mpchebe
mpchebe t1_ix7t823 wrote
Reply to comment by Satanic_Doge in Teaching in Newark by goldfinch1313
About 8-10 years ago, NPS decided to try to copy the corporate-style admin process and expectations from Uncommon Schools and Teach For America. Things have been even worse since then. That was made possible by then-Superintendent Cami Anderson, herself a heavy advocate for charters, TFA, and privatization.
mpchebe t1_ix7rvsa wrote
Reply to Teaching in Newark by goldfinch1313
What other districts are you considering? If they offer a benefit in how close they are to your home, you should probably go there instead.
I teach at a magnet school and was Teacher of The Year in my school last year. This district can be great, if you get the right supervisor and Principal, but that is very rare. Most admins are absolutely ridiculous with their mandates (most are simply parroting demands from downtown admins), and I would say 80-90% of my colleagues throughout the District are experiencing extreme burnout. Burnout happens due to the never-ending list of new and ongoing asks from administration, and the nearly complete lack of autonomy brought about due to the punitive framework for evaluation and how it is used as a cudgel in the District. If you like to work for free after school, Newark can offer you that experience in unlimited quantity. If you want to get paid for your work beyond the school day, you should probably be ready for a fight.
When contract negotiations finish up in a year or so, then maybe Newark will move in a good direction. Until then, and likely even after that, most other nearby districts would be a much better experience despite the lower salaries.
Edit: If you want to know about a specific school, let me know.
mpchebe t1_ixyllod wrote
Reply to comment by ryanov in Teaching in Newark by goldfinch1313
That you think it's normal is exactly the problem. Teaching in Newark is not normal; rather, it's becoming normal. That's why there are 3-10 posts a day in r/teaching about the entire profession coming down. If you were a teacher in Newark, you would know how fast burnout sets in and how few newer teachers initially recognize the symptoms. Obviously, respect for teachers is at an all time high with non teachers telling us all about our job...