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We get 10 sick and 3 personal per year. Any unused time rolls over as sick for the next year.
I'll be way over this year
We get 10 and 2. They roll over but they're worthless if we don't use them. Unfortunately, it takes a doctors note to use more than two days in a row and any days in advance. Last year I had to jump through flaming hoops to take off two days for surgery because it was scheduled in advance. We're only supposed to schedule one day in advance. I needed a day to recover. I have 67 days accrued right now. I'll probably have 150 by the time I'm ready to retire.
We get 10 and 2. They roll over but they're worthless if we don't use them. Unfortunately, it takes a doctors note to use more than two days in a row and any days in advance. Last year I had to jump through flaming hoops to take off two days for surgery because it was scheduled in advance. We're only supposed to schedule one day in advance. I needed a day to recover. I have 67 days accrued right now. I'll probably have 150 by the time I'm ready to retire.
I was out a week last year with pneumonia. There's no way to schedule that in advance. I don't think I could work where you are. The rules you describe are nuts.
We get 10 and 2. They roll over but they're worthless if we don't use them. Unfortunately, it takes a doctors note to use more than two days in a row and any days in advance. Last year I had to jump through flaming hoops to take off two days for surgery because it was scheduled in advance. We're only supposed to schedule one day in advance. I needed a day to recover. I have 67 days accrued right now. I'll probably have 150 by the time I'm ready to retire.
That does seem crazy strict. Doesn't make sense.
So, could you just call off on the day of or day before the surgery and provide the note when you returned? Seems that would be easier considering the rules.
We get 10 and 2. They roll over but they're worthless if we don't use them. Unfortunately, it takes a doctors note to use more than two days in a row and any days in advance. Last year I had to jump through flaming hoops to take off two days for surgery because it was scheduled in advance. We're only supposed to schedule one day in advance. I needed a day to recover. I have 67 days accrued right now. I'll probably have 150 by the time I'm ready to retire.
That is nuts. My last district had a rule that a doctor's note was required for anything more the 3 days in a row, but the doctor stated the number of days so if you needed/wanted extra time you just had the doctor give a time off range instead of number of days.
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Originally Posted by tgbwc
That does seem crazy strict. Doesn't make sense.
So, could you just call off on the day of or day before the surgery and provide the note when you returned? Seems that would be easier considering the rules.
I agree and it seems it would be more disruptive for getting a sub and planning.
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UGH New admin = new problems. Not that I want the old admin back but can't I catch a break?
I upset a student who was tutoring one of my students by telling her she cannot teach him short cuts (this is for geometry and I want my students working through the problems not plugging into a formula and chugging out an answer). She was downright disrespectful to me and ended up going to the principal to complain about me. I was informed by the vice principal that she's not a rude student so it MUST be the way I talked to her. Then the principal chimed in with that he thought I had a bit of an attitude the first time he talked to me on the phone this summer when he called to ask about a final exam. So I'm guilty and a student who LITERALLY tried to tell me what to teach is the innocent victim but here's the rub. THAT phone call he remembers as our first phone call wasn't our first phone call. He had called me about 2 hours earlier to ask if I could sit in on some interviews and we did our introductions then. Yes I was taken aback when he called me just two hours later and didn't recall talking to me. I chalked this up to being new to the district and having lots of names to learn and completely forgot about it until he brought it up as proof that I have an attitude. I'm like really? I let go the fact you didn't remember my name two hours after talking to me and you're holding a grudge over the tone of my voice during that call???
Unfortunately, we have the wrong VP for me. She takes sides and if you are on the losing side and try to defend yourself she'll tell you that that is just proof of your guilt so I couldn't tell my side of the phone call. The union knows this so they told me to just forget it. I can't win. I just need to let it blow over. I'm bummed. I had high hopes for a good principal. I know one of the interviewees and he would have been a great principal. Of course they didn't hire him. They hired a micromanaging principal who apparently holds a dismayed inflection in your voice during a summer phone call against you months later. Who does that? I can send a kid to the office and I have to look at the slip I wrot two days later to remember what I sent him for. Once it's over of it's out of sight out of mind over and done. We all have our moments and I don't judge anyone on a single interaction.
