Confessions from the Couch

OH-EM-GEE

My student’s have been walking around saying Oh-Em-Gee! I’ve taken up notes with it spelled both ways OMG and O-Em-Gee!

Oh my goodness, gee-willikers, golly-gosh . . . . aw, hell!

I just checked my district email. I don’t know why. I just felt an urge. I just received a notice that the district is making us do declarations of intent for the first time EVER. Basically, we have to tell them what we plan to do for next year. Are we coming back? The initial phase of this is an “anonymous” survey in which they are asking us questions like:

Will you return?
Why not?
Expectations of notification date?

The district office want to get an “aggregate” estimation of what they will need to staff for next year. Even more, the email said that Principals will be having one-on-one conversations with staff members to get a better idea of the staffing needs for each school. . . . ooooohhhh, they know, yall! They know!

My thoughts:

Why an “anonymous” survey? They are expecting a massive, massive exodus this year. A number of teachers have declared intent to retire. And many of their 1st years will not return. (These are just the murmurings from inside my building. And must I remind you that I am at one of the better schools within the district)
Wow! They are really trying to get a picture of the turnover rate really early. I am SHOCKED! Again, a sign that the powers that be KNOW something is wrong.
It is a sign of how bad things REALLY are within the district. They know morale is low. They can feel it in the air. Why not try to solve that problem?
If I say my plan is to leave, will I become a target? Especially, if I don’t find anything and have to stay?

Maybe, I’m reading too much into this “anonymous” survey . . . Which I don’t feel is REALLY anonymous unless I do it on public computer without following the link from my email . . . and even then is it truly anonymous. . . Or, maybe, I’m just being super suspicious after watching the movie 2012. . . what do ya’ll think?

random school comments | Miss Teacha | March 6, 2010 10:57 pm

18 Comments

By mimi, March 6, 2010 @ 11:18 pm

I’m in DC and they are asking the same questions, actually they are paying veteran teachers (or those who plan to retire) an extra $1000 to let them know before the end of the year their intention to leave. Apparently it saves cash strapped district’s lots of money if they can plan early rather than having to hire at the last minute before school starts. I wouldn’t look to much into it, it makes fiscal sense.
By Margaret, March 6, 2010 @ 11:21 pm

None of the surveys are completely anonymous and can be tracked. I would wait as long as possible to fill it out, and only do so if it’s required.
Margaret´s last blog ..Sun
By Athena, March 7, 2010 @ 1:30 am

We had to turn ours in on Friday. They ask our names. I am the only person in my English department planning to return. I am kinda scared.

Athena
By Anonymous, March 7, 2010 @ 6:50 am

In Georgia, by law we have to sign contracts before April 15 and usually our districts send contracts in February. I would be excited to be in a district like yours that gives you time to change your mind. I think most teachers around the country want to leave their schools.
By John Spencer, March 7, 2010 @ 7:01 am

I personally think you should be honest in a survey like this. Perhaps I am too trusting, but I doubt that they are checking the IP address of every computer and putting together a list. That’s simply too crafty for oft-incompetent district office personnel.
John Spencer´s last blog ..uprooting root words: a post about economics
By Athena, March 7, 2010 @ 8:01 am

I don’t think they can track ip’s if the survey is from somewhere like “survey monkey.”

Then again, I don’t know. Our superintendent is the former technology director. We recently had a survey on whether we wanted a 9 weeks on and 3 weeks off schedule. I think he could rig it somehow.

But, seriously, where do these people find the time. Don’t they have to, like, run the district?

I just realized I am a little snarky at 8am on a Sunday. Sorry.

Miss Teacha, I wrote you an email at your gmail address to answer your questions.

Love, Athena
By Ms. H, March 7, 2010 @ 8:28 am

I bet you were hollerin’ OMG like crazy when you read that email! I’m with you. If the Big’uns KNOW that there is a morale problem, it makes a helluva lot more sense to try to correct it in March than gearing up to replace a gajillion teachers in the summer. Not only do they save recruitment/training dollars, but they might actually improve the quality of the education the children receive in those months. Now there’s a shocking concept.

And that would be Reason #8,204 why I’m not hell-bent on moving into admin right now. I’m not ready to abandon my ability to think logically.

Here’s a text message acronym for ya: WTF?! As in What the Firetruck is up with making me verify my anti-spam status BY DOING A MATH PROBLEM!?!?!? Look woman, you KNOW I teach English and not Math for a reason…can you help a girl out?! (snicker)
By ricochet, March 7, 2010 @ 9:11 am

We have to turn in a letter of intent – signed – every year about this time (in fact it was 3 weeks ago).
ricochet´s last blog ..Spring is spring
By Athena, March 7, 2010 @ 9:35 am

I\’m with Ms H. I had serious trouble too with the anti spam thingabob. I tried to just copy 6 + 6.

Plus, morale is bad at our school too. Administration changed and made some serious mistakes.

