These are their words.

The purpose of this 2022 survey was to give teachers a voice. Half of the 200+ respondents had more to say.

Please note that these comments do not reflect the current sentiments of GIPS teachers.

These are their words.

“Is there anything else that you would like to voice?”

Yes. HOW did the district calculate 1:13 ratio??? Primary classrooms all over have 23-24 students! Those numbers LIE!
The block scheduling at GISH has been a disaster and we are not serving kids well. They are not college and career ready at all.
Thank you so much for doing this survey and leading the charge for the changes that need to take place in our school system.
The super and asst super have to go. Liberal and crazy behavior daily.
Our district has clearly lost sight of what it means to ignite a passion for learning in the elementary setting. Our resources are stifling, the pacing guide and schedules allow little to no room for a teacher to do anything else they believe in, and our district has turned into all business and it breaks my heart as a veteran teacher. :(
Way too many people at Kneale. They make double what I do and I couldn’t tell you how they help me as a teacher at all.
I do not feel that our district does what is best for student safety or mental health. Students are being forced to endure and are being taught to ignore poor behavior by their classmates. They have classmates who are screaming, throwing things, throwing furniture, threatening their fellow classmates and nothing is being done. It takes years before the district has “enough data” to do anything with these students. Many students have a daily behavior chart for this type of behavior. A behavior chart for a student who doesn’t follow instructions is understandable. The same behavior chart for a student who is making their classmates fearful for their safety every day is ridiculous.
The support staff is taken for granted and very underpaid for what their job entails.
I would just like to say that there are particular individuals in the Kneale Building and school principals who have offered and continue to offer invaluable support to me as a teacher. I feel like for the most part at the elementary level we have good principals, but because of pressure and policies set by the district, they can't do their jobs and be as effective because of so many hoops to jump through.
It is a darn time in education, but our district is truly at an all time low and I am embarrassed at how bad our schools look. We let students keep on moving up, and resources are not distributed in a way that allows for “equity”.
Administrators use their role/"powers" as a way to bully, harass staff members and get away with it. I have been bullied, abused/harassed as much from admin as I have behavior children.
I wish teachers were treated fairly and with adequate respect for the responsibility they hold in the community.
I have never seen the teacher morale so low in the 20+ years that I have been here. Teacher's voices are not heard or cared about.
I appreciate what you are doing. Thank you for being a voice for those of us who feel that we have no voice.
There are some district and building administrators who are trying their best to strengthen GIPS and help teachers and students, but they are few and far between. I have a problem with every BoE vote being 9-0, and very little debate among its members. That needs to change. It all starts at the top. When the superintendent, the board, and other upper administration engages in lying to teachers and the community, you know that our culture is in serious trouble.
My answers to this questionnaire reflects my opinion of the district leaders, not my building leaders.
The administration team at the high school has been so much better this year. As for the statement about being trusted by the district to do our job in the classroom, I believe that our high school teachers and the rest of our teachers do the best they can. When we each close our door to start class we do what is best for our students regardless of the decisions that are made for us by those not in the classroom (administrators and BOE members). I firmly believe that most of our BOE members have no idea how to lead a district. The one complaint from the community is that we don’t have very much parent involvement with their students.
If the district was fully staffed we would have these positions filled; gifted and talented, reading interventionist, and our social and emotional teachers. Instead we are pushing these jobs onto the classroom teachers or others in the building.
I very much appreciate Chaperone’s efforts to give teachers a voice. And for a candid conversation about the real issues we face and the willingness to find positive solutions.
I am overworked and exhausted. Which is not just upsetting because my concerns as a parent are dismissed, but also because it proves the lack of transparency that is the norm in this district.
The skills program is a joke. They need to be housed in their own building where other kids don’t have to witness their destructive behaviors. They are allowed to destroy the school building and scream obscenities at staff and students along with hitting students in the regular classroom and then are rewarded with field trips and trips to the park. They play all day and never have consequences nor are they made to do any work. It’s a joke.
I continue to teach in the GIPS district because our students need me. I do not feel heard by our district leaders and board of education. I have personally wrote these administrators and board of education about my concerns, and was completely ignored. My education, experience in the classroom, knowledge of the curriculum means nothing to our district administration, and board of education. When decisions are made in our district, teachers are not asked they are simply told what the decision is. We deal with the sad repercussions daily and see how these decisions affect our students' learning. Decisions are being made not in the favor of our students and teachers. Teachers know what is best for our students, and our opinion is never valued.
