Hey, My Degree Didn't Prepare Me For This Job

Saw this cartoon and thought about all the administrators who want teachers to come up with solutions to problems they can't solve.  The teacher must find a way to get 100% passing, to get 100% attendance and  to have a 100% discipline free class  I can't even count high enough to know the number of faculty conferences I sat  at and had to come up with solutions to all that ails education.

And then of course there are APs who have no real background in math or anything else for that matter. One I know even failed her original license exam and is now supervising a subject she knows nothing about.  When teachers come to her with problems, she glares and says nothing or growls until they leave.  A degree from "Masters for Sale" doesn't prepare you for anything except becoming a supervisor in today's DOE.

Path To Administration

 



Unhappy in the field of finance, the man decided to become a teacher.
TFA did not want him so he bit the bullet and paid for the courses he needed to get teaching certification.
After completing the course, he went to the two good schools in the area and applied for a job.  He kept on the APs case until a position opened up.
He took his licensing exam and failed.
A kindly older teacher took pity on him and tutored him so he could pass.
He taught 5 classes for a while, crying quickly when a student was difficult.
He taught 7/0 = 0 and thanked the teacher who corrected his mistake. He promised to correct his mistake with the students.
He got tired of being in the classroom and decided to take administration courses.
He became a dean to gain internship hours.
He liked the power of walking the halls and telling everyone what to do.
He got his degree without buying a single book and by using borrowed papers.
He got passed over for an administrative position he wanted and cried.
He became an administrator in a department he knew nothing about
He picked the brains of experienced teachers to learn what he needed to survive.
He has done all he can to make these experienced teachers leave so he can surround himself with newbies who know less than he knows.
He cares nothing for the children he is in charge of.
He has done so many immoral and illegal things to make himself look good that they are impossible to list.

This is one person.  How many other administrators out there are like him?  Too many, I am sure.  Administrators used to be educators.  That is a term no one would ever use to describe this guy.

Dividing The Staff--The Things Admins Do The Best





I never knew what a favored or a "pet" teacher was until I came to Packemin.  In my previous school we were all treated the same, miserably.  Our chairperson did not discriminate when it came to handing out programs or granting favors.  We all got four preps which, was illegal but she defended herself by saying there were very few good classes and she wanted everyone to have at least one of these.  We were young and bought into this.  There was no jealousy.  On the first day we all were handed one box of chalk, one eraser, two packs of copy paper, one long and one short, Delaney cards and a composition book.  She told us to never come around.  We were happy to oblige.

This AP did nothing to develop a loyal department but she did wonders for staff camaraderie.  We bonded together and found many ways to survive and even do better than just surviving. 

Today's APs do nothing for staff camaraderie.  They openly favor certain teachers and what is an inexcusable action of one is not even mentioned if done by others.  Today's APs are not the master teachers and confident administrators of the past.  They can only survive with divided staffs and that is one thing they are very good at doing.