At the Jacksonville Public Education one on one conference Vitti went on about the transnational schools quite a bit. He said for the first time ever every position had been filled.
Well today in the Times Union he sang a different tune. Transformation schools have in the past suffered from high teacher turnover. Even now, not all of their teaching positions are filled. Vitti said the district is trying to hire for nine openings, and 27 more are unfilled for a variety of reasons, including that some teachers are on leave, that is out of more than 1,100 teaching positions.
“My concern is, do we have quality teachers in front of those students every day,” said Paula Wright, a board member, “A quality teacher can override … poverty, attitudes and all those negative things.”
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2015-03-26/story/duvals-transformation-schools-face-long-road-improvement
Okay, just 36 out of 1100 is a drop in the bucket, just let it go Chris who cares. the thing is the conference was just six weeks ago, did we lose 36 teachers since then, or did he know that there were openings and just went with the pep rally vibe he was selling. I don't know about you but I want a super who doesn't run from or spin problems no matter how small they might be. Deep breaths, who cares, I get it we have big problems and this probably isn't one.
A big one however is who was Wright referring to, she is obviously not convinced all the classes are staffed by quality teachers. I don't think for a second she is talking about the transfers, which makes me believe she is talking about the 200 or so Teach for America teachers. I am not saying they don't work hard or they aren't trying, I am saying those kids, our neediest of the needy, deserve better.
If we want them to improve anyways that is.
Well today in the Times Union he sang a different tune. Transformation schools have in the past suffered from high teacher turnover. Even now, not all of their teaching positions are filled. Vitti said the district is trying to hire for nine openings, and 27 more are unfilled for a variety of reasons, including that some teachers are on leave, that is out of more than 1,100 teaching positions.
“My concern is, do we have quality teachers in front of those students every day,” said Paula Wright, a board member, “A quality teacher can override … poverty, attitudes and all those negative things.”
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2015-03-26/story/duvals-transformation-schools-face-long-road-improvement
Okay, just 36 out of 1100 is a drop in the bucket, just let it go Chris who cares. the thing is the conference was just six weeks ago, did we lose 36 teachers since then, or did he know that there were openings and just went with the pep rally vibe he was selling. I don't know about you but I want a super who doesn't run from or spin problems no matter how small they might be. Deep breaths, who cares, I get it we have big problems and this probably isn't one.
A big one however is who was Wright referring to, she is obviously not convinced all the classes are staffed by quality teachers. I don't think for a second she is talking about the transfers, which makes me believe she is talking about the 200 or so Teach for America teachers. I am not saying they don't work hard or they aren't trying, I am saying those kids, our neediest of the needy, deserve better.
If we want them to improve anyways that is.
Let' see here...Teach for America applicant number one - Benny Reigor, an unemployed Marketing Major from Canton Ohio, currently working at the local Steak and Ale....versus Jackie Smith an English education major working as a substitute teacher as she waits for her dream position, which is to teach English Lit to high school kids. Benny hopes to one day land that big job at a major Marketing firm, and Jackie is thinking about that PhD in English and teaching American Literature at FSU (and write that next great American novel). Of course we would pick Jackie.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to think that in the near future there won't be anymore Jackies. Education with no job security and a hostile work environment is just to risky. She will double major in Communication and English then get a real job.