Thursday, November 30, 2006

A Note from My AP

On 11/29/06, Pissedoffteacher wrote the following to her AP:
CAN WE USE C-6 PERIODS TO CONTACT PARENTS? I AM NOT GOING TO WORK DURING LUNCH AND PREP PERIOD IS PREPARATION FOR MY CLASSES.

SORRY TO BE DIFFICULT. JUST REMINDING YOU OF A PROBLEM.

And his response was the following:

You might wish to contact RG for an answer.

I would like to share with you that some of us call from home because some parents are not available during the day while others call during their prof. lunch, before or after school. No one should call during their C-6 assignment. Furthermore, teachers who teach the double period classes will not be asked to write recommendations while teachers of upper level or honor classes will. Should teachers of lower level class be asked to do more because they don't have to write recommendations? Absolutely not. One can always ask for double period classes so that she does not have to write recommendations. You can do it as well.

You don't even have to contact parents if all your students are doing what they are supposed to do. But if they don't, what choices do we have? Sometimes, calling parents don't even help. But we all have to try.

Have a good evening.

My response to him will be something like the following:

1. Contractually I am entitled to a preparation period and a duty free lunch.
2. My work day is already extended to 6 hours and 40 minutes. You have no right to ask me to extend it any longer or to work from home.
3. I happen to have taught double period classes as well as honor and AP classes. No matter what I teach, I write the recommendations.
4. You are in effect asking teachers who have honor and AP classes to do more than teachers who just teach double period classes. We all have the same c-6 assignments. We are the ones being asked to do more.
5. Most of the teachers teaching the double period class are not capable of teaching the advanced classes, They are teaching them because that is best for them, not best for the school.


Enjoy your day too.

4 comments:

NYC Educator said...

Actually, your work day is 6 hours and 50 minutes.

But who's counting?

Pissedoffteacher said...

Thanks--I stand corrected.

17 (really 15) more years said...

Too many people have caller ID now-I can tell you so many stories of teachers who called parents from home, only to have the parents call them back!

Of course, your point about not doing extra work at home is well taken. Just tuck away the caller ID thing next time your AP makes an unreasonable request.

Pissedoffteacher said...

I'm blcoked so no one can get my number. Lots of parents don't take private calls so even if I wanted to call, I couldn't get through.