All our letters had to be in before we left for spring break. It will be interesting to see what kind of you know what kissing will go on after spring break.

Athena
By ricochet, March 7, 2010 @ 11:10 am

I love the math!!
ricochet´s last blog ..Spring is spring
By care020, March 7, 2010 @ 5:24 pm

Nothing done on a district computer is anonymous.
care020´s last blog ..Confusion
By Miss Teacha, March 7, 2010 @ 5:56 pm

I think I’ll fill out the survey from home. . . and I will be honest. But I’m definitely not attaching my name to it or any identifying information. I didn’t realize so many districts made its employees do declarations. Over lunch today, Miss CF, even said they were doing this to bind us to our contracts. Also, she mentioned that the other local district requires a minimum of 2 weeks separation from my district in before they will hire you . . .has something to do with breech of contract. She had to prove she had terminated employment for at least that time frame before they would allow her to sign a NEW contract. Is it like this in other districts?

dawg, who knew a MATH antispammer could could cause so many headaches. Ya’ll its 1st grade math! LOL . . . these are not the first comments/emails i have gotten about the antispammer. I’ll think about changing it back to words . . .but let me tell ya, this math thing works better than the word antispammer. All spam and even those ones where people are referring us to their “ed” website have decreased significantly . . .ONLY like 1 in the last 2 or 3 months. . . maybe I can somehow make it CLEARER to ADD the numbers in the instructions.
By Midwest Teacher, March 8, 2010 @ 12:04 am

My first two years I had to sign what I like to call a “letter of intent”, because I wasn’t tenured. This year is my tenure eval year — and I’m afraid. The letter should be coming to my house at any time/day now and I’m worried it won’t. Our district or or union (I forget which) sent out a letter that said there would be no intra-district transfers, most likely no new hires (i.e. just replacing & likely from our admin — former teachers who haven’t been in the classroom for awhile) for the next year. It doesn’t inspire confidence to hear our district is in a financial crunch. Add to that, I’m nontenured & that = easy to get rid of. I’ve looked. There are no English jobs in nearby districts.
I hope I’m just being paranoid for nothing — but all these jobs about teachers all over the US whose jobs are in trouble and unhappy mumblings in my building — I’m freaking out. I can’t wait to sign my contract for next year, so I feel relief at having my job.
Midwest Teacher´s last blog ..dejected
By Betsy, March 8, 2010 @ 5:55 pm

Be honest, but do it from a non-school computer. While admins SHOULD have plenty of other things to do, some would look up those IP addresses. And Survey Monkey records IP’s.

Ugh. Good luck.
By David Duez, March 10, 2010 @ 12:05 pm

Don’t listen to my advice. I would just tell them exactly how I felt, sign my name to it and also walk up and tell any principal or the superintendent what I felt. But, then again, I blog with my name on it, I am a bit outgoing, and I also believe in myself.

You can find another job if you desire. I know you can. Especially being so open to moving just about anywhere. In fact, thinking of that – I know you would have your pick of jobs.

Anyway, hang in there. I know it’s hard when districts do things like this. Everyone gets fired up. And what does that do? Just take our attention away from what is important – the learning of our students! Sad.
David Duez´s last blog ..Most Memorable Teaching Moment
By Miss Teacha, March 13, 2010 @ 9:18 am

thanks for everyone’s advice. I completed it anonymously and HONESTLY! At the end it ask me to print out a form and turn it in to human resources to resign my position. LOL.
By David Duez, March 13, 2010 @ 9:47 am

That is pretty funny that it asked you to resign. Amazing. Very interesting.

I for one would not want to teach ANYWHERE else than where I do. I love my school, district, and the community where I live. It’s perfect.
David Duez´s last blog ..Most Memorable Teaching Moment
By HappyChyck, March 29, 2010 @ 11:31 am

We always sign letter of intent, and the options are: Yes, No, and Maybe.

Our principal has often advised people to simply sign YES, and as soon as they find out, they should let her know. One of my friends has been trying to get back to her family for two years, but that’s in Michigan, so the chances of her finding work is slim. There have been times when she said she wasn’t coming back even if she didn’t find work, but the principal insisted that she keep her options open. And what do you know? She’s come back every year…

This advice from the principal is surprising because she can’t advertise a job until she gets a resignation, and if she accepts resignations up until the last moment, it puts her in a bad spot. But those were times when jobs were easy to fill.

Now the state is broke and the district will likely cut 500 jobs, we were asked to be resign now if we were going to resign. It could save someone’s job.

Times are tough. It’s interesting to see how quickly the game plans and attitudes change.

Nobody knows what’s going on in our state and district and how we’ll function on so little. This is the 2nd year that we teachers are in a constant state of worry about what is going on with out jobs and our education system. How bad is it going to get, we wonder. I have a term for all this business: EMOTIONAL TERRORISM. Does it fit in your district, too?
HappyChyck´s last blog ..Hatin’