GRRRR. I need to keep my nose squeaky clean here which is a bummer. I was really hoping to get a principal who respected my engineering degree enough to let me revamp the physical science curriculum. It really needs it. How do I turn around a bad and undeserved first impression? He has never talked to me for five minutes. Yet he thinks I have an attitude because I was dismayed at the fact he didn't remember having talked to me two hours earlier that day. That's all it was. The union rep says I should not tell him that because it just looks like I'm covering up for myself and to just let it go but all he sensed was that I was a little put out that he didn't remember having talked to me earlier. Apparently, I didn't have tone in my voice worth remembering in THAT phone call. UGH.
Same chit different day except we now have daily lesson plans and frequent walk throughs. He told me that I spend too much time directing the class in geometry for example when he only observes my classes during the first 15 minutes of class when I'm answering questions and teaching the lesson. He leaves before the kids break up into groups to work in the material. He seems to see what he wants to see. He even lied about observing my chemistry class. Again he said I'm always at the board. He's observed me twice. Both times the kids were working on group activities and I was NOT at the board. I'm like WOW. What the hell is going on here? I'm thinking the Peter principle applies to principals.
The VP taking the side of a student over a teacher does not surprise me. I'm an outsider. She grew up there and there tends to be a classism in my district between old families and new families. I see it in the kids. I chose not to move there for this reason. I didn't want to move somewhere that would never feel like home. I've had parents tell me that they've lived there 15 years and don't feel they are accepted. I've seen kids cry that they've been here since 3rd grade but they're not one of them yet. The union rep and I are both convinced that that's what this is but I'm just like REALLY????
Let's just hope this is it. While he also complained about my grades in geometry during the meeting yesterday this is self fixing. We see this every year. Test results are horrible for the first 2-3 test and then it starts to click and everything is golden. We offer retakes at the end of the semester to fix the grade. I was told yesterday they want the kids passing the first time. I'm kind of sad over this because I really believe that the reason I see the growth in my students that I do is that they go through that struggle at the beginning of the year. They're learning to think in new ways and that's not easy. It's hard. Very hard for some of them but those are the kids gain the most. What you learn in pain you retain is very true. Struggling makes us stronger. Grades are just grades and they really don't matter until the semester is over. FTR, the other geometry teacher has grades that look like mine. That fact was left out during the meeting. I fear I'm dealing with two admins who see only what they want to see. I know the VP does. The kids who aren't among the chosen ones who can do no wrong know it too. I hear them talk.
I'm just venting. I know there's nothing any of you can do to help. I just need to do what the union says and implement the changes I was instructed to implement and go on my way. I'm just bummed. I was hoping for improvement. I'm not sure we got it.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 11-05-2016 at 05:38 PM..
Found out I'm not alone today but I'm not sure if that makes things better or worse. I'm just keeping my nose clean and doing as I'm told.
Is it really too much to be respected as the expert in my classroom?
We've done a slam on the brakes full 180. We've gone from kids should have multiple tries to learn material (which is what they are used to now) to there's something wrong with the teacher if they don't pass the first time. From only having to keep a web page up to date with what we are doing to having to file lesson plans a week in advance. From never seeing admins to 2-3 5 minute observations per week and lord help you if the kids aren't engaged and doing something when those happen. Apparently, we're never supposed to be in front of the class teaching. Now if only someone will explain to me how you teach subjects like chemistry and geometry without presenting the material to the students. It's also taboo to have them read the book. I'm supposed to invent activities through which they discover the material. Yes, I'm sure 10th graders will "discover" geometric proofs....
It sure would have been nice to have been told what was expected of us in advance. Sigh.
All I can do is laugh. Seems we just traded one problem for another. Man I hate being micromanaged.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 11-07-2016 at 03:54 PM..
Found out I'm not alone today but I'm not sure if that makes things better or worse. I'm just keeping my nose clean and doing as I'm told.
Is it really too much to be respected as the expert in my classroom?
We've done a slam on the brakes full 180. We've gone from kids should have multiple tries to learn material (which is what they are used to now) to there's something wrong with the teacher if they don't pass the first time. From only having to keep a web page up to date with what we are doing to having to file lesson plans a week in advance. From never seeing admins to 2-3 5 minute observations per week and lord help you if the kids aren't engaged and doing something when those happen. Apparently, we're never supposed to be in front of the class teaching. Now if only someone will explain to me how you teach subjects like chemistry and geometry without presenting the material to the students. It's also taboo to have them read the book. I'm supposed to invent activities through which they discover the material. Yes, I'm sure 10th graders will "discover" geometric proofs....
It sure would have been nice to have been told what was expected of us in advance. Sigh.
