White teachers fleeing black schools

[Wonderwoman4]

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
Bottom line: Teachers leave. WHite and Black!

Since coming to Charlotte, I have this pacing guide that is RIDAMNDICOULOUS. It is CRAMMED FULL. Too full IMO. My class schedule is A/B which means the kids essentially have 8 classes for the year, 4 a day. They have an A DAY SCHEDULE and a B DAY SCHEDULE -- this does not work for all students, especially those who have poor retention; poor attendance, ETC.


What needs to happen is MORE parental involvement; more mentor relationships, etc. TEACHERS do their jobs. Parents need to do theirs. YEAH I SAID IT!!

From a fellow Charlotte teacher, I just want to say you derserve a "good old fashion AAAAMEN"!!!

[CrimsonTide4]

Originally posted by Wonderwoman4


From a fellow Charlotte teacher, I just want to say you derserve a "good old fashion AAAAMEN"!!!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllll

[BabyBlue91]

Thanks to you all for giving this outsider a ground-zero view. I do know that a lot of teachers have had it. My sands is a vice principal at an urban high school and a few months ago she told me they were looking for an English teacher (I have a journalism degree). Although it paid more than I make now, I never got back to her. She told me a few weeks ago that now the school has two open positions for English teachers. I have other sorors who are ready to do something else, anything else, because they're tired of the system.

[Wonderful1908]

My department head presented this article to me the other day, for his gifted and talented class. I was going to have my class write a summary to my honors class as well, so this is a great thread for me to read. As a teacher I agree, teachers leave because teachers do. I love teaching, but every day I am pushed closer to the reality that really I am a baby sitter who is going to be given a criteria to teach, so that my students can pass the state test. Its a catch 22, if I teach my love of social studies and focus on the things I find important, I stray from what the state wants. If I stray from what the state and my school district want, guess what? My students score low on assesments, and that equals me sitting in the prinicipals office explaining why my kids did not "produce the results that they have the potential to achieve" (despite that they can't read, write or even add on grade level, and have the critical thinking skills of paste). So i have to find ahappy medium were I make sure they get what they need to pass the tests but still sneak in what is important to me. Its frustrating, that accountability of teachers is basically "if Suzy does not pass, you must be the problem". This whole no child left behind crap is just what I expect from this president. All it means is now I have to track on paper that your child shoud have been retained years ago.

[RedefinedDiva]

I have had my fill of teaching. I LOVE teaching, but it stressing me at an early age. The bottom line is the kids today are NOWHERE near like we were in our day. I am a youngster (23 years old) and it has only been 10 years since I have been in elementary school. Why is it that some of the kids that I went to elem. school with now have their own kids at that school? Kids today are careless, undedicated, and have NO interest in learning.

For example, today one of my students told me that there is no use in me even trying to teach her math because she doesn't see the point and she will never learn it. I told her that she should not DARE say something like that because if she doesn't learn, then I'm not really a teacher. She rebutted by saying that I should not think like that because I am a great teacher, but SHE has decided that she doen't want to learn. Does that make sense? I have tried everything to get these kids interested in their eduactions and futures. They are so used to doing nothing in their days before being admitted into the program that for me to work their brains is overload. Some try, most reject the work.

I get SO frustrated that I want to cry, but I refuse to let them see me break down. I lecture and give speeches to the point that I almost come to tears some days because I am SO dedicated to education and learning. Life is so hard already. These kids come from some of the WORST backgrounds ever. I know that a good eduaction is what it will take to get them out of the horrible situations that they come from. Now, they are thrown into these programs and by now, they are conditions to not want or expect anything out of life. With me being SO goal-oriented, it kills me to see kids so dejected about their own lives.

Most people would just give up on them, and sometimes, I just say forget it. I give them tons of busy work and do my own thing. But I can't turn my back on them. I am trying not to, but we (teachers) get NO support. When kids fail test, it our fault. When kids don't pass classes, it's our fault. When kids can't read, it's our fault. Teachers carry everyone's burden, but we can't get a break. People wouldn't believe how many teachers live paycheck to paycheck. Some teachers have to work a second job after dealing with the madness at school all day. Money from the government is spent on highways, cruise ships, bombs, and all other things, but teachers get nothing.

