or we don't, and we all get screwed.