I had no choice and no say. Others had even heard before me that my position was no longer going to be available. Though I was very fortunate as to where I wound up, it is not something I have taught before nor am I very comfortable in the position though I am doing my best. I have received no recognition or thanks from administration for this change. Nothing from the superintendent or board of education though I know some others that have been repurposed have received notes or the position was recognized in an opinion piece in the newspaper from Grover. My fellow teachers have been very supportive and have thanked me numerous times for stepping into the classroom (whether honestly or as a jab to the district) but not once yet from the higher ups. If my position does not become available or guaranteed by the time contracts are to be signed, I don't know if I will stay in this district or position as I am not sure that I can trust this not to happen to me again.
There is a major paraprofessional shortage in our district. How can we expect to keep paras or make them feel welcome or needed when they get paid less than a McDonald's employee and are required and expected to do far more? Paras are underpaid and underappreciated.
I personally love my building and building administration. However, there are quite a few in the admin building that have never been in the classroom and are disconnected with the day to day details of running a classroom.
Though the district does have its problems, I’m appalled by Jeremy Jensen’s social media smear campaign against the district. He, and those who comment on his posts, aren’t making things better. When we can’t get quality teachers to apply and the community doesn’t support the school, it ultimately harms our students. Do better.
Please help elementary teachers! Their jobs are becoming unmanageable
As far as curriculum goes, I must add that I really enjoy our CKLA resources. Math and Science are both just okay for me. Another thing that I would like to note is that I do respect my building administration and feel that they work to support staff, but I often feel like their hands are tied. They know we need more support but it won’t be approved from higher admin. They want to deal with behaviors more consistently, but often have to pick and choose which to deal strictly with due to lack of time and support in the office.
It is not fair that teachers are expected to work so many hours without pay. At our school, we have to stay with the students or outside with them until 3:45. ...When our pay stops. Then we are expected to go back into the building and clean up our room, prep for the next day, and take care of all the other demands that are placed upon us on our own time. It is not unusual for me to work till 8:00 or later at night straight through from 7:30 in the morning. Then I go home and work some more on school stuff sometimes. I just feel that there is too much expected of us. The yearly marazano goals that we have to come up with and adhere to are just way too stressful and take hours of our time. I would not mind as much if we got paid for our extra hours. It would help if we could clock in and clock out so they could see how many hours we truly put in. My health and family life are suffering greatly. They say to put yourself first and take care of yourself first. That is a joke. Then when in the world would all the work get done?
The disciplining of students and "no student left behind" has no benefit to the kids
Students are continually being passed through the system and not held responsible for learning because the student knows they will not be held back. They get to GISH where failing a subject matter is a reality. Faced with the fact they must repeat the class and continue on puts these kids in a position that causes them to leave school as soon as their sixteenth birthday. Instead of worrying “how things work and the child’s feelings” I feel we should be preparing our children from preschool thru graduation. The kids from homes that care about education are going to make it, however, if these kids who aren’t as fortunate need basic skills are losing out.
The administration use emotional blackmail on teachers. They use the phrase "this is what is best for kids!" If you disagree with policy, etc you are made to feel like you do not care about students. Teachers find it is better to accept a stupid policy instead of speaking up about it. The teachers who do speak up are no longer working for the district.
Since Dr. Grover has taken over, the overall reputation of GIPS has become so much worse. Students are in charge, we cannot find enough quality teachers or substitutes, and many of us are leaving in droves. Any kind of mention of anything that is not of a positive nature is met with animosity and retribution In the 20+ years of working for this district, I can honestly say that I have never been more embarrassed or disgusted when I have to tell people where I work. Most comments made after I have told them where I work are met with words of sympathy. there is very little pride in what we do anymore. I feel that this is something that comes from the top down. Dr. Grover is more interested in appearances than what is best for our students. She prides herself in doing things like spending $1 million on band instruments instead of putting money back into all of the schools. I am not opposed to the arts-I in fact love the program. I am just not sure that this is the best use of money for our students. The last 5 years have been truly dreadful.
Teacher safety is a huge issue at BARR Middle School specifically. When staff bring forth concerns we are told they are low risk threats (even when death threats by students towards teachers are made). Staff don’t feel safe or supported by their administration. When this lack of feeling safe is brought forth, administration minimizes our concerns, leaving staff frustrated and depressed. Administration retaliates again staff and staff remain in a constant state of fear. This retaliation comes in many forms but often involves targeting of staff that are less likely to speak out against such treatment. District administration is fully aware of how poor the building administration is but continue to cover-up, make excuses, and not address the real problem. This is why staff leave over and over again.
