rialcal

rialcal t1_j8bk0x7 wrote

Not a teacher, but support staff member in a VT school here. In addition to the behavior issues mentioned by others, there are a few things that come to mind.

  • Large pay discrepancies between school districts- typically districts in more populated/wealthy areas have a higher salary scale than ones in less populated areas. These gaps make it hard for rural districts/schools to maintain consistent staffing as many teachers try to move into higher paying districts after a year or two. The constant staff turnover can have a major impact on school climate and consistency of instruction provided. Teachers absolutely deserve every cent that the higher paid districts can pay- it would just be great to offer that same level of pay throughout the whole state.
  • Overall, the workload seems overwhelming. Even when teachers are not "on the clock", they are often planning lessons and replying to emails from parents/admin. During the school day there are things that fill up every minute- almost no down time. Dealing with the behavior issues is a big part of it. It's turned into the kind of job that can burn you out really quick- unless you can find a school/admin who really works hard to create a work/life balance, provides appropriate staff to support teachers, and gives plenty of time for planning.
  • Support staff in general are often paid dramatically less than teachers- often times some of the lowest paid folks are the paraprofessionals who are working with specific students. These folks are often working in really demanding positions that require them to be fully engaged all day- the students that they are working with really rely on their support. It's wild that they are often paid so little when they are doing such important work. The low pay makes it hard to keep those positions filled, which can mean that sometimes students who need extra support are not getting it- and that can disrupt the whole classroom.

I also want to say that there are so many things that are going WELL in VT schools- educators and support staff really stepped up to the plate during remote learning, and now have adapted to meet so many of the new needs of students as in-person learning has resumed. Teachers have found so many new ways to engage and provide opportunities for students- VTer's should be really proud of our educators.

24