Today is President’s Day and we are off school. I have been sitting around the house thinking random thoughts about school while I work on the computer.
I have had a chance to talk to our student teacher in Biology and he seems like a nice guy. About 45 years old and a professional, he plans on selling his business and go into teaching—something he has always wanted to do. Over the past few years we have seen more and more people who started out in some other line of work give up their job and become teachers. There are two in the science department. The student teacher’s supervising teacher is not impressed with his skills and has been critical in the beginning. I have volunteered to observe him in class and weigh in with my opinion.
We are having significant problems with the computers in the Chemistry Lab. Ever since the tech department changed over to a new control system this fall we have been having problems with our interface boxes that control the equipment in lab. As of last week the lab systems are no longer functioning, none of the equiplent works. I had to cancel a lab last week and request that the tech people try to fix the system. As of today this still has not been achomplished. If it can't be resolved we will need to purchase an entire new operating system fo the lab computers at a cost of 20-30 thousand dollars. The budget can't absorbe the cost and I don't know where the money will come from.
A few weeks ago I wrote about the process of writing a budget. I mentioned that there were some teachers who will not turn their budgets to me on time. Three of the eleven teachers I my department turned in nothing, no requests of any kind for next year. I gave each the same amount of money they were given last year. Another teacher who turned in his requests on time has decided that he wants to change everything—I have already turned in the budget for approval so I guess the principal will have to decide this one.
Over the past few months I have been hearing constant complaining from parents and students about one of my teachers. Almost everyone is unhappy with her teaching. I spent about a week working with students to try to determine what the problem was and then went to the teacher with what I had determined. Our meeting was a disaster. She is very stubborn and will not “own” the problem. Her explanation is that most of her students are slow and stupid. She is especially offended that someone (like me) would suggest that she could do some things more effectively. The meeting ended with her storming out of my room. I reported our meeting to the assistant principal in charge of instruction who sees the same problems with this teacher and has listened to the same complaints. I was told that the principal is also aware of the situation and tried to talk to the teacher but was treated much like I was. I have been asked to try to work through the problem and help her improve the situation. If I can’t succeed they will intervene, and that is not good for the teacher.
Another teacher in the department is having problems with permissions for taking an A.P. class in the department. She has turned about six students away because they did not meet the minimum requirements for admission. One of the students went over her head to me and I also refused to put her in the class. Even though she has excellent grades she has gotten them in mostly remedial classes, classes that do not build the foundation for an A.P. class. After going through the teacher, me, and an assistant principal the student finally petitioned the principal who decided to grant her request. Both the teacher and I feel this is a mistake. Our main concern is that the other five students we rejected will all now go to the principal and make the same request. In my last post I talked about how devastating a mistake like this can be for a young person’s ego if it all goes badly.
Next Thursday I have my meeting with the principal where we discuss next year and my concerns for the department. Each of the things I wrote about here will be on my agenda at that meeting.
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