Teachers should have a dedicated plan time each week like we had with Wednesday plan time. To meet with other teachers to collaborate. Once a month is not enough.
Being a teacher is often a dream career for most people who are in it. Yet, people are leaving their dream career due to many different factors. This isn't an issue that is isolated to GI, it is all around America. My biggest issue right now in GI is that class sizes are too large, there is almost 0 support from parents, and there are no repercussions for students who are acting out.
I think every teacher’s experience greatly depends on what school they are in. I also know that every school district has problems. I do think that GIPS sometimes listens when a large amount of teachers voice their opinions. More so than other smaller districts may listen to their teachers. I do think that they do not want to admit some of the things that are happening in the district or decisions they have made until they are too late to change.
I don't want to generalize, there are some Principals that are trying to do the right thing, but they are to do what they are told. We've not just lost teachers, we have lost some good principles as well!
There is an extreme lack of equity in the district. I have seen plans for behaviors that are essentially giving the student whatever they want to keep them happy for wealthier, majority students. Students doing the same thing, who are financially and ethnically different, have had far more punitive punishments applied to them. For as diverse as the district is, it is purely shameful that this blatantly obvious issue exists.
I don’t understand why at my school we cannot talk about specific student needs to get them help because we have to “paint everyone green” first for MTSS. Students are not getting the services they need and when brought up to district leaders, they say that right now we are painting everyone green.
I feel that the teachers need more support for our behavior kids in the classroom and there should be something in place for our students who are such big behaviors. Those big behaviors are stressing out teachers and causing other students to not be able to learn. We also need to be able to be trusted more in our own teaching ability and doing what we think is best for our students when teaching our classrooms. I also feel that the k-1 needs more play time in classrooms and less sit and get.
Two of these have been moved to Skills and several others are high needs when it comes to behaviors. This is on top of students who are below the 10th percentile in Math and ELA who haven’t been tested to receive services. This is WAY TO MANY students for one teacher and the district didn’t advertise for another SE teacher to hire. My school doesn’t receive funding that other schools get and our students suffer because of it. I feel like we are failing not only our struggling students but also the high ability students because there isn’t enough time or resources
Class sizes are too large. Allowing more than 24 in an elementary classroom is not what's best for students and not best for teachers. Student needs are not being met and teachers feel unproductive and very overwhelmed. When students demonstrate poor behavior, the district does not have sufficient consequences in place. The students at all levels are not held accountable for their actions. Teachers do not feel supported.
I think all schools have different issues, some worse than others. But when issues arise and multiple voices bring up the concern- very little is done about the issue.
There are far too many decisions made that affect people's jobs and student learning that are never discussed with the teachers that will be held responsible when/if it fails.
Teacher shortage, large class size, lack of support with behaviors from administrators, and continuous addition of duties (additional testing, interventions to prepare for, etc.) with limited planning time, especially at the elementary level, has brought morale to an all time low. Many teachers feel we have received blow after blow from the board of education and administrators. First we endured the change in class sizes as we have navigated the teacher shortage and then the schedule change which negatively affected elementary teachers. Teachers are left to ponder what could possibly be next. If there are no changes, I believe GIPS will have an even more difficult time hiring both quality and quantity in terms of teachers. Many teachers have expressed looking for jobs with other area districts even though it may mean a cut in pay.
The district's sole focus is the high school. Elementary school students & teachers have been forgotten. We need MORE plan time, yet the district took away plan time. We cannot get what is required done for our students.
Making elementary teachers be separated into 2 different buildings is NOT what is best for kids. There is also an apparent need for change with some fine arts programs and the nepotism needs to be dealt with. Our programs are suffering because teachers are unwilling to go above and beyond to prepare our middle school kids for success at the high school level because they would rather let their counterpart teach so they can sit in the office on their phones.
I don’t necessarily blame the newer, and even some of the established, board members about is being super transparent about what’s going on. I believe that their hands are often found in the same intimidation and fear of retribution that teachers feel from above. I empathize with them on some issues, like the 9–0 votes. That if they don’t publicly agree or go along, that there will be retaliation just like I feel as a classroom teacher.
The lack of teacher involvement when making ALL the big decisions that affect us is so hurtful to not only us teachers but students too.
