Teacher Rant

There seems to be one prevailing attitude regarding teachers. While a few people think we are saints, most people think we are morons who sit around and do nothing but collect a paycheck, and that is why our schools are so bad. We are the welfare moms of the 2010s. It's annoying and I'm tired of it.

Unfortunately, just when I am ready to stand up and proclaim that enough is enough and people need to stop blaming teachers for everything, I find out more about the people I work with. There are some bad teachers in my school. (There are bad people everywhere, in every profession. Bad teachers just have more impact than the average bad employee in an office, for example.)

Last Thursday was extremely snowy in Chicago. It took me almost two hours to drive to work in the snow. Chicago Public Schools never takes a snow day, so I had to go to work. I didn't have many students, so my students and I had discussions in my senior classes.

Often our discussions center around school, and the students complain about their teachers. I don't encourage my students discussing their teachers, and I don't let them discuss teachers by name. But I love gossip as much as the next person, so I do find their conversations entertaining, usually.

But I got mad at a revelation made to me that afternoon. Apparently I have a coworker who will pass students in exchange for Red Lobster gift cards. Another coworker will give extra credit points in exchange for food. Students have brought that teacher Kentucky Fried Chicken and Chinese food upon occasion.

Infuriating! Inappropriate! Illegal!

Then yesterday I brought a bunch of books from home to put in my classroom library. My students always complain on Silent Reading Fridays about my book selection. I don't think they will like many of the books I brought from home, but at least they are new.

At any rate, my bag was heavy. I ran into one of my seniors in the hallway, and he agreed to carry the bag for me. I asked where he was supposed to be, and he told me that he had class, but that that teacher didn't come to work until 8:45. Even though he has an 8:00 class. The students just sign in and get their grade. As long as the students sign in before 8:45, everything is ok. I find this absolutely ridiculous. And unfair. And wrong. How do you just not show up for your class each morning? This is your job!

I should mention in the interest of full disclosure that I did offer the student extra credit points for helping me.

I don't know what to do about this problem. I don't know if this is what the teacher union envisioned when it worked so hard to strengthen teacher rights. I do not think tenure is a very good idea.

Bob Herbert, my favorite columnist, wrote a fine column in the New York Times this morning. It is all about the American Federation of Teachers deciding to finally take a stand on improving teacher evaluation, and linking evaluations to student performance. As long as student performance is not the only factor, I am all for it. Furthermore, the AFT is working to make it easier to remove bad teachers from the classroom. I am definitely all for that.

I love teaching. I get incredibly frustrated with my job and my students sometimes. A lot of times. But I can't imagine doing anything else. I get tired of the idea that teachers aren't qualified for their jobs. CPS loves to create the impression that every teacher in Chicago was somehow hired for these jobs despite our not being qualified.

That is inaccurate. Every teacher is supposed to be fully certified. We have to take a basic skills test and a content test for our license. There are teachers who get alternative certification, but it's supposed to be for teachers in high need areas like math and science and special ed. Don't get me started on Teach for America -- that is a post for another day.

So when I read an article like this one, I get really fired up. Yes, there are some bad teachers. As previously mentioned, I work with some of them. But that doesn't mean we are all bad.

I love that Bucior has written a book about subbing. And that her experience has shown her all she needs to know about saving our schools and our students.

But I should just get over it, and accept the fact that conventional wisdom is not on my side. Nor is reality, as my coworkers have illustrated.

I will just say this. If you don't want to be a teacher, get out of the classroom. We know who you are and you are doing no one any favors. If you want to be a teacher, work hard, do your job, act like a professional, and we will get along just fine.

The rumor at my school is that we are going to be restructured for next year. That usually means that every teacher gets fired and an outside operator comes in and takes over. Maybe that is not such a bad thing, although I don't really want to lose my job. But perhaps some housecleaning is in order.

Here's What I'm Doing Right Now. . . (updated!)

...Sitting in an empty classroom. I kind of like sitting in an empty room. It's really quiet. But I'm supposed to be sitting in a room of 22 students. I'm not sure the students know that, though.

I took last Friday and this Monday off to go visit my family in Arkansas. I won't get to travel for much longer, and I wanted to see everyone again before my new baby boy arrives (he's due in January). So we finally found a decent fare and off we went. We had a fantastic time.

I get back to work on Tuesday, having no idea what wonders were awaiting me. I will have to give you some background.

At the end of last school year, the English Department at my school was short three teachers. One teacher retired, one found a much better job, and one is on long-term leave after a car accident.

Our enrollment for this school year is up, so we have a lot of students sitting in empty classrooms. CPS won't hire more teachers until it has determined that the numbers of enrolled students justifies it. So for the past six weeks, teachers have been covering classes without pay. And if no teacher volunteered (and I use the word "volunteered" sarcastically) to cover a class, there was no teacher in the classroom at all. Just a few kids sitting by themselves.

CPS conducted an attendance audit a couple of weeks ago -- meaning someone from downtown came to our school and helped count each student. This gave us the impression that we would be hiring more teachers.

But apparently Arne Duncan (CPS's Chief Educational Officer) is mad at my school. Someone anonymously emailed him to complain that there were not enough teachers, and that teachers were being forced to cover classes during their lunch periods without pay. The emailer then asked why Arne didn't care about the teachers or students at my school.

My principal was notified of the email, and she is now saying that we were given permission to hire more teachers, but as a result of this email, Arne is mad and has pulled those positions.

Which makes absolutely no sense. I think it is much safer to assume that she is mad and wants to know who sent the email. Since she doesn't know, she is going to take care of things her own way.

I got to work on Tuesday to find out that all of my classes have been dissolved. I was teaching freshmen reading, which is not required for graduation. It was just a supplemental class to help those students who needed extra work in reading and writing.

In each class on Tuesday, all day long, the programmer's assistant came into my classes and gave the kids their new schedules. Which resulted in their being crazier than ever. I kept asking the assistant when I would get my new schedule, but he said he didn't know.

At the end of the day, I went to the programmer and asked if I had a new schedule. He gave

As we can't hire more teachers, I have to be moved into classes that are required for graduation. I'm now teaching one section of freshmen English and four sections of junior English.

The freshmen class I now have has been covered by a Spanish teacher. Three of my junior classes were being covered by other teachers, but my 8th period class has never had a teacher. Or a sub. Just kids sitting by themselves for six weeks. I thought they would be excited to have a teacher, but they are not. Apparently they enjoyed having nothing to do for six weeks.

Yesterday I took my new 5th period class to the auditorium to have their school pictures taken. A kid came in and said that a teacher told him that she was his teacher and not me. I went to investigate and found out that that was no longer my class. They had a sub again.

After school I asked the programmer to please give me that class again, since they were actually happy to have a teacher and I could tell they were a good class. He said he fixed the mistake, and that class is now on my roster in the computer system we use for grades and attendance.

But none of the kids (any of my new students from any of the five classes) has been given a new schedule. So I'm assuming my students are in the other teacher's classroom (the teacher who is a sub).

Of course, today is Homecoming at my school, so it could just be that my entire class is in the hall getting ready for the parade. It's hard to say.

Doesn't that seem ridiculous?

There's the bell -- now we shall see if I have any students in my 6th period class. No one so far. I'm not holding my breath.

I forgot to mention one somewhat funny part of this narrative. When the programming assistant came into my classes to give the kids their new schedules, they all freaked out. So he told them that they had gotten so much smarter in the last five weeks that they no longer needed that extra reading class. That they were all smart now. Swear to God he told all my kids that. Which means I must be an amazing teacher to foment such improvement so quickly! Maybe I'll get a raise.