Sep 27, 2008

No DC Teacher For You ! Part II

91 DC Classes Lack Permanent Teachers !

Check out the story as aired on Channel 7's Friday evening news as reported by Sam Ford. DC parents are complaining that they have been brushed off by DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee. They are lodging some legitimate concerns that many DC students in 91 classes have not been assigned permanent teachers to date. It has been reported that many are still being taught by substitute teachers. Reporter Bruce Johnson first uncovered this story at the opening of school when he interviewed the Chancellor on this same subject. On September 21st my blog featured DC teacher shortage impacts class size. Unfortunately many of our students in both regular education and special education are still being subjected to classes that are over ratio and many even exceed 40 students. 'Children First' - 'Failure Not an Option' - I think not !- posted by Candi.

Link: http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0908/556842.html

DC Parents Concerned about Alleged Teacher Shortage

After millions of dollars in renovations, some parents claim McKinley Tech High School still suffers a critical shortage of teachers. "We asked what's going on, why there's no teachers," said Monica Lowe. "They made false promises." Her son is a junior at McKinley. After weeks of school, his Algebra II/Trigonometry class is on its second substitute teacher, she says. "Parent-teacher conference is next Friday, October the third, Mr. Ford, and we have yet to receive a teacher," Lowe told ABC 7/News Channel 8 reporter Sam Ford Friday. McKinley's not alone. ABC 7/News Channel 8 visited Thurgood Marshall Elementary School last week and found classes with only substitute teachers. One classroom with a permanent teacher had 46 students.

The teachers' union blames schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. "The chancellor was able to fire 270 teachers this summer without any problem, but yet has not been able to get a teacher in every classroom now that it's the fifth week of school," said teachers' union spokesperson George Parker. The union provided ABC 7/News Channel 8 with what it said is an an internal, school-system list of classrooms with no permanent teacher. There were 91 classes on the list as of Thursday. Among the vacant positions on the list, a math teacher at McKinley High School.The union says many of the teachers who were fired were a point or two from certification. They've been replaced by substitutes, said Parker. Parents like Monica Lowe say they won't put up with it.

"I refuse as a parent to allow my son or any of the children to suffer," she said. "They just blow us off as parents as if we're not important."ABC 7/News Channel 8 contacted the school system to ask about the list provided by the union and parents' concerns. A spokesperson had not called us back as of Friday evening. story courtesy of wjla.com.

6 comments:

tauna said...

Will the Little Dictator Rhee actually be held accountable? Let's hope so.

Anonymous said...

You got a mention on http://nyceducator.com/.

Congrats.

RogueTeacher

Anonymous said...

Thanks anonymous ! I posted it on my blog.

Anonymous said...

Operational needs in school buildings for the children,teacher's and principles come first in any successful reform !

Anonymous said...

Cut the checks made payable to the principles to meet operational needs in their buildings and you'll see results educationaly go up and test scores off the charts !Butter bing, butter bang !We need a rescue package bill and call congress !We'll shoot those wooden arrows into the bulls eye !Awe captain but we have rum,sheep wool,bike trails and race car tracks repaired ? Okay.but we need our rescue package too !Who's got the bailout bill and check to the principles ? We'll save money if we cut out all that executive top down confusion !The principle and teacher's are in charge and the rest of you are fired !We can't afford these $300,000 dollar salaries up top and gotta cut back on the budget and law suit money spent !Looks like you've tried everything for years but have you tried that to make a difference ? Go ahead,try it and make a little ones day better ! To many cooks in the kitchen !We're having pig in the blankets !This budget is balanced with fair proceedures !

Anonymous said...

Good luck finding teacher's that would work under Ms. Rhee's twilight zone radical reform. View the contract and go figure !When do they ask her to step down and hire a very experienced superintendent that knows what they're doing running a school system.I'm sure she got some good things moving but operationally you don't fire you're way to positive reform.You don't think teacher's are researching prior to hooking up under Rhee's reform ? The words out and good luck with her in charge getting teacher's and keeping them !We've had teacher's viewing out of state but have said no way,no how, no Rhee !Not for any amount and check out that contract and how's she's running the system operationally.