I attended a community learning summit this past weekend whose theme was changing organizations that are resistant to change, does that sound familiar to anyone?
At the summit there were numerous DCPS teachers and they all had a story to tell, and in all their stories kids and teachers were paying the price for the districts policies.
When I said, lets get this out there, lets let people know, they all had the same answer I would love to but I am afraid the district will come after me, a sentiment I have heard many times.
I also received this note today about a blog on guidance counselors that I put up yesterday.
Hi Chris, thank you for your blog post about school counselors! I tried to post a comment on it but I think I may have accidentally posted it with my name attached to it rather than anonymously. I don't think it went through, but in the event that it did I am asking you to please not post a comment with my name attached to it. That could get me in some serious trouble. thank you!
This teacher was living in fear that there name would be attached to a comment.
In the Fall I went to several community meetings, at one a teacher wore a hoodie and a hat in order not to be recognized and at another a teacher presented them-self as a parent not a teacher in order to ask questions.
Teachers are afraid in the environment that Superintendent Vitti has created and I have to say I believe it may have reached the point of ethical violations.
(1a) The educator values the worth and dignity of every person, the pursuit of truth, devotion to excellence, acquisition of knowledge, and the nurture of democratic citizenship. Essential to the achievement of these standards are the freedom to learn and to teach and the guarantee of equal opportunity for all.
I have documented many of the degrading remarks the super has made about teachers and furthermore his squashing freedom of speech is contrary to supporting the nature of democratic citizenship. Many teachers don't feel as if they have any freedom to truly teach as well and all they are is easily replaceable cogs forced to regurgitate the districts failed curriculum.
(1c) Aware of the importance of maintaining the respect and confidence of one’s colleagues, of students, of parents, and of other members of the community, the educator strives to achieve and sustain the highest degree of ethical conduct.
Raise your hand if you have confidence in the super's policies and how he is running the district. If you respect his choices to denigrate and go after teachers and cause a culture of fear. Okay put your hand down if you're a millionaire who owns or supports charter schools or you are an editor for the Times Union. If you envision the vast majority of teachers and a significant amount of the community still have their hands up then you are not the only one.
Finally
4. Shall not engage in harassment or discriminatory conduct which unreasonably interferes with an individual’s performance of professional or work responsibilities or with the orderly processes of education or which creates a hostile, intimidating, abusive, offensive, or oppressive environment; and, further, shall make reasonable effort to assure that each individual is protected from such harassment or discrimination.
Ask the hundreds of teachers who have left First Coast high school is they felt free from harassment. The districts main tenant seems to be intimidate teachers. I could go on and on.
Teachers should not be intimidated and harassed or forced to work in fear.
Something has to give and the super seems to be saying it won't be me, well it won't be me either.
At the summit there were numerous DCPS teachers and they all had a story to tell, and in all their stories kids and teachers were paying the price for the districts policies.
When I said, lets get this out there, lets let people know, they all had the same answer I would love to but I am afraid the district will come after me, a sentiment I have heard many times.
I also received this note today about a blog on guidance counselors that I put up yesterday.
Hi Chris, thank you for your blog post about school counselors! I tried to post a comment on it but I think I may have accidentally posted it with my name attached to it rather than anonymously. I don't think it went through, but in the event that it did I am asking you to please not post a comment with my name attached to it. That could get me in some serious trouble. thank you!
This teacher was living in fear that there name would be attached to a comment.
In the Fall I went to several community meetings, at one a teacher wore a hoodie and a hat in order not to be recognized and at another a teacher presented them-self as a parent not a teacher in order to ask questions.
Teachers are afraid in the environment that Superintendent Vitti has created and I have to say I believe it may have reached the point of ethical violations.
(1a) The educator values the worth and dignity of every person, the pursuit of truth, devotion to excellence, acquisition of knowledge, and the nurture of democratic citizenship. Essential to the achievement of these standards are the freedom to learn and to teach and the guarantee of equal opportunity for all.
I have documented many of the degrading remarks the super has made about teachers and furthermore his squashing freedom of speech is contrary to supporting the nature of democratic citizenship. Many teachers don't feel as if they have any freedom to truly teach as well and all they are is easily replaceable cogs forced to regurgitate the districts failed curriculum.
(1c) Aware of the importance of maintaining the respect and confidence of one’s colleagues, of students, of parents, and of other members of the community, the educator strives to achieve and sustain the highest degree of ethical conduct.
Raise your hand if you have confidence in the super's policies and how he is running the district. If you respect his choices to denigrate and go after teachers and cause a culture of fear. Okay put your hand down if you're a millionaire who owns or supports charter schools or you are an editor for the Times Union. If you envision the vast majority of teachers and a significant amount of the community still have their hands up then you are not the only one.
Finally
4. Shall not engage in harassment or discriminatory conduct which unreasonably interferes with an individual’s performance of professional or work responsibilities or with the orderly processes of education or which creates a hostile, intimidating, abusive, offensive, or oppressive environment; and, further, shall make reasonable effort to assure that each individual is protected from such harassment or discrimination.
Ask the hundreds of teachers who have left First Coast high school is they felt free from harassment. The districts main tenant seems to be intimidate teachers. I could go on and on.
Teachers should not be intimidated and harassed or forced to work in fear.
Something has to give and the super seems to be saying it won't be me, well it won't be me either.
Free from harassment? Just who followed Connie Hall down dark roadways after a board meeting last fall? Hmmm, someone this weekend told me that was the reason Vitti backed down recently. He didn't want the video released from the security camera. Yeah, the media let that one go, didn't they?
ReplyDeleteI have thought about that before, the ethical code teachers have to protect students. Why aren't those being invoked? What would happen if after April 30th, when the evaluations have to be completed, if teachers taught. What if they actually scrapped the script and used real books, did actual hands on activities, had recess for 30 minutes every day and smudged the 90 and 60 minute blocks for real, in-depth, engaging learning? I think I know. My son would wake up and not say for once that he hates school- my son the honor roll student- wishes they would read more books and talk about them in class, wishes they would use the library to find books not log in to iready, wishes they could do some science experiments to learn, wishes he could learn conversions with real cups and quarts instead of drill and kill worksheets. I think he wishes he went to school when I did, when a chalk board adorned the walls and we had no choice but to use the library because we didn't have google, where we read Tom Sawyer and Thoreau and could actually understand it because we didn't learn comprehension from a computer program. It's cliche, but some things were better back then. It wasn't perfect but it was still better than today. We had bad teachers, we had great teachers, but more importantly, we had fearless teachers.
ReplyDeleteYou speak the truth. I would love to tell my story of harassment, but it still continues today and I am sure it would get worse. Maybe someday I can come forward. Suffice it to say; like I said before be afraid!
ReplyDeleteWhere is DTU?
ReplyDeleteWhere is DTU? Probably @ Vitti's house having a cookout.
ReplyDeleteDTU changed the contract this year regarding harassment. They put it in BOLD type. They still won't deal with it, but they are trying harder to pretend to care.
ReplyDelete