As early as March 2009, there were record numbers of prospective teachers who had not even finished their bachelor degrees but were hired anyway by some DC principals for teaching positions. These interviews were conducted via telephone in many instances. Unfortunately, DC teachers were not given the same opportunity to interview for these positions because interviews were conducted on the DL (down low) before job fairs were even held or vacancy positions had been announced. I have posted the email below just to give you a glimpse of what's still going on in DCPS with deceptive hiring practices. This doesn't sound like the transparency we were promised under the Fenty administration. Many questions that need to be answered are posed in this email from a DC insider:
Dear Candi:
"It appears that principals are still interviewing new teachers for vacant positions. Friendship personnel has been in Anacostia SHS interviewing new teachers behind locked doors. This was happening as late as yesterday.
Also, under the new Friendship program, Anacostia SHS will have 4 principals including two new principals and an Assistant Principal who was once demoted from a principal position. They are still seeking a fourth principal. Check out the school profiles listed on the DCPS website. In addition, four deans of students who will not only work with students but will work with teachers in the classroom providing instructional support. This is a new approach for deans. What are their qualifications? Where is the WTU? What happened to the July 15 cutoff date ? Rhee and her partners cannot be trusted to keep their word. Many people are waiting to be placed and yet, principals are still interviewing new teachers. " Signed DC insider
Posted by The Washington Teacher
I think it is interesting that Friendship is going to have so much administrative support that Anacostia only wished they could have had. I have seen this before with some other schools that have been restructured.
ReplyDeleteInstead of setting things up to fail which usually happens with DCPS, certain schools are getting beefed up resources. Another example is Garnett Patterson/Shaw. The new principal comes in and hires mostly young teachers who have to state in their interviews that students can learn regardless of home/ life problems. So therefore, if students fail it can only be blamed on the teacher.
Several newspaper articles shine light on these young energetic teachers but the fact that the school has an "enhanced staffing model" with very small class sizes is ignored.
If Garnett succeeds they will say it is because they hired young, untarnished teachers with the "right" attitude. If Anacostia succeeds they will say it is because they hire a education contract company to run it not because it was flooded with resources.
We need to flood the Senators on the committee from yesterday's hearing with news like this. We all need to organize and continue to send this information until they get tired of us. At that point we'll see action.
ReplyDeleteI work in a summer school, as well as a regular DCPS school during the year. We have a few DCTF at my summer school. All of them have been placed in jobs already. But I worry about how well they will do once they get in the classroom. A few of them seem absolutely clueless as to maintaining order and the others pass you by in the hall and don't even speak. That's not going to go over too well.
ReplyDeleteAs for the children having these ill-prepared teachers, I can see them staying for one year, either getting run out due to management issues or exited out as provisional who just can't cut it. And the cycle continues. But again, Rhee favors these teachers to career teachers, something I just can't get my head around. They have jobs but have all excessed veteran teachers been placed?
Odd - I called for a friend about a job at Anacostia and was told it was filled, but that it might not be "100%" so I should call Friendship and ask about it. It sounded weird and I knew my friend didn't really want to work there, so I didn't pursue it further.
ReplyDeleteNow I think I know what it meant -- if Friendship liked me (I didn't say I was calling for a friend) better than the current occupant of the job, that person would have gotten bumped.
You can be sure that this hiring practice is going on all over town and the WTU IS DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Check out the new and improved WTU WEBSITE and you will find there is nothing there.
ReplyDeleteAt Cardozo DCTFs are being prepared to march into classrooms all over town. They are in training with former DCTFs and TFAs who lasted more than the average two years and are now considered “experienced teachers.”
Several trainees at my summer school site have also been placed into teaching positions. Administrators in the schools have used summer school as an employment agency. There is a rush to get emergency certifications for new teachers without the necessary credentials. Has the NCLB definition for “highly qualified” changed? Has Rhee found another loop hole to crawl through?
Interesting what anonymous above posted about summer school because it's been what I've seen as well. In previous years, I had worked as a cooperating teacher for summer school. I am not a TFA or DCTF alum, but a regular DCPS teacher, one who has received outstanding and exceeds ratings. This summer school I wanted to be a cooperating teacher yet saw no application for it on the DCPS website, as had been done previously for summer school. The fellows are student teaching this summer (or doing their practicum, whatever they call it) with former DCTF teachers who are still in the system. They're good teachers, but I have no idea how they got picked, there seemed to be no application process or I would have applied. Rhee really prefers her DCTF and TFA people to the exclusion of all others.
ReplyDeleteJust letting you know I read, and accept Facebook friends!
ReplyDeleteKeep it up!