And people wonder why there are extreme techer shortages....

[showstopper_1908]

Originally posted by RedefinedDiva
I have had my fill of teaching. I LOVE teaching, but it stressing me at an early age. The bottom line is the kids today are NOWHERE near like we were in our day. I am a youngster (23 years old) and it has only been 10 years since I have been in elementary school. Why is it that some of the kids that I went to elem. school with now have their own kids at that school? Kids today are careless, undedicated, and have NO interest in learning.

For example, today one of my students told me that there is no use in me even trying to teach her math because she doesn't see the point and she will never learn it. I told her that she should not DARE say something like that because if she doesn't learn, then I'm not really a teacher. She rebutted by saying that I should not think like that because I am a great teacher, but SHE has decided that she doen't want to learn. Does that make sense? I have tried everything to get these kids interested in their eduactions and futures. They are so used to doing nothing in their days before being admitted into the program that for me to work their brains is overload. Some try, most reject the work.

I get SO frustrated that I want to cry, but I refuse to let them see me break down. I lecture and give speeches to the point that I almost come to tears some days because I am SO dedicated to education and learning. Life is so hard already. These kids come from some of the WORST backgrounds ever. I know that a good eduaction is what it will take to get them out of the horrible situations that they come from. Now, they are thrown into these programs and by now, they are conditions to not want or expect anything out of life. With me being SO goal-oriented, it kills me to see kids so dejected about their own lives.

Most people would just give up on them, and sometimes, I just say forget it. I give them tons of busy work and do my own thing. But I can't turn my back on them. I am trying not to, but we (teachers) get NO support. When kids fail test, it our fault. When kids don't pass classes, it's our fault. When kids can't read, it's our fault. Teachers carry everyone's burden, but we can't get a break. People wouldn't believe how many teachers live paycheck to paycheck. Some teachers have to work a second job after dealing with the madness at school all day. Money from the government is spent on highways, cruise ships, bombs, and all other things, but teachers get nothing.

And people wonder why there are extreme techer shortages....

RefinedDiva you should be commended. I've worked with teachers whose students don't phase them one way or the other. As long as they are getting paid they are fine, and they aren't afraid to say that to the children. I worked with 3rd graders all summer and it was a great experience. I could tell that a lot of them came from problem homes or from parents who didn't care about education, but it seemed like most of my students had their own mind. They weren't babies like 2nd graders and they didn't have "issues & attitudes" like 4th graders. The experience made me consider teaching as a career. I've heard so many horror stories and tales about teachers who feel more drained than they do rewarded, I sometimes question if I have a future in this line of work. I'd like to hear others experiences though, the positive and the negative. From my experience I don't agree with the segregation. I've had great white teachers as well as black. One of my best African American History teachers was a white man, at a predominately white school. I wouldn't know my own history if not for him. On the flip side, I've had scared black teachers. Black teachers who don't care if we learn and would rather have us copy definitions from the dictionary because she doesn't want to teach (PMS). On the flip side, the only ineffective white teachers I've ever had was in highschool, an extremely mixed school. Those were the ones who didn't care. Not all, but a lot.

[miss priss]

Originally posted by RedefinedDiva
I have had my fill of teaching. I LOVE teaching, but it stressing me at an early age.
I get SO frustrated that I want to cry, but I refuse to let them see me break down. I lecture and give speeches to the point that I almost come to tears some days because I am SO dedicated to education and learning. Life is so hard already. These kids come from some of the WORST backgrounds ever. I know that a good eduaction is what it will take to get them out of the horrible situations that they come from. Now, they are thrown into these programs and by now, they are conditions to not want or expect anything out of life. With me being SO goal-oriented, it kills me to see kids so dejected about their own lives.

