Memo 108



While in the math office before my college class, I happened to pick up a copy of the latest memo from, you guessed it, Mr. AP.  If you read the entire memo, you would see what a moral builder it is (sarcasm intended here) and how once again, the teachers are being blamed for all the problems in the classroom.  I could, and will, pick apart the entire memo, but for now, let me start with just one little part of one paragraph.

I don't miss these wonderful memos and wish I never saw this one.  When I read them I am so happy I made the decision not to return to Packemin.  If the writer of this memo and the people that allow them to be written believe quality teachers will continue to work under these conditions, they are mistaken.  Who would stay if they have a choice?  I heard a rumor that several more senior teachers are considering leaving this year.  Many of the new ones hired will leave as soon as they get the chance.  Will Packemin be able to keep its "A" as good teachers trip over each other running to the exit? 

By the end of each term, the effective teachers have taken measures to correct all the undesirable behaviors and figured out what students could not do in math. [Yep, the kids who continually disrupt, do no work and cut are still doing so because we have ignored these behaviors.]  We already started to drill them until they learned the concepts/skills. [Every dog can certainly be taught to perform on command.]  We have the final exam also to bail the boarder line students out, [but we are always told to not just pass kids based on one exam and the uniform final makes it around the school so that the later classes have all the answers before they even walk in the room] not to mention we have already moved out the students who really could not do it. [These kids were moved to other classes so the problem is only solved for the original teacher.  Someone will still be teaching the students who could not, so their results will still suck and they will never be considered effective.]