Saturday, June 01, 2013

I Don't Get It

 

Some things that are going on in schools today, I just don't get.  Principal's claim to care about students.  Many claim they take the job to help as many students as possible, yet the things that go on under their watch make this claim impossible to believe.  Even though I don't like it, I get why they have to graduate everyone.  If they can't keep their stats up, the school will be closed and everyone will be hurt.

Here's what I don't get and it has nothing to do with statistics.

1.  I don't get why they hire assistant principals with no experience in the subjects they are in charge of, in administration, or even in teaching.  Why do they think a drive through degree qualifies these numb nuts to be in charge and make decisions that affect day to day education?  Can't they see that some of these imbeciles don't even like children?  It is obvious to everyone, why not them?  And, why do they keep these people on and give them tenure when it would be so easy to replace them with more qualified candidates

2.  I don't get why teachers who have given their lives to education, who are knowledgeable and caring are now marginalized and pushed to the curb.  They've always known what is best and done what is best and now they are being treated like dirt, told they have a foot out the door, so why should anyone bother with them.  My last year had me teaching very at risk students.  I worked harder than I ever did and had very good passing statistics.  I am not the only one in this category either.

3.  I don't get why they don't know who is arriving 25 minutes late to first period classes every day and why they have never caught Ms. Teacher who leaves every class to refill her coffee mug or to chat with friends in the hall.  How can they not know which teachers arrive early every day and give up all their preps and lunch periods to help students?  How can they be so clueless as to what goes on around them.

4.  I don't get blatant favoritism.  Why allow parties on school time that exclude some?  Why not discourage administrators from having private gatherings with a handful of the chosen? 

5.  I don't get why mentors chosen to help new teachers are new teachers themselves?  It takes several years to learn the ropes yet mentors are chosen with only a year under their belt.

6.  I don't get why administrators are permitted to bad mouth teachers all over the building and to practice age discrimination.

Principals come and go.  I hope the new ones coming in will think about what is best for the students and not is best for them.  I hope the new ones coming in really care about helping many and are not just throwing out words or trying to build resumes.

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