Elementary principal here. It is bad.
Parts of the issues:
For the last five years, the only teachers I have been able to hire were those barely in a teaching program. It’s a challenging job even with the degree, but it’s near impossible without the education OR experience. They’ve been skipping their student teaching due to this. Bright side - this year was a high turnover year and all the teachers I have hired are fully licensed and with experience. I’m in a more rural area, but I have lived in various states across the US and hear similar issues in those states as well.
Parents. Parents. We are no longer professionals in their minds. I will call home, explain the investigation I’ve conducted and the conclusion. Nope, not my kid. He would never. Ma’am, I have him on video and with 3 witnesses. They will hold them out of school to avoid ISS, take them for ice cream, for “standing up to a bully.” They think every kid that looks at their kid wrong is a bully. Bullies are still in existence, and it’s challenging to deal with those situations as an administrator, but they aren’t all bullies, I promise. Sometimes it’s just a kid who is mean to everyone and I am trying my best to get a handle on it.
Laws. In special education, there are so many laws our hands are tied in most, if not all, cases. Sometimes kids hit, bite, kick, and sometimes that is toward adults. We have to put hands on kids to keep us and others safe. Yes, I get it. They are children. And some of those children kick, spit, threaten, pull hair, climb walls, turn over furniture. If I mess it up, I’m suddenly an educator with a case on my record. Who wants a career ending risk like that hanging over them? And also, there are a ton of crazy teachers out there who should NEVER put hands on kids. So I also get it.
Society. School is no longer school. It’s the only way some of our parents can work. It’s become daycare. We really need more universal supports like pre-k for all, which would help prepare students for school as well as help parents not have to afford an entire mortgage payment for daycare.
I’d share more but it’s summer break and my cortisol levels have been high for 220 days so I am going to zone out a bit longer.
Parts of the issues:
For the last five years, the only teachers I have been able to hire were those barely in a teaching program. It’s a challenging job even with the degree, but it’s near impossible without the education OR experience. They’ve been skipping their student teaching due to this. Bright side - this year was a high turnover year and all the teachers I have hired are fully licensed and with experience. I’m in a more rural area, but I have lived in various states across the US and hear similar issues in those states as well.
Parents. Parents. We are no longer professionals in their minds. I will call home, explain the investigation I’ve conducted and the conclusion. Nope, not my kid. He would never. Ma’am, I have him on video and with 3 witnesses. They will hold them out of school to avoid ISS, take them for ice cream, for “standing up to a bully.” They think every kid that looks at their kid wrong is a bully. Bullies are still in existence, and it’s challenging to deal with those situations as an administrator, but they aren’t all bullies, I promise. Sometimes it’s just a kid who is mean to everyone and I am trying my best to get a handle on it.
Laws. In special education, there are so many laws our hands are tied in most, if not all, cases. Sometimes kids hit, bite, kick, and sometimes that is toward adults. We have to put hands on kids to keep us and others safe. Yes, I get it. They are children. And some of those children kick, spit, threaten, pull hair, climb walls, turn over furniture. If I mess it up, I’m suddenly an educator with a case on my record. Who wants a career ending risk like that hanging over them? And also, there are a ton of crazy teachers out there who should NEVER put hands on kids. So I also get it.
Society. School is no longer school. It’s the only way some of our parents can work. It’s become daycare. We really need more universal supports like pre-k for all, which would help prepare students for school as well as help parents not have to afford an entire mortgage payment for daycare.
I’d share more but it’s summer break and my cortisol levels have been high for 220 days so I am going to zone out a bit longer.