Current class sizes are insane. Why do they think increasing class sizes is a good solution to the staffing issue? Yet teachers are still supposed to meet the needs of all their students. Some schools also have low numbers in some grades and other schools have almost reached their max point in the same grade. Maybe we need to make some better guidelines. Pre-K: 15 students per session K & 1st: 19 - 23 class size 2nd & 3rd: 21 - 25 class size 4th - 5th: 23 - 27 class size Secondary capacities are still under review. Here is what is currently in discussion: 6th, 7th, & 8th Grades: 27 - 30/class 9th - 12th Grades: 27 - 30/class
Teachers have zero voice. Teachers have zero choice. We are very educated people and we aren’t allowed to make professional decisions in our classrooms that are best for our students without worrying if admin will walk through our doors and question us. The mandated curriculum isn’t what’s best for kids. The kids aren’t enjoying school. As an elementary school teacher, I want to make my lessons fun and engaging but I am constantly in fear of not following the district mandated pacing guide and worrying about admin coming into my room to ensure I am using the mandated curriculum. It’s become such a joke. The district leaders aren’t in it for the kids…they are in it for the stepping stone and the doctorate projects to better themselves…not for the kids. I would love it if they would just back off and let teachers do what’s best for their students…and let us JUST TEACH
No respect for classified staff evidenced by no tangible benefits. You cannot hire or retain quality staff when they can make more at Menards.
Communication is horrible
GISH has made some GREAT strides this year in administration backing teachers and enforcing policies. Things are trending in the right direction for many things. However, there is still much work to be done. Accountability and consistency still are issues in certain situations. I have zero trust in the BOE or the superintendent.
I thankfully have building principals that truly are understanding and trusting of their staff. I know not all teachers are fortunate enough to say that. My biggest frustrations come from big decisions being made for me and my classroom by people at the administration building who have never taught before and have no real understanding of what it is like to juggle behaviors, a rigorous curriculum, social/emotional needs and everything else.
Thank you for standing up for teachers.
We are too administrator heavy. Every little detail of my day is micromanaged by someone. We are hiring administrators that have NEVER been in a classroom, yet they are making curriculum decisions for everyone. We have Corey Gehart going around doing “trend walks” when he is an IT guy! Wth? There are so many fluff positions in GIPS right now and we need more teachers! Our workload at the elementary level is so overwhelming. I’ve had to change my mindset from this is a profession to this is a job. If I keep thinking of teaching as a profession, I would work from sun up to sun down. I can’t do it anymore . They expect more than I can handle. My mental health and my family have to come first. So I have to make myself leave school at school which is a complete way of thinking as when I began my career.
The district is just hard to work in. They(the administration) give way too much for the teachers to do which in turn takes away from their family time. I can not tell you how many times my family went and did something, and I had to stay at home to work on the 7 part lesson plans, grade papers, do targets/success criteria, prepare for parent meetings, which I knew I would get no support for. The district administration wants nothing to do with upsetting parents. The students run the show in all buildings and when teachers try to give any type of consequence for behavior or not doing work, the parents become upset and the administration backs down. Attendance is a huge issue. Last year(21/22) year, I only had 37 days out of the whole year that all my students were in the room. That is pathetic. When I tried to have the students make up the work that they missed, I was the one in trouble. There was no backing from the admin. The admin don't want to have parents in the town of GI upset at them so they allow awful behavior, awful attendance and awful grades. There is no accountability for students or parents. The administration also chooses curriculum that is a waste of time.
There are too many administrators /non-teaching positions in the district. They are clowns trying to figure out a purpose in the system. A few are good, but very few. Barr is a total disaster. GISH is a mess.
This district doesn’t care about it’s teachers. They’ll soon be leaving in droves, myself included.
Still not satisfied with where things are within the district but there have been significant improvements from last year to this year. Enforcing the dress code and attendance has made very positive improvement. If this year would have been similar to the last 3 school years I would not be back next year but due to improvements that have been made I will likely be sticking around. Changes will have to continue and need to continue to improve and CRT should have no place in any classroom or district policy.
We need more servant leadership and less authoritarian leadership. We need more honesty and less lies. We are talked down to too much. The reason that we lose teachers is not because of a “national teacher shortage.” It is because we do not love, serve, and care for our teachers in the way that we should.
It’s time for our administration to go. We need a fresh look at this district. New eyes. A superintendent who listens to teachers, understands what is happening in the classrooms, and cares about this district. She is only here because she can’t find another job, therefore in my opinion, is just going through the motions of making everybody around her miserable. She blames everybody else for the districts test scores, behaviors in kids etc. but refuses to look in the mirror. Things were so much better off when I first started years ago.
