Dear School Board, why was I surplused?

Hello

I just wanted to give you a heads up about what I found out about why I was surplused. Supposedly it was done because my data was poor though I was never told why it was done the Thursday before teachers were to report. The other teachers surplused for supposedly poor data were told weeks before school began.

My data pool consisted of 27 special education students in the four classes I politely say I co-taught. Eighteen of these students either didn’t take the pre or post tests or took neither and because of that they each gave me a value of zero, which was basically an insurmountable hole to climb out of. To give you some scale, if I were a student and I received 18 zeroes and nine one hundreds my average would be a thirty-three. I don’t know how the nine did because nobody would tell me. I also don’t know how I am held responsible for students who for whatever reason did not take a test.

The sample size of 27 special education children spread out over 4 classes alone should have been a red flag but if anybody would have taken the time to look at all the zeroes I received because kids didn’t take the assessment I can’t imagine the decision to surplus me would have even been considered but unfortunately nobody did. They just saw a number on a spreadsheet and went with their gut. This is what teachers have become, numbers on a spreadsheet.

The system we have set up and it is grossly unfair and not just to me but to many other teachers as well and because of it I was forced to leave my school and had my teaching ability questioned.

The worse thing of all however is that as of two weeks ago my position had not been filled and the kids I left were not getting the services or the instruction they need.

I wanted to thank you for looking into it and just give you a heads up about what I had learned.

Chris Guerrieri