Hey folks it has been a few days since last we spoke and much has happened.
To start... All of the interviews I had set up have now been canceled with no alternative dates established...A big thank you goes out to Joel Klein for his leadership and vision to have some of the most piss poor teachers in creation come out of the reserve pool and into positions that could go to people that actually want to teach. I know that not all 1100 folks in the pool are poor educators and those that are worthy should be placed first and foremost.
Prior to the decision by my buddy Joel, I interviewed at 4 of the most difficult schools in New York. 2 schools offered a position on the spot. All offers were rescinded after the announcement by the chancellor.
I fear that we will all be waiting to INTERVIEW until after labor day. Thus not having regular employment until after October 1st. I hope I am wrong.
I am not a big political guy but...Where the heck is the one trillion...That is $1,000,000,000,000 the President printed up to get out economy going? I guess the largest educational system in the nation does not merit any financial support...I am beginning to think the change I believed in is turning into change I can fear in.
Enough with politics...I generally hate the mere mention of the word.
The observations set up by the NYCTF were both a sham and a disservice to the people who participated.
NYCTF sent the approx 70 folks in the observation to model schools with ideal examples of the Special Education Program. There was nothing "high needs" about the schools that 90% of the participants were sent to and as I said during an after meeting...If I were offered a job by any of the schools I visited during the observation, the NYCTF would be giving me the speech about how we need to be working in high needs schools.
I think that there are some folks out there that have no idea about the kinds of schools that we are expected to work in and the populations we are to serve...The candy coated observation program was in no way the reality we face.
I told the NYCTF staff that people really need to see the reality not the fluff...I think some folks would be scared off by reality...Which is fine with me... Some folks need a reality check. I think the person who will be quitting in late September or October when faced with the reality of teaching in High Needs schools wastes the limited resources of the city and takes up valuable space in the University they attend.
Drop the dead weight early NYCTF and make space for the folks who really want to fulfill the goals of the fellowship.
I am not happy about the current lack of opportunity I face as I go forward in the NYCTF...I feel as if I have wasted many many man hours making contact with schools and setting up interviews.
I cannot say that I feel that the job situation will be vastly improving anytime in the near future.
I really feel for my colleagues that are moving to New York from all over and their prospects for employment are zero at the present time.
I am glad that my license to practice law is and will continue to stay current.
Cheers
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Welcome to the world of the NYC DOE! (sarcasm intended)
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear that your offers are rescinded, especially after you gave notice to your law firm. I can hear in your heart that you are one of the Fellows who knows fully what teaching in a high needs school might be like. And you are correct in that most Fellows will enter the program and then walk away because they did not understand fully the emotional needs and anger of students, which continues the perpetual cycle of high turnover and young children wondering why school is such a horribly unpleasant place. Those who hang in for their mandatory 2 years will go back to their suburbs and find jobs which pay more and are much easier. Some will try to move into admin after only 2 years of teaching experience. And the great teachers? The great ones are still in the classroom...
Unfortunately, this system is huge and we forget the better teachers who work hard everyday, want to quit sometimes because they are surrounded by mediocrity and a frustrating system that sometimes seems like it does not care about kids.
However, what keeps me sane is the hardworking kids who bring their daily baggage, store it in the closet and push themselves to get an education. I'm talking elementary kids here.
So, don't give up. The system is fragile. You have great credentials and experience. And, there is still time for these top down decisions to change.
Follow your heart! There are kids out there waiting, WAITING for a teacher like you to walk into their lives!
M
I agree with M - Double Hooks, I think we'll be alright! The teachers I've spoken with say that there's always a need for special educators and they fully expect the ban to be lifted (mid-July by some estimates).
ReplyDeleteHaving already made the initial contact, you should pursue school visits at the places that canceled on you. I did that for the school that canceled on me and it was great (I went today). I'll probably be going back there to observe an entire day in a few different classrooms. The teachers were so encouraging to me, and this is a school with (reportedly) more than 50% staff turnover from year to year.
Those of us who want to teach in high-needs schools should be fine.
I participated in an earlier NYCTF observation program (Cohort 17). The point was to see effective schools with good special education programs. You can't replicate what you've never seen.
ReplyDeleteI also don't know why you speculate that people will drop so quickly. As for the bad schools, which one's have you visited?