Happy summer, teachers!
by Erika Owens on Jun 21 2010
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/72193283@N00/216583458/
Will you be heading to the shore this summer?
Today concludes the 2009-10 school year for Philadelphia teachers. What are you doing this summer? Do you have summer school duty? Curriculum prep? What do you hope to get a head start on for the fall?
Don't worry about us--we'll be here all summer.
We'll continue posting every day, and we are hard at work on another edition of our Fall Guide and a fall edition about school funding. This summer we plan to hold a focus group with teachers to get your feedback about the website. If you're interested in getting involved with the site, keep an eye out for details about that.
Hope you have a great summer!
Comments (12)
Submitted by lovetoteach (not verified) on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 19:58.
I'll be enjoying a stress free summer since I'm now free from the Renaissance process.
Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/22/2010 - 22:21.
For the first time, I am not excited about coming back in the fall. This school district will no longer exist in about six years. A big reason is teachers, afraid of their own shadow, who won't report what really happens in our schools.
The violence is out of control. It won't stop until teachers in solidarity report it. At least do it anonymously, but do it. As long as principals have an incentive to under report serious incidences they will be under reported. Soon all our good students will be in Charter Schools or Magnet Schools. Public Schools will be for the dregs no one cares about, and that will apply to the people who work their as well.
So what am I doing this summer? I'm planning a new career.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/23/2010 - 14:39.
I hear your frustration, but hope looms. My wife is 12 years into her career in Philly Schools as a teacher and hopes to retire as a Philly teacher. I think a lot of the new teachers leave not veteran teachers who will eventually reap the rewards of an excellent State Pension if they stay 30 years. If you are good at what you do in the classroom, your job is as good as gold. As far as the Charter Schools, I really don't think a lot more will be added given the situation with 18 being investigated and now because of the 1,100 teachers trying to find a slot (due to too many Renaissance Schools starting up--remember there was only supposed to be 5 turn Renaiisance Charter, not 14). It will cause too many positions that won't be filled and the contract specifically states that no teacher will lose their job due to Renaissance/Charter Schools. Hang in there, the kids need you and so do your colleagues. Best of Luck!!
Submitted by Your job as good as gold (not verified) on Wed, 06/23/2010 - 22:46.
Are you kidding! Your wife has 12 years in. Is she senior career? If so she's a target. She is exactly what they are trying to get rid of.Naivete results in not taking the action. That has resulted in all of these things happening in the first place. Keep up the naivete. Keep on doing nothing. You'll get exactly what you deserve. Total domination.
By the way, your excellent pension is underfunded and a certain political party doesn't want to fund it.
Didn't they just add more charter seats? Didn't they make more Renaissance schools than they said? Wake up!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/24/2010 - 10:41.
I would have expected a more thought-out, no-attacking response, however, you really need to get the facts straight before you comment (and I do hope you comment and provide a response).
First, my wife just received a letter form Dr. Ackerman herself commending her on a job well done and going the extra mile as a teacher for her students and Principal. She does not sit by the waist side just teaching to teach. She enjoys her job and her evaluations prove that she is an excellent teacher. Just because a teacher is in the UNION does not mean they take their job for granted, etc. That seems to be a common misconception.
Secondly, you are obviously not a teacher nor a family member of one by the comments you have made. As far as the pension is concerned, it is an excellent pension and my wife has a great amount of funds in it.
Lastly, Charter Schools are under investigation more than ever before. The whole Renaissance thing happened in Chicago as well and the CORE Union has taken over their schools agin with their District being in control again just like will happen in Philly. I guarantee that there will not be an abundance of Renaissance Schools especially because it will do what is happening currently-----1,100 teachers looking for positions when there are only 600 to fill (means excess teachers) Ackerman can't keep adding Renaissance Schools because it is causing staffing issues.
By the way, my wife has a Masters Degree but not the plus 60 to receive the Senior Career Teacher postion, although she eventually will receive those credits and obtain Senior Career Teacher which she deserves and is working hard for. Try teaching in Philly and post a blog about it!!!!
Submitted by Keith Newman (not verified) on Thu, 06/24/2010 - 12:32.