When kids fail test, it our fault. When kids don't pass classes, it's our fault. When kids can't read, it's our fault. Teachers carry everyone's burden, but we can't get a break. And people wonder why there are extreme techer shortages....

RD, my first teaching assignment was high school math (seniors, mind you) IT WAS THE WORST class I ever had. I got sprayed with whip cream, called a BIT** and everything under the sun. But I prayed, did my best, and got a better paying second position. My second assignment was high school math (seniors) and they were JUST AS BAD as the first group. Foul-mouth, no regard for learning and trying-- yeah trying-- to tell ME what to do. This resulted in a major fall-out (a lawsuit, that I won. oh did I mention I had a board members child in my class? Did I care? NO!) Anyways... I had some of those nasty pitiful excuse for "adults"(parents) to drop-out of school (college)but after COUNTLESS hours of lecture: I had a kid to go pro (football), several college grads, and army/navy members all who are doing well. But I always prayed, did my best, and never gave up. These kids need help and you can't help but cry for them cause some of their situations are so pitiful.

My point is this, children who need direction value a teacher who gives a good lecture and stay on them because it shows you care. Those who fail will fail anyway because they have yet to see the best in themselves and unfortunately WE as teachers don't have as much influence as their peers and surroundings; however, those kids never forget you. A good teacher is never forgotten and that's what counts. Just remember one thing, success comes in cans failures come in cannots!

[RedefinedDiva]

Girl, I sho 'nuf needed that!

I try not to give up on the kids, but it is SOOOOO HARD!! Some days I am on the brink of cursing these kids out because they are so uninterested in anything. The sad part is that it all sets in for about a week, then it's right back to not caring. Trust me, I LECTURE until the cows come home. I have even had people stop in my class to find out what in the devil I'm so riled up about. The kids are often reduced to tears because they see the error in their ways. They start confessing and testifiying like some saved Christians, but just like backsliders, after a while, it's back to the same routine.

I have seen some success stories come out of the program. In turn, I have seen kids cry and plead and SWEAR that they will change once they discharged and get to go home. Give them a few months, they are either back in the program or in another facility or jail. It just hurts because I see potential in them--THEY just don't see it!

What can we do?

[miss priss]

Originally posted by RedefinedDiva
I have even had people stop in my class to find out what in the devil I'm so riled up about. The kids are often reduced to tears because they see the error in their ways. They start confessing and testifiying like some saved Christians, but just like backsliders, after a while, it's back to the same routine.

Aint that the truth, lolololo

What can we do? [/B][/QUOTE]


Pray HARD!

[33girl]

Hello ladies,

This article was in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today.

http://www.post-gazette.com/localnew...versityrp2.asp

To add my own thoughts, I think the problem is compounded by the fact that the 14 state system schools in Penna - what used to be "teachers' colleges" and still are thought of as such - are not exactly bastions of diversity. Even if the school itself overcomes the problem, the surrounding towns are often in the middle of nowhere and on the "redneck" side, so they're not the most welcoming place for blacks or other minorities.

On top of that, the nepotism at some schools is out of control around here. (there's a side story on that) At my high school (about 80 miles east of here) there are so many people I graduated with teaching, I could walk down the hall and feel like I was still a student.

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by nikki1920
Another problem is lack of accountablity. Look at the situation in DC (DC Teachers union leaders are accused of using union funds for personal items--furs, art, wigs--to the tune of $2 million). When the teachers are frustrated, who do they have to turn to? What kind of support do they get? What kind of support do parents get? The kids get the least support, IMO. Everyone wants them to produce better test scores (never mind grades) with less money for books, supplies, etc.

I'm sending my kid to private school...

I was just on www.washingtonpost.com and reading a couple of stories about Ms. Bullock, the former teachers' union leader you speak on. If I were a teacher in that area, I would be lit up...WTF spending $$$$ on WIGS?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2003Feb6.html

On the lighter side, there's also a Robin Givhan fashion column dogging Ms. Bullock about her personal style. I disagree -- nothing wrong w/St. John dresses and Ferragamo bow pumps.