This guy always loved teaching. He loved helping students and rejoiced in their success. He came in early, stayed late and gave up prep and lunch periods to help them. He worked summers and after school programs for the money but never thought of this as work. It was a labor of love. He never takes a day off and has over 200 sick days in his bank.
Until recently, every administrator this teacher worked under valued his teaching skills and his dedication. He mentored new teachers. The Principal and APs even asked and took his advice on many matters. Things are different now. The AP is an incompetent bimbo who rules by terror and belittles good teachers as a way of trying to push them out. Their competence only emphasizes the AP's lack of ability. The Principal always takes the APs side.
Years ago I worked for a Principal who knew the best way to get teachers to work for the students was to respect them. Too bad individuals like this no longer exist. Too bad the only thing that matters are statistics. Lack of respect is the norm. No wonder the teachers that can are leaving and the others are dreading going in every day.
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Just chatted yesterday with a very good math teacher who has left the profession because once again she was told to rewrite the curriculum. Every year this happened and she could no longer take it. She had middle school kids loving math, the way she taught it, and was able to show kids how valuable math was for every day living. The administration could not accept that and needed a rewrite. She wrote her resignation instead.
This is exactly what started the path to my leaving. I just got to the point where I dreaded going to work every damn day.
As an ATR from a shuttered school many of my friends have retired or will be soon. Many of those friends include administrators. At one time administrators helped staff and facilitated learning. They weren't fast food managers. One AP I know spent 35 years in the school and sacrificed her personal life for her career. I recently went back to the building as an ATR for a small school in the building. I met her sitting in her car crying.
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