Thread: Disposable Teachers

I frequent another education forum that is much more direct and to the point and honest as this one (but this one is more fun!). Those people there are more belligerent, but, with good reason I may add. They expose people, and I think that's a good thing that education needs today.

Anyhow, here's a slightly edited version of a post to give you a taste of what it's like "over there." By and large, I do think these are well-intended people who have just had enough of the silly, stupid, greedy, and shall I say criminal element that is infiltrating and damaging education today (slightly edited to keep the author unknown).

On the other hand, if you want to go to the site and see for yourself, let me know and I'll give you the link.

CSW

DISPOSABLE TEACHERS

In our present day throwaway society, superintendents gather and haphazardly dispose of new teachers like
empty coke bottles, after the school districts have sucked them dry.
[name deleted]l – North Bellmore

As a new member of NAPTA, and as an illegally “retired” teacher, I feel that all of us must help new students
entering the teaching profession by steering them away from districts that can be very harmful to their health and
that can easily ‘trash’ their career.

Remember, new teachers, that since this is your first job, it is just another step in creating a favorable resume for
you, and it would be a shame to have that destroyed by unfair and critical performance reviews, denied tenure or
termination. However, this seems to be a trend that is running rampant in the school systems today.

True, I know that you have your BA degree, your MA degree, your Provisional Certifications, perhaps your
Permanent Certification by now. You have completed lengthy student observations and student teaching
internships. You have studied the new “National Standards in Education”, have been quizzed and submitted
written proof and videos that you have internalized these concepts. You have completed the new required “Child
Abuse Workshops” and “Violence Workshop” and you have spent a day going to another part of the state to get
fingerprinted, I guess, to prove your not terrorist, or alien, or whatever. You think this protects you, but it does not.
Your education courses did not teach you about a concept called, “At Will Employment”. This means that the
superintendent can terminate you and your career at any time, unless you have tenure. He doesn’t even need a
reason. But hey, that’s fair, you too, can quit any time that you like. You can trash your own career by yourself if
you don’t like the way things are going. Be forewarned and armed with such knowledge so that you will not be
caught “holding the bag” which contains your portfolio of useless degrees, certifications, workshops,
recommendations and fingerprints. This portfolio can only guarantee you a permanent position in the ranks of the
unemployed.

As a service, I think that we teachers should compile a list of school districts to avoid, to aid new teachers in their
initial job search. Instead of the teacher becoming a part of the “Blacklist” (see article on home page of NAPTA),
why not compile our own “Blacklist” of school districts which have become exceedingly adept at the
above-mentioned budgetary strategy? I would like to add NORTH BELLMORE Elementary School District, New
York, to our ever-expanding list.

First of all, I have heard for a long time that it’s hard to get teaching job on Long Island. I only recently heard that
North Bellmore was one of those districts that just does not give tenure. I only recently heard that they don’t hire
anyone over 20-years old. Hmmmm. But that’s only rumors. I can only talk from experience. I only know that
there was a roomful of new hires with me when I came into this district September of 2002. This was our
“orientation class”, and we were all embarking on our exciting new careers. What happened to the whole room of
fresh-faced and hopeful nubees? There must have been 30-50 of them! The union contract states that tenure is
granted after a successful 3-year probation period. So in 2005, I should have expected 30-50 teachers celebrating
tenure, right? Wrong. In fact, only two administrators were awarded tenure, and they had “done more time” than 3
years. One was the assistant to the superintendent. Just a coincidence, I suppose.

Then in the in September of 2003, which was the beginning of my second year in this district, there was an even
larger roomful of new hires – I couldn’t count. All the regular teachers commented about the number of strange
new faces there for the first day of school, all suspiciously young and blonde. Only two teachers got tenure in
2006. Were the other 98% of teachers all unsatisfactory? Or worse, deemed incompetent? Maybe I am missing
something. Maybe I am too obsessed with reading the NB Board Meeting Minutes every month. Or perhaps the
GREAT CLUB is becoming a secret society and maybe they are holding clandestine tenure celebrations that we
don’t know about. At any rate, we can safely say that my experience makes NORTH BELLMORE eligible for the
“LIST”. [ I can add most school districts in Northcentral Ohio - CSW]

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