Southern York County Life

The TRUTH always comes out sooner or later.

Apparently you guys got a different copy of the paper than I did.  I don’t quite get your take on the TRUTH.  Too much reading between the lines I believe.  Give it a rest.

Idiots.

The Truth will come out in the end.  I’ve been praying since I wrote my resignation letter, that this would not be “for nothing.” Subtract your day-to-day substitutes certificates and then compare the numbers.  It’s simple math, people.  The old fashioned math, like we learned when we were kids...not this new Everyday Math crap.  It’s extremely difficult to find people to work in a district with this type of reputation.  That’s the bottom line.  It’s hard to swallow, but that’s the TRUTH!

Here’s another one - JPC!

Blame leaders for loss of teachers
Daily Record/Sunday News
Article Last Updated: 04/05/2008 02:09:23 AM EDT

In response to the letter written about why so many teachers and administrators have left Southeastern School District: One does not have to look any further than the school board and superintendent of the district. Teachers and administrators can’t work in an environment that is conducive to a safe and quality education that students deserve when they feel that their authority will be challenged or their job might be terminated.

Students and teachers are the ones who are suffering. It’s time for the community, parents, students and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to hold the school board and the superintendent accountable for their leadership that has caused so many highly qualified teachers and administrators to leave.
JOANNE FULLAM
RED LION

Just got done taking to someone who signed the SF petition that was scattered around the community.  They said the signed the one that was at the Country Deli.  They are really embrassed that they signed it knowing what they know now. They are sorry they believed SF.

Teacher Retention
Borsuk, Alan J. “Study Cites MPS (Milwaukee Public Schools) on Peril of Teacher
Turnover.” JSOnline. June 20, 2007. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. January 30, 2008.

“Our education system is losing half of all teachers before they reach their peak effectiveness, the report from the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future says. “Students...are often left with a passing parade of inexperienced teachers who leave before they become accomplished educators.”

“The report says teachers generally don’t cite pay and benefits as top reasons why they leave their jobs, especially early in a career. The lack of good leadership in a school and a poor environment for a teacher to be effective are frequently at the top of the list.  numerous studies have established that less-experienced teachers are generally not as effective as other teachers and that teachers don’t reach their peak of success until they have been in the classroom for at least several years.”

CURRENTLY, ONE BY ONE, SESD’S EXPERIENCED TEACHERS ARE ACCEPTING POSITIONS IN OTHER COUNTY DISTRICTS.  THEIR GAIN, AND (AGAIN) OUR STUDENT’S LOSS.  THEIR RESIGNATIONS WILL BE FORTHCOMING.  AT SOME POINT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD NOT ACCEPT YET ANOTHER EXCUSE FROM ADMINISTRATION ABOUT WHY THESE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING, BUT I CAN PREDICT THE EXCUSES. 
1.  Closer to home.
2.  Closer to family
3.  Didn’t like the people in their department....
4.  Price of gas

Sorry, Crackle.  YOur giving out misimformation again when you say that teachers are CURRENTLY leaving one by one.  How many have left in recent months?  You make it sound like they are leaving in record numbers.  The only ones I saw on the board minutes are teachers who are going to retire at the end of school year.  That is nothing unusual when it is the year of teachers contract renewals.  You already gave misinformation when you said the school pays for the teachers Bach. degrees when that is not true.  They already have their degrees.

By the way, one of the ex-teachers who is part of SF was heard saying that their child is having one of the best school years they ever had at the EAST building.

I stated that teachers are accepting positions at other school districts.  They have not yet given their resignation.  SESD is currently paying for teachers to receive their bachelors degree in education.  You are correct that teachers are working with a bachelor’s degree, but the degree they have is not in education.  So.. that means they must receive a bachelor’s degree in education and be certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to have a permanent teacher certification.  If they do not meet the requirements set forth by PDE they will work under an emergency certification until they receive the required courses to teach special education, communication arts, guidance counselor, etc.

Crackle,

You are partly correct in that the emergency cert teachers are going back to school to get the proper certification.  However, they are taking graduate level courses towards Masters Degrees.  This will not only certify them, but also move them up on the payscale with a Masters Degree.  Yes, the district does pay for the courses taken by the permanent emergency certified teacher.  That is why districts typically only hire emergency certified teachers as a last resort. 

SESD has 26 resignations for this school year to date.  I believe close to half of them are retirements but now the retirements should level off and the resignations will be that of teachers leaving for other school districts.  There will most certainly be more as we move closer to the end of the year.  It will be interesting to see how things develop.

I wonder when we will look at the resignations as a problem and not keep looking for excuses?

mamma - 05 April 2008 05:26 PM

I wonder when we will look at the resignations as a problem and not keep looking for excuses?

That’s an easy one to answer.

When these former teachers that had these problems comes out in name in public and present their case and problems in specific detail!

So far there hasn’t been any specific “problem” for them to address, just a bunch of chatter.

Hiding behind a bunch of anonymous exit interviews, user id’s, and the Students First group doesn’t mean squat! Names, dates, all specifics and details are needed.

All of this he said, she said crap is getting really old. If this is all true then come out to a board meeting, stand up and introduce yourself and lay it all out. Then and only then will any kind of credibility be attached to it.

You are exactly right, Carl.  I couldn’t have said it better myself.

The 33 names are posted as a list interviewed on top of the exit interviews.  It was students first idea not to post names with the exact response.  Many of the professionals were at the board meeting when the interview responses were presented.  There are former teachers that attend every board meeting - not for fun but because they care and live in the district.  My suggestion to both of you would be that you attend the meetings and talk to some of the former teachers that are there in person not on some forum.

Mamma, you are making a couple of incorrect assumptions.  I have and do attend board meetings and have spoken to the teachers.

mamma - 04 April 2008 08:23 PM

The TRUTH always comes out sooner or later.

The TRUTH is already known....SF does not have any credibility.