Today's discussion about the contract changed my view a bit. While my earlier disappointment with the union remains, and taking away a planning period isn't a big deal for me (I'm asked to give up planning periods fairly often), it is a big deal for elementary teachers, who only get three planning periods a week. Giving up one is a big deal for them, clearly.
It also really weirds me out that the school board is so into taking this one planning period away. It makes me think that something drastic is in store. Will they lay off the paraprofessionals and have teachers take duties that paraprofessionals would normally take? I can just imagine an administrator asking someone to take the phones for their planning period, or to take on a lavatory duty. The fact that this is being asked to be written into our contract is a scary thing, especially since actual collaboration - which is what they are purporting this to be - occurs naturally without contractual obligations.
I still wish my union fought about materials and class sizes, though. It still feels so petty. But, the most important issue is the lack of a contract. It's now been four months and the Baltimore City teachers don't have one.
If I wasn't having surgery tomorrow, I'd be making my placard and marching.
If Wes Anderson Wrote The Bible
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Here’s one entry, “The Royal Tenenbaums or John 1,” from an amusing new
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25 minutes ago
3 comments:
I would be so pissed if they took away a planning period and I was still teaching. 3 a week for a k-5 teacher is not enough as it is and is constantly taken away for a multitude of reasons. Admins assigning the phones, library duty, lavatory duty during planning times is already rampant, so I can only imagine if the downsizing continues. And don't you think that once it is written into the contract, you'll never get it back, even in the future? I heard the big issue was insituting mandatory grade level planning as well.
i'm very torn on this. i know a lot of teachers who aren't collaboratively planning and get their hackles up if you even mention it. on the other hand, my friend who is taught pre-k last year in the city rarely had but ONE planning hour because the city wasn't funding resource classes for her students to go to regularly.
so, really, what's the issue? lack of school resources and funding or a planning hour?
forgive my typo in the last post - it's early!
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