Submitted by broken (not verified) on September 13, 2007 - 17:08.
The lack of support in any school will make good teachers leave. I have watched as my friends have opted out due to the stress, many after 10-20 years. I have seen both sides in my 14 years in southern public schools. Last year I made 38k and new teachers, most without even a teaching certificate began at 35k starting salary. This year I got a raise to 41k. They had to make the starting salary higher to attract teachers since so many had left to go to neighboring counties for instant 3 to 5K raises. So to add insult to injury they hire inexperienced teachers and ignore the seasoned professionals who are dropping like flies. Then the board wonders why they have D's 3 years running in the majority of the high schools in this county.
Then there is the academic and discipline issues inherent in all schools. Most of my career I have worked in urban, low performing schools within the same county. But one year I worked in an A school in a very high socioeconomic area. Regardless of the type of school you work in, if the administration does not support the teachers, cowers to parents and plays favorites (cronyism is alive and well in my current school due to regime change) then morale will be low and teacher turnover extremely high. The A school I worked at, the discipline was applied just as inconsistently as the tough school I currently have been at for 6 years. But in comparison, the A school with bad discipline was still in general a good place to work with much fewer really bad incidents due to parent support. And turnover is not nearly as bad there. Plus the teachers get bonuses every year for the school grade. Whereas the tough D school with little to no classroom or home support gets to have tougher scrutiny from the district, more hoops, more stress and it has become a viscious circle.
Teacher pay is abyssmal no matter where you work in my state. But when your job becomes so stressful it affects your health and welfare than love of teaching is not enough to sustain us. Sadly, I hope that I can move to another state and possibly better pay and support. If that does not happen soon though, this teacher will be changing careers. Dozens of my friends & colleagues have done this and are happier and healthier for it.
But as for the poll question...yes! These teachers work much harder, I know from experience!
teacher support
Submitted by broken (not verified) on September 13, 2007 - 17:08.
The lack of support in any school will make good teachers leave. I have watched as my friends have opted out due to the stress, many after 10-20 years. I have seen both sides in my 14 years in southern public schools. Last year I made 38k and new teachers, most without even a teaching certificate began at 35k starting salary. This year I got a raise to 41k. They had to make the starting salary higher to attract teachers since so many had left to go to neighboring counties for instant 3 to 5K raises. So to add insult to injury they hire inexperienced teachers and ignore the seasoned professionals who are dropping like flies. Then the board wonders why they have D's 3 years running in the majority of the high schools in this county.
Then there is the academic and discipline issues inherent in all schools. Most of my career I have worked in urban, low performing schools within the same county. But one year I worked in an A school in a very high socioeconomic area. Regardless of the type of school you work in, if the administration does not support the teachers, cowers to parents and plays favorites (cronyism is alive and well in my current school due to regime change) then morale will be low and teacher turnover extremely high. The A school I worked at, the discipline was applied just as inconsistently as the tough school I currently have been at for 6 years. But in comparison, the A school with bad discipline was still in general a good place to work with much fewer really bad incidents due to parent support. And turnover is not nearly as bad there. Plus the teachers get bonuses every year for the school grade. Whereas the tough D school with little to no classroom or home support gets to have tougher scrutiny from the district, more hoops, more stress and it has become a viscious circle.
Teacher pay is abyssmal no matter where you work in my state. But when your job becomes so stressful it affects your health and welfare than love of teaching is not enough to sustain us. Sadly, I hope that I can move to another state and possibly better pay and support. If that does not happen soon though, this teacher will be changing careers. Dozens of my friends & colleagues have done this and are happier and healthier for it.
But as for the poll question...yes! These teachers work much harder, I know from experience!