All I can do is laugh. Seems we just traded one problem for another. Man I hate being micromanaged.
Sounds like they are just baffled that when they told kids you can just re-do until you pass that it translated into kids not bothering to study, resulting in huge numbers of re-takes. I imagine this has lead to parents finally complaining it is a stupid idea. This latest installment from the good idea fairies, many of whom were unsuccessful classroom teachers (if they were at all), seems to have about a 2-3 year lifespan before the parents point out the very flaws classroom teacher warned about prior to implementation.
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Sounds like they are just baffled that when they told kids you can just re-do until you pass that it translated into kids not bothering to study, resulting in huge numbers of re-takes. I imagine this has lead to parents finally complaining it is a stupid idea. This latest installment from the good idea fairies, many of whom were unsuccessful classroom teachers (if they were at all), seems to have about a 2-3 year lifespan before the parents point out the very flaws classroom teacher warned about prior to implementation.
I don't think so as they knew this was the deal when they came on board. This is the superintendents third year. She brought in this particular principal because she thinks he's what we need but the problem is the kids are not doing the 180 in their thinking and he's blaming the teacher when kids need a retake. It's going to take a while to retrain them to not expect retakes. The 9th graders we have now have always lived in a world where every test could be retaken for full credit. NOW they're just supposed to magically pass the first time? Anyone should realize this is going to take time and there are going to be failures before they figure it out.
Most parents I've talked to like the retakes. The ones that don't are the parents of kids who get an A the first time because they want their child to stand out. Some are also concerned that colleges don't do retakes but I'm hearing that that is changing.
I'm not opposed to going to a no retake system. I'm opposed to thinking you can wave a magic wand and the kids just know how to study for the first test. This year we moved retakes to the end of the semester to at least make that grade sit there for a while. He wants to know why they didn't pass the first time. Um....I couldn't be that they still have a retake mind set. It MUST be the teacher, ugh.
You want change, great but you can't slam on the brakes and do a 180 and expect students to be on board and it's wrong to blame the teacher when the students can't suddenly just know how to study for a test the first time.
Sad to say that I'm going to have to make my tests easier to keep peace in my job. I have both parents and administrators screaming about grades and when I talk about LEARNING they don't hear word I say. It's all about grades!!! Fortunately, I'm ok in chemistry. I never went over to standards based grading with retakes even though that was pushed by my department (sometimes it's nice to be an island). I've honed my tests to be easy to pass but hard to get an A on over the years. Now I have to do the same in geometry. There's always been some type of retake in geometry in recognition of the fact that many students really struggle in the beginning. We need to make some changes to go away from retakes completely.
Some days I wonder what was I thinking when I became a teacher.
I just counted 39 general education vacancies in grades 1-6 in my district. Our building still needs a fourth grade teacher. The class has had a long term sub, but she can't continue past the middle of December. She's been a trooper having done as much as she has for substitute pay. I'm curious to see what will happen in a little over a month. We qualified for an additional teacher due to enrollment and class size, but they basically gave up trying to hire for that spot.
Found out I'm not alone today but I'm not sure if that makes things better or worse. I'm just keeping my nose clean and doing as I'm told.
Is it really too much to be respected as the expert in my classroom?
We've done a slam on the brakes full 180. We've gone from kids should have multiple tries to learn material (which is what they are used to now) to there's something wrong with the teacher if they don't pass the first time. From only having to keep a web page up to date with what we are doing to having to file lesson plans a week in advance. From never seeing admins to 2-3 5 minute observations per week and lord help you if the kids aren't engaged and doing something when those happen. Apparently, we're never supposed to be in front of the class teaching. Now if only someone will explain to me how you teach subjects like chemistry and geometry without presenting the material to the students. It's also taboo to have them read the book. I'm supposed to invent activities through which they discover the material. Yes, I'm sure 10th graders will "discover" geometric proofs....
It sure would have been nice to have been told what was expected of us in advance. Sigh.
All I can do is laugh. Seems we just traded one problem for another. Man I hate being micromanaged.
This is the case in many places. I am looking to take an early retirement next year and return to private industry. Education has become too reliant on university "experts" with new research that isn't supported by real-world experience or longitudinal data. I frankly am tired of fighting for what I know is right. When too many middle schoolers don't know simple life skills like how to make $0.15 with coins, how many nickels there are in a quarter or quarters in a dollar but they are pushed along learning about abstract concepts with no factual knowledge I know it's time to go.
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