If you really want to know what is wrong with our educational system, I will tell you.
First, let me give you a little background about me: I have been teaching for 17 years in history. Most of those years have been in a state tested subject, so I have been under a microscope. I really don't mind attending relevant professional development because I WANT to be a better teacher. I truly believe that what I am doing is crucial for the future.
However, I am tired of the politics. I have been the History Department Chair at my school for 8 years...sadly the title comes with more responsibility and no more pay. My school keeps hiring people in my department that can't do their job...they expect me (as department chair) to find resources and to do all lesson planning plus my own!!! I keep getting the excuses "I've never taught this before." Well, you know something....there was a time when I haven't taught a subject before and NO ONE even offered to help....I am NOT doing your job for your! I have the same amount of free time as you....I have a family, I teach Sunday School, I am Color Guard sponsor!!!!!!
Now....this year I have a long term sub in my department. I have been told that I will need to find resources and materials for her to use in class.....WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?! So now I am doing the job of two teachers for the pay of one!!!!!!! This is not going to end well for one of us.
You see....I teach 11th grade US History. The students must pass a state issued test in my class to graduate high school. For some reason, history is not important until students reach my class. I have to teach content, historical skills, critical thinking skills, vocabulary, and to a certain extent reading. That's a lot to cram into one class in a year time span. And if test scores are not high enough.....I have to brave the heat and the must answer for the scores....even if the year before me there was no teacher!!!!!
My school needed two history teachers for the upcoming year. We hired one. There was a teacher at the school who was hired three years ago as a history teacher but was moved to science because he was needed there. He desperately wants to teach history again. The school won't move him back to history. The sub who will be teaching history this year was teaching science last year....Go figure!
And with all this chaos, my district has decided to limit the number of copies we can make this to 3,000 the whole year!!!! This will fun. I have a feeling that I will be breaking some rules. After all, my Geography class doesn't have books....
Administrators and politicians are doing the students a grave injustice be playing games.
Looks like I will miss my son's second grade year because I will be doing two jobs for the pay of one!!!!!!
