The Notebook

It's "Death to America" not "DEATH for AMERICA."

The SDP always puts a great deal of effort into recruitment, but it is amazing that these efforts were not scaled back given the reality that hundreds of district jobs would be lost due to newly formed charters. It is absolutely fair that these teachers at these schools are allowed to keep their jobs with the district. It is the district's handling of the situation that makes it unfair for many reasons.

It is unfair to the new teachers who were misled into thinking they could be hired by the district.
It is unfair to the HR people on the front lines - the ones who aren't paid the big bucks to make irresponsible decisions, who have had to deal with all of the worried and frustrated employees and potential employees who are calling and emailing them daily, wondering if they will have a job next September.
It is unfair to the empowerment schools who were granted the power to site select under the new contract, only to find that they have a limited pool of displaced district employees to choose from.
It is unfair to the taxpayer who fits the bill for unnecessary hiring fairs and recruitment efforts.
Most of all, it is unfair to the students who will be enduring the end result of a hastily carried out, poorly planned restructuring effort all in the name of $$.

For Pete's sake there's not even anything about this on the SDP website. You can still go on there and apply for a job with the district. Just go to the page labeled Office of Recruitment. Business as usual!

I'm sorry that you are so bothered by people speaking out about a system that is not doing right by our kids. As an SDP parent and a former teacher (with satisfactory ratings) I feel that I have a right to speak out. Maybe you missed my post in this discussion where I said it is absolutely fair that current teachers get priority before people designated as "new hires". The thing that I have a problem with is how this whole process is being carried out. It is almost as if it has been set up for failure and the issue of displaced staff being shuffled around at the last minute is a big part of that. Your point about veteran teachers needing to have satisfactory ratings becomes more complicated when you consider all of the uncertified principals (16?) out there who have conducted invalid performance evaluations. I agree 100% that there are some wonderful teachers in empowerment schools. I also think that people would be surprised to find that there are some wonderful district schools out there that have consistently made AYP in some not so great neighborhoods.

I'm also very sorry that you have "endured" fighting, verbal abuse and sexual harrassment. It is very troubling that you somehow feel that this is a right of passage as a first year teacher. Part of the problem is that somehow, people think that you have to endure these things when in reality you should not! This is why we have unions.

Well said!

Wow! I have news for you. Abuse is NOT something that anyone should accept in ANY workplace and certainly not in a school. What kind of role model for children thinks that sexual or verbal abuse is par for the course? This has nothing to do with needing to be fun, fair and firm or having thick skin. The notion that abuse is something you should expect and accept is a major institutional problem. As for the union, if you and others in your building think that school climate is not properly addressed and that disciplinary referrals are not handled the way they should be, meeting as a group with your union rep would be one way to deal with that. Or you could throw up your hands, do nothing since you seem to be doing just fine!

I don't think anyone would argue the fact that being a first year teacher in most SDP schools is no picnic. In my first year I can remember thinking that someone should have taught me how to break up a fight. I was cursed at, even bitten but I never let any kid get away with any of it. Admittedly, if I had a less supportive principal, I probably would have been completely lost. Lack of support for discipline problems is rampant in our district... just look at the headlines today in the daily news. If I felt that my kid was being abused or even witnessing abuse on a daily basis there would be h-ll to pay.

It's funny how certain people dismiss the union but god forbid they should have to teach in a non-union school with no job security, less pay and less benefits. The fact is that school climate and discipline problems being swept under the rug could be dealt with if teachers would get together and organize. Guess what? If you as a teacher can't do anything about the abuse, your principal's not helping and you don't think the pft can do anything to help... the "educational management companies" are waiting in line to try their hand at it. If they succeed and more schools get taken over, there will be fewer and fewer union jobs left. The PFT will address school climate problems if you let them. Don't be afraid to GRIEVE!

I wholeheartedly disagree. Veterans and novice teachers "endure" the same behaviors from children; the difference is that vets know how to handle that behavior. I've been in empowerment and non-empowerment schools, as a former veteran teacher, and have NEVER been disrespected, verbally abused, or anything of that nature. I don't even work in the school. The children have NO reason to listen to me; however, when I ask them to go to class or anything, they do.

In terms of what you deem "abusive" behavior from students, that is simply unacceptable. What is more unacceptable is that you have seemingly not done anything to report that behavior, the child doing the action has no consequence and will continue to treat others in this fashion. Teaching is not so insular--others will have children who say and do inappropriate things-- and you will have contributed to that hostile environment that you say novice teachers have to endure. That's unfortunate because there are tools, union and school-based, that help teachers and students who have experienced any kind of bullying.

Actually covering 1st & 2nd period when a student is out happens to all teachers not just new teachers. I have been in the system for 27 years and I still cover classes, still have the same problems with kids as new teachers becasue as a subject teacher you only now a few. this is just a sign of our times. we need to work all together to educate our students and help them find the right paths and succceed in school.

Wyoming:
Welcome to Philadelphia. But your statement, "I have zero tolerance for any abuse or bullying in my room, and I have found that kids respect it...because they know I won't budge," frankly is naive.
Inner city schools vary greatly. A school with 99% free lunch is tremendously more difficult to work in than a school with 90% free lunch. Most schools do not have a bully prevention program. Often the school district punishes the victim, because after they can't take any more, they, frequently, are the ones who bring weapons to school. Many, many principals will not support your discipline policies. Some will even undercut you.
Sadly, many of the children, especially in the 99% schools only recognize bullying as physical force, and "bustin," is not "bullyin." This is partly why our jobs are so difficult and what experts refer to when they say there is cultural incongruity.
I wish you all the luck in the world, but don't think for one second that having strict policies separates you form other Philadelphia teachers, and the fact that you don't budge will be the source of your success.

STAY IN WYOMING!!! I am very thankful to have a job, but I would like to teach in a different school district.

So when this 6-foot 8th grader just laughs at you when you tell him to go back to class...what exactly do you do to no "tolerate" this behavior? Just curious...

The District is going to honor its contracts with the Teaching Fellows and TFA, but as far as I know those teachers haven't actually been assigned positions yet either. They are just assured a position and, as I understand it, are basically ahead in line of new to the District, fully certified teachers.

I believe the freeze has been lifted. Question - Do the scholarship recipients have a time limit for fulfilling their commitment to teach within the district?

I agree, many principals have become quite abusive. I have friends teaching at schools all across the city and the stories are the same. This was my first year teaching and my last. Mine, before I left to take a finance position, was verbally abusive, bullied me relentlessly. A few examples: she reprimanded me publicly, entered my room on a daily basis for no reason and pointed out insignificant details, called me into her office as soon as I came to school and questioned me continuously about my room, gave no notice about an observation, used no rubric for her observation, she even attempted to control where I ate lunch. Oh, did I mention she tried to leave the former teacher's student teacher in the room and pay me out of the school budget so that I wouldn't say anything?

Many schools are short on teachers, but there are still hundreds of teachers who are in layoff. Leveling will occur beginning of October. Unfortunately, new hires will be in line behind all of us in still in layoff, and then behind everyone who was previously already on the site selection eligibility lists.

This is not a good time to be jobhunting in education. Good luck!