:help: This is my fifth year of teaching a HS class with mod/sev students and the fifth year of watching them go to their "elective" or "study skills" class every single day to watch a movie, usually a kiddy cartoon or totally inappropriate teen movie. I've talked to my psych and to my principal, but nothing is going to change. This teacher, who has a general ed and special ed credential, apparently doesn't think they are capable of doing anything but staring at a screen. Most of them begin stimming and misbehaving, totally washing down the drain all the work we do with them in my self-contained classroom. She gets to sit at her desk and collect $12,000 extra per year for the extra period. Most of them are very capable and hardworking learners. Some go home and tell their parents, and when its brought up during IEP meetings, the psych fibs and says they are working on goals. The sad part is, these students understand that she has no expectations of them. It is very difficult to make any difference in their lives when a teacher, someone who should be advocating for and pushing them, instead chooses to give the message that "I don't think you're capable." I'm sad......and mad.
Does your admin not observe in this teachers room? We have Unscheduled drop by observations this year. This wouldn't fly.
If your admin won't do anything, I'd bump it up the chain, anonymously if you need to. Or stop sending them to that class. Say you need to pull them out because they are falling behind on their goals.
Do you have documented proof that it is occurring "every day?" Visit the room, have the students write in a journal about what they did (if they're able), anything really. You didn't say anything about talking with this teacher directly. Did you? All I see are references to discussing it with the principal and school psych. She may turn her act around when she realizes that you know and care enough to be against it. Also, the way you say she earns an extra $12,000 a year to do nothing just smells of motive, jealousy (NOT SAYING IT IS!). Honestly, just be careful with things like this. You really have to way the risk/reward of moving this up the line, and you'll have to be ready to prove, prove, prove, and then prove again. You're technically working in the best interest of the school/district because you'd be keeping them from a lawsuit. If you really want to play with fire, inform the parents of their legal rights and see if they can get a due process hearing underway - but you won't have many friends among peers/administrators after that, I can assure you. "Either the parent/adult student or the school district has the right to request a due process hearing whenever there is a dispute between the parent and the school district over the district's proposal or refusal to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, proposed IEP or portion thereof, the implementation of the IEP, educational placement, or the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE). An alternative dispute resolution option is mediation." http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/dueproc.html
I am a teacher who also happens to have a sophomore brother with Autism... so hearing that this type of *CRAP* is going on in the special-skills classroom is OBSURD! In this moment, I would step over the necessary heads to report this to whoever has the proper authority and ear to listen. Any teacher who has NO DESIRE to TEACH is a WASTE of our hard-earned TAX PAYER'S MONEY! !!!!!!!!!
reply Both the psych, principal, and 2 asso. principals at our school have observed movie time. My aide goes with them to her room and has reported what goes on to the principal also. The movies are shown daily. An official memo went out saying that videos and movies should ONLY be shown in rare cases when there is no other way to further the curriculum. She ignores all of their "suggestions" to do something else in that class. I guess that is all they have done. She has admitted to this also, and that is what brought on my vent! She sent out an email to the entire staff asking for Charlie Brown movies to show, and made a joke about it "of course" not being for her gen ed students, but for the SH students. Am I jealous? No. I am red-hot that they are the butt of jokes and NO ONE cares. I don't want the extra period, I need that time to prep for engaging learning tasks. the only explanation that I get is that they don't want to "mess with her livelihood." What?! So I guess that's not good, but my student's lives mean nothing. And yes, I am treating this carefully. She was Teacher of the Year last year. My principal and psych have shrugged this off like a bothersome piece of lint on their jackets, so I'm sure I'll get no back up if I bump it up the line. I have talked to her--nicely at first, then more forcefully, and also sent TONS of fun educational games and other things she can work on with them. Another parent did complain, and what did they do? They got rid of the kid and sent him to another school, telling me that he was a troublemaker. Aaaarrrrgh!
Does this teacher sit in on IEP meetings? If she does I will tell her that she will be expected to share with the parents what their child does in her class and the progress they have made. If she doesn't I would ask her for a write up for their report card.
great idea! That's a great idea. At our school, many of the teachers "waive" themselves out of the meeting by filling out a teacher's report. I will try to force her presence at future meetings, and let her know that parents will want a report on what she is working on with them. :thanks:
Do you have ANYONE that sees through this lady's B.S.? If you have a Director of Special Services/Student Services, that might be someone to mention this to.
If no one is holding her accountable than I feel like you have to make her accountable for teaching your students. Whether it be having her come to IEP meetings or expecting her to provide you with documentation from her class that you can share with parents (even if you have to tell her that you told parents that she will be providing you with documentation so that you will be able to share it with them during your parent teacher conferences). If you do weekly or monthly progress reports or monthly newsletters for your parents, then ask her for an update for her class also.
If everything you listed is the case, you should motivate a couple of parents to move forward with a due process hearing then. If the parents think what she's doing is okay, ultimately there's nothing you can do.
