I moved to South Carolina from Michigan in 2000 originally to take care of my daddy. I got a job as teacher at the junior college. I was AMAZED at the education level of the junior college! It was really low.
First, when I wrote in cursive on the board over half the students in the class did not understand what I had written. The had NEVER been taught to write in cursive! These students were between the ages of 18 to 23 and could not sign there names in cursive!
After a year I received teacher certification and began teaching in the South Carolina public school system(s)
I taught in one year in Greenwood SC, two years in Ruffins SC, one year in Spartanburg SC, one year in Newburg SC, and nine years in Charleston SC.
I was attacked at some point in all those teaching assignments for being a YANKEE in all but Spartanburg!
It did not matter that my FIRST year teaching my students in Greenwood SC (the lowest ranking students in the school) moved up 9 percentage points on the first MAPS test given in that county? ( over the course of that school year.)
It did not matter that my students in EVERY county that I taught in moved up consistently 2 or 3 levels in their MAPS scores.
I was a Yankee and I was NEVER recognized for the students performance.
I thought moving to Charleston would change that, no, it only got worst! I was called out for wearing a cap in a school meeting after returning to work from acute myeloid leukemia and still having a bald head. I was maligned and attacked constantly. All because I was a Yankee and I did things differently.
The weather was beautiful, the children loved me, most of the parents loved me because I HELPED their children learn how to learn! However the school districts, the principals, my teaching cohorts, railed against me to NO end. I was never giving an opportunity to move to the higher positions. Every application was refused. I was NEVER recognized, my students were never recognized, except for the 6 months that I worked for a Yankee principal who was eventually fired for basically the same reasons.
Yes the weather is beautiful! BUT living here is a different story, YOU MUST KNOW THAT I AM AFRICAN AMERICAN FROM DETROIT MICHIGAN, which is viewed MUCH HARSHER THAT OHIO!!!!
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