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coolducklingcool t1_jddrvc5 wrote

I’m on that sub, too. CT teachers have it better than many other states (ahem, South) but teaching isn’t without its issues.

Student apathy and lack of parental support strike me as two of the biggest issues I see daily. Also, we are understaffed and no one cares. Our community only wants to slash our budget, so we cannot add staff to accommodate our increasing enrollment.

The cell phones are an enormous issue in any school that doesn’t have a strict no phone policy. And again, we rarely see parental support on that front. Half the time it’s the parents texting during class. 😑

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PettyWitch OP t1_jddtmy1 wrote

I looked at my district's school budget for 2023 vs 2022 and it looks like most of the budget increase went to the admin versus the teachers (and the teacher numbers were cut a little bit).

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coolducklingcool t1_jddtsk1 wrote

That is not uncommon at all.

Also, a lot of special education costs are increasing for districts which means cuts happen in other areas. More and more kids are needing special education services, including extreme ones like outplacement to alternative schools - which the parent district pays typically pays for in terms of tuition and transportation.

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[deleted] t1_jdeprl7 wrote

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coolducklingcool t1_jders5v wrote

They are special education services and their needs are not being met by the parent school. It is federal law. Schools have no choice. ADA and IDEA.

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DifferentDust7581 t1_jderv9v wrote

It's not only expelled students who are out-placed at other schools. Oftentimes, it's due to bullying that the school fails to crack down on, so the victim gets placed at another school for their own mental health and safety. This happens more than schools care to admit. In these cases, the school should absolutely be footing the bill.

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[deleted] t1_jdetizh wrote

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coolducklingcool t1_jdeuhsv wrote

I think we would need to see the data on that. In my experience, a vast majority are students with severe special needs, whether social/emotional, behavioral, etc. Documented disability manifestations. My district deals with students expelled for issues like fighting or drugs within our own system.

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HeyYoJelLo t1_jdeau5h wrote

As a parent in CT, I don't really engage with the school because I was one of those kids the parents shadowed and bullied through school. Even landed in a good college, then didn't give a bleep. Soured me to education. If my child shows interest in education I will support that. I also show and tell how people who choose to do well in school do well in life,as a result. But my child's life is more than some number graph you guys use to compare educational stats. To you guys they are stats, to us they are people. If they want to be educated they will be motivated to do so. If they are gonna be blow drying someone's hair all nice for a good tip, calling us about them not giving a shit about slopes and angles is a hoot. We can talk to them. I bet your best students are the Italian and new immigrants because the parents are not afraid, yet, of cracking their kid upside the head when they step out of line.

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coolducklingcool t1_jderfog wrote

My students are not numbers for me. I’ll leave it at that because you don’t really seem open to discourse.

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Miles_vel_Day t1_jdebwup wrote

>I was one of those kids the parents shadowed and bullied through school.

This sounds pretty bad, could you elaborate on this at all? I'm not sure I understand; if I had to guess they thought you were a danger to the other kids, for Columbine-y/sexual orientation reasons? Sorry you had to go through that.

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HeyYoJelLo t1_jdecxlf wrote

No i mean I was lazy, didn't have direction. Had the whole college bullshit shoved down my throat. Carrot, stick, whatever. Forcing people to learn and anger or discipline seems crazy when you suspect they might be future waitresses or nurses aids. People can always choose to expand their education. Pushy educators, and sadistic make it seem like your cum loude by 23 or bust....lol. I let the kids be kids. I do remind them that a diploma is valuable to future education.

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Miles_vel_Day t1_jdefgpo wrote

Oh all right! I'm glad things worked out for you. I just totally gave into all that academic pressure in school, and I have ended up with good degrees and a good job but my entire 20s was a mental health disaster. We make things pretty hard for kids.

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