ONE DUMB MOVE AFTER ANOTHER

Well the insanity continues....

Take a medium size high school. Heavy Minority population. Dropouts and test scores have given it unacceptable rating for 2nd time.

New superintendent. Already appointed someone from the ad bldg to replace the principal at the high school.

Next up - Reassign or fire HALF of the staff. yes - HALF. Focusing on core subject teachers.

Background - heavy minority school - not in the top 25% salary wise.

New superintendent expects to replace core teachers.

With it evident - teachers are tied to test scores.

Pay is not attractive overall. Math and Science Teachers will receive a $7500 stipend to sign up.
(Actually the salary plus stipend does not make that system pay what other schools within 100 miles pay - who went 2 years advertising for science teachers and having no applications.)

Sounds like the super needs a reality check.

This writer knows teachers who work at schools like this one. Teachers who work at these kind of schools cause they choose to try and make an impact where many others would not even apply. Teachers who see this type of school as their personal challenge.

So ....not holding students responsible for things like dropping out - the knee jerk reaction.....is to grab Obama money - use it to bribe new teachers into the crossfire - and new / inexperienced teachers are going to grab that money.

And we force out or send those teachers who freely choose to work with this level of kid to work on a different campus.

And we are getting rid of the current Math and Science teachers...thinking we will replace them with experienced teachers willing to settle for a not very competitive pay scale, a longer than average school day(singled out against all the other schools in the district), the stigma of replacing people who were forced out ..... with math and science teachers who are willing to be tied to test scores...

At a time when schools across the nation are offering stipends to attract math and Science teachers which along with computer science teachers - the hardest to find in any state coast to coast. At a time when schools within 100 miles are paying as much as 6K above the salary and stipend offered.

If you could snap your fingers and make 1000 new science teachers and 1000 new math teachers - They could all have jobs within 24 hours....

So good luck Mr Superintendent with your plan....

When you are wiser.... you will realize that maybe some of those you are choosing to force out ...
were some of the best teachers you had..

And those of you being reassigned - MOVE - find a district that appreciates you ...and many in your area will pay you more and not question your abilities.

Mr Superintendent..... consider holding the parents and students responsible...

Oops ....there I go again trying to apply logic...