It is not my intent to be confrontational or to embarrass anyone. I am merely trying to point out some facts. Your posts demonstrate you are naive as to what is really happening. Let me begin by noting I have been teaching in the district for 16 years and was my schools nominee for teacher of the year in 2008.
1. PSERS is tremendously underfunded. That is fact not opinion. My opinion is that how to save it will be fodder for the election season. If teachers don't step and not only vote for the Democrat, but also get others to vote for Dan Onorato, it is quite possible that the PSERS will not be saved. It is underfunded because former Governor Ridge did not deem it necessary to make contributions to it.
An anti-union pro-privatization governor is hardly going to step in and protect your wife's pension.
2. Renaissance schools a problem? The only problem in the eyes of Arne Duncan is that we don't have more of them, so no, the scale up of Renaissance schools is not going to slow down.
3. Investigating charter schools - The research is clear about school takeovers a.k.a. schools are politically connected, they make huge donations to candidates, more than what the unions can do. If you don't think money talks then please explain how Anthony Williams became a well funded candidate for governor. So once again, no, charter schools are not going away.
4. The letter from Dr. Ackerman - Please... that and a buck fifty will get you a cup of coffee today. Dr. Ackerman is intelligent and hard working. She has some good ideas, but teachers and their unions are not her concern. She has clearly created an environment where teachers are seen as the problem.
5. And you can read my blog at http://teacherscount.wordpress.com
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/24/2010 - 16:00.
Keith,
For you to actually say that the letter my wife received is nothing is as IGNORANT a comment and as phony as your SO CALLED ELCETION CAMPAIGN.
My wife, mom (27 years teaching ---Doctorate Degree, and sister also have been teaching a long time in this District).
First, if my wife had to get chosen through site selection, that little letter from Ackerman speaks volumes especially to Principals looking to hire you. Every educator that she has spoken to even said to hold on to that cause it could be very useful.
I don't know how much you have in your PSERS Retirement Account but from my wifes last statement it is well into the mid 90's!!!! That is not excellent??? My God in 18 more years it will be triple that.
I am not naive either. I have been in UNIONS my entire life----Look at the big picture----Ackerman cannot keep making Renaissance Schools because there is a huge shortage of openings. There are 1,100 teachers trying to fill 700 positions. You can't keep adding Renaissance Schools if you don't have room for the Forced Transferred teachers. Read the contract in its entirety before making a comment====It specifically states in the Contract that NO UNION teacher will lose employment within the District because of Renaissance Schools.
And, because of your ignorance and pompous comments regarding my wife, YOU WILL NOT GET THEIR VOTES OR A LOT OF OTHER TEACHERS VOTES (WE DO HAVE SOME CLOUT). Have a nice day!
Submitted by Joe Hill (not verified) on Thu, 06/24/2010 - 13:16.
wayside, not waist side, not a put down
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/24/2010 - 15:47.
Hey Joe Hill,
Why don't you post a comment about the entire content of my reply??? People do make mistakes while typing fast. Sorry, but you shouldn't get so uptight over infinitesimal things (look that up vocabulary wiz).
Submitted by Joe Hill (not verified) on Thu, 06/24/2010 - 18:57.
Touchy, touchy, I was merely stating the correct phrase, You're the one who c omes off as uptight with such a reply. I tried stating that it was not a commentary on you or your post, but you obviously choose to ignore this fact. The mistake was a misuse of a phrase, hardly a "typing error". Calm down.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/24/2010 - 19:20.
Oh no....look at your sentence, you made a typing error ,"You're the one who c omes". We are human after all. Enjoy your day.
Submitted by Keith Newman (not verified) on Thu, 06/24/2010 - 21:22.
Instead of infighting over stupid stuff why don't we recognize we're on the same side, commit to electing Dan Onorato, and start having block meetings explaining what's happening to our school district.
Did you see the recent article noting that merit pay for teachers doesn't not lead to increased student achievement. I can post the link if you like. We need to get parents involved at the local level and stop being scapegoats for those who truly cannot do the job they were hired to do.
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