From the Times Union
“Vacancies have always been a challenge,” Vitti said. “The numbers are not significantly different than they have been in the last couple of years. I don’t think we need to be sounding five alarms over it.”
http://jacksonville.com/news/2017-01-14/school-board-vitti-debate-how-best-cope-district-s-teacher-shortage?utm_medium=social&u
Um, this is the same guy who created an entire school to service one of his children. Must be nice to be the boss right. Who wants to bet none of his children have had a long time substitute or even a Teach for America teacher?
Superintendent Vitti, instead of blowing the problem off the correct response is, any opening pains us and we are working around the clock to fill them.
Oy vey
*%^#$
“Vacancies have always been a challenge,” Vitti said. “The numbers are not significantly different than they have been in the last couple of years. I don’t think we need to be sounding five alarms over it.”
http://jacksonville.com/news/2017-01-14/school-board-vitti-debate-how-best-cope-district-s-teacher-shortage?utm_medium=social&u
Um, this is the same guy who created an entire school to service one of his children. Must be nice to be the boss right. Who wants to bet none of his children have had a long time substitute or even a Teach for America teacher?
Superintendent Vitti, instead of blowing the problem off the correct response is, any opening pains us and we are working around the clock to fill them.
Oy vey
*%^#$
I'm confused. Didn't Vitti call for more coaches in the first place? Now it's their fault because there's too many of them?? I guess the president elect isn't the only gaslighting people.
ReplyDeleteHe would have to value teachers and really believe that it is the teacher that matters and not the stuff he buys; and the stuff he buys is usually useless. The culture reflects his attitude and that is why teachers are leaving DCPS as fast as they can.
ReplyDeleteWhat part of the budget are coaches paid from? Is it mandated by the state we have coaches in schools? I guess he doesn't value the leadership coach we paid for either. The research is clear; an effective coach can make a difference in effective instruction which in turn improves student achievement. The question is, do we have sn effective coach program? Like most everything in our system it is not implemented and supported only there to say we have it. How can we when training is sparse and conducted by people who have never coached or been coached. It is evident that he has no idea what it means to teach in a classroom or he would never suggest that an effective teacher would have the time to do both the job of a teacher and a coach, or that a district person who is in the building intermittently and has not been a classroom teacher for 15 years would be able to take the place of someone who lives and breathes the day in and day out workings of the school. He is so out of touch with what the life of a teacher is like, and we are at his mercy. Someone wake me up when this nightmare ends!
ReplyDeleteChris, this comes from the horse's mouth, an actual academic coach both school and district: We do NOT need coaches.
ReplyDeleteWhat? How can I say that without doubt?
Truth: coaches are used as spies for school admin -- exceptions rarely remain as coaches.
Truth: district coaches are basically paper shufflers and support for testing needs.
Truth: funding comes from state but lots of creative bookkeeping goes on at district level so allotment money ends up ...
Reading classes sometimes have over 30 students, many with ESE and ESOL needs and Intensive Math, not much better. Those high-need students need one-on-one, small groups so I support Vitti on latest opinion (TU article).
By the way, research can be manipulated to support whatever is desired so to those who quote "research stats", I say no, no, don't be trusting -- my background is science so I'm a well schooled skeptic.
Bottom line: yes, pay master (experienced) teachers extra to share their techniques.
Meanwhile, to current coaches who have taught less than three years and never at the level you have been placed to be expert, I say get thee back to the kids who need you and that need is in your own classroom.
Oh, did I get results as an academic coach? Very much so but I've been teaching for decades and never treated the teachers I was assigned as lesser colleagues as my job was to SERVE them and not tell them what to do.
Now it's back to lesson planning as I will be found with those who need my skills most -- students.
I wish that the Superintendent had said that he wants to do everything possible to retain teachers and to recruit new teachers into the profession. Not to blow it off like it has always been that way for the past few years and there is nothing that he can do about it.
ReplyDeleteWell said!
Delete