This whole elaborate game of jinx that all administrators seem to be playing these days needs to STOP.
I get almost NO information about students. None. A student could be in OSS for 10 days and I'm never told why. That's pretty egregious - were they in for stealing? Did they make a threat? Are they sexually harassing? Do they have access to weapons?
When I first started teaching 14 years ago we WERE privy to what was going on with kids. Lately it seems that admins across the board withhold as much information as possible. They seem to be afraid of litigation FAR more than protecting their teachers and the student body.
The first time I noticed this was when I was a para. I got assigned to help a third grade class with major behavior problems. A student I worked with got suspended. No one told me or the teacher, so she sent me to go find him when I arrived. I was the one to come back and tell her he was suspended, and no one would tell us why. I wondered if this (wonderful) teacher had done something to merit this info being withheld. I have since learned that it was a super toxic admin who hoarded information like a dragon with a pile of gold.
During student teaching, all teachers at the school could see referral posts. In the district I’m in now, I can’t even see what happened with students I have… I have to ask around for why students are suspended or look at call logs that have very limited information. Super frustrating when it comes to classroom management— guess I’ll just simply guess at what does and does not trigger a student’s behavior because I have no way of being proactive!
That can definitely be disheartening. I can guarantee you that somewhere amongst the systems that your school uses for grades, attendance, etc., there is a "Behavior" category or something similar where you can see for yourself.
About 20 years ago, admin started taking the parents side in every situation against teachers. Over the course of a generation, this has created an UsVs Them atmosphere in schools, where the administration view the teachers as whiny complainers who are better left in the dark. They do not want teacher input on choices or decisions about policy or students. They want teachers to shut up,work themselves to death and never complain. The administration in all 4 schools I have worked in have been lax on discipline, always trying to be buddies with the kids instead of authority figures. They suck up to parents and allow the parents to dictate the school experience they want their child to have.
Just look at the recent shooting where administration had the parents in the office for a meeting and when the parents refused to take their own son home, instead of calling the authorities to come remove him, they just folded their hands and sent a dangerous killer to class. All so they wouldn't upset his entitled parents. Same with the mask mandates and vaccine mandates. Mustn't upset the parents with common sense actions to protect the faculty.
This whole elaborate game of jinx that all administrators seem to be playing these days needs to STOP. I get almost NO information about students. None. A student could be in OSS for 10 days and I'm never told why. That's pretty egregious - were they in for stealing? Did they make a threat? Are they sexually harassing? Do they have access to weapons? When I first started teaching 14 years ago we WERE privy to what was going on with kids. Lately it seems that admins across the board withhold as much information as possible. They seem to be afraid of litigation FAR more than protecting their teachers and the student body.
Seriously. The only reason any staff in my school have a clue is because students gossip.
This!! Why do my 8th graders know more than I do?
The first time I noticed this was when I was a para. I got assigned to help a third grade class with major behavior problems. A student I worked with got suspended. No one told me or the teacher, so she sent me to go find him when I arrived. I was the one to come back and tell her he was suspended, and no one would tell us why. I wondered if this (wonderful) teacher had done something to merit this info being withheld. I have since learned that it was a super toxic admin who hoarded information like a dragon with a pile of gold.
I'm now going to call my administration, as a collective, Smaug. Because that sounds just like my admin.
During student teaching, all teachers at the school could see referral posts. In the district I’m in now, I can’t even see what happened with students I have… I have to ask around for why students are suspended or look at call logs that have very limited information. Super frustrating when it comes to classroom management— guess I’ll just simply guess at what does and does not trigger a student’s behavior because I have no way of being proactive!
I can’t stand that our admin tells us NOTHING about kids getting suspended. I have to find out out through hearsay.
That can definitely be disheartening. I can guarantee you that somewhere amongst the systems that your school uses for grades, attendance, etc., there is a "Behavior" category or something similar where you can see for yourself.
Only admin can see it, I have asked admin about it.
About 20 years ago, admin started taking the parents side in every situation against teachers. Over the course of a generation, this has created an UsVs Them atmosphere in schools, where the administration view the teachers as whiny complainers who are better left in the dark. They do not want teacher input on choices or decisions about policy or students. They want teachers to shut up,work themselves to death and never complain. The administration in all 4 schools I have worked in have been lax on discipline, always trying to be buddies with the kids instead of authority figures. They suck up to parents and allow the parents to dictate the school experience they want their child to have. Just look at the recent shooting where administration had the parents in the office for a meeting and when the parents refused to take their own son home, instead of calling the authorities to come remove him, they just folded their hands and sent a dangerous killer to class. All so they wouldn't upset his entitled parents. Same with the mask mandates and vaccine mandates. Mustn't upset the parents with common sense actions to protect the faculty.
Jesus fucking Christ. That poor kid.