Please just stop. It’s not just GI that’s suffering from a teaching shortage. Everyone is struggling. The problems you’ve identified are happening all over. It’s a system wide failure, and you won’t fix it by replacing the school board with sycophants of a former mayor. The school board and Grover are doing the best they can with a really shitty situation. I’ve seen my parents work for a terrible school board while I was growing up. The GI school board does a good job. They care. They listen. You all need to take a long look in the mirror and ask why you’ve decided to crusade so hard against a highly qualified black woman who’s honestly done a fantastic job of guiding us through the pandemic.
Teachers are not heard, or appreciated. Rather we are considered complainers when we speak up with needs. We reach out to the SB and are told that frustrations are normal and to toughen up. We are educators with degrees, most of us have advanced degrees. And yet we are treated with no trust and faith.
Class size numbers are way too big for the size classrooms and para support we have. They are proposing to make them even bigger for staffing issues. This is not in the students or teachers best interest.
There are a few positive and supportive leaders at Kneale - Dr. Tomjack and Brian Kort. I feel Dr. Dexter sometimes has her hands tied, but could be an advocate if given the opportunity.
There is such a big difference in the learning and mind capacity of a 6 year old and an 18 year old. What we are asking our elementary students to do on a daily basis is not ok. There is zero time for them to be kids. Another piece that is frustrating is time. As an elementary teacher I am not given enough time to plan and prep all of the subjects that I teach. I need time in my room and less meetings.
The fact that CKLA is 2 grade levels ahead of the grade level it is used in is a disservice to student welfare. Also, the micromanagement.
The special ed department has become the "bad behavior" department. There needs to be a separate program for violent grade school students. Teachers, staff and students don't feel safe. We have no way of dealing with them other than letting them do what they want, and walking on egg shells around them.
Certain administrators are being given free passes to do what they want, without consequence while others are punished for speaking up. One admin has been observed on numerous occasions inappropriately touching staff and students. While others who speak up are kept from making changes begged for by staff. Many teachers and administrators have take about their resumes being "polished up" to get ready to leave. Students who throw and break things in teachers rooms are sent back to the class 10 minutes later with a sucker in their mouth. Teachers are being held to a high standard, while students use computers to play video games and sleep in class. Teachers were told that computer time needs to be reduced, while also being told that the paper is limited this year. Dr. Grover had a guest speaker guilt the employees by telling us that she's our pilot and needs support.
Our school system is very defeated!! Watching our principles allow these kids to run the show, no consequences. We are creating monsters for society. They are terrified to tell parents the truth!! I basically babysit a bunch of kids that can’t or aren’t disciplined either at home or school. The kids that are behaving are getting left behind and they are the ones who suffer. No wonder nobody wants to work at GIPS. It’s a joke. The pay is horrible too for what we put up with. Being hit, spit at, chair and desks knocked over!! Screamed at by kindergartners that are just spoiled brats!!! They just smile and make up another excuse. I’m sick of it, if I make it to the end of the year, they will be lucky!!!
My building administration supports me but Grover an co don’t
Stop moving elementary specialists around all the time. We want to stay at the schools we are accustomed to. Kids know us and we know them- we've created relationships. Moving us breaks apart those relationships and causes students to act out when 'their person' is no longer there. Can Dr. Grover stop calling Specialists 'the extras'? It's demeaning. We are teachers too not babysitters. She doesn't see value in our Specials classes except only as a way for classroom teachers to have plan time. If you want kids to perform well in middle school and high school in athletics and music then you need to give them adequate time in elementary school with those subjects to learn the foundations of them and to develop a love for them. Also, can we cut down on the number of district and building level meetings and professional development we have? Too many!! Give us back our plan time. We shouldn't have to spend our plan time and a bunch of after school hours in meetings. Some groups' meetings do not really do not accomplish anything and could be done via emails.
Dr. Doll was caught stating that "middle school grades don't matter anyway" to a group of teachers after asking those teachers to redo all grades due to poor planning and preparation by administration. Some teachers had to input more than a thousand grades in one work day. When numbers didn't work out correctly, we were told to just "do no harm". This meant to manipulate grades to equal previous scores. When asked about concerns on how to reasons to parents. We were told not to worry and not to talk about the attempt to switch to standards grading.
Better pay for paras who work their butt off
Students need more PE and music. My kids don’t need SECA. We need to go back to have Wednesday 2:00 outs for elementary!!!!!!!!! Kids are burned out and elementary teachers are so frustrated and stressed out. It’s so bad.
Teachers have second hand trauma and it directly impacts their personal life. Not enough support from admin with everything. Communication is pathetic. I would never willing tell someone to work in this district. The amount of stress this job places on individuals is unhealthy.
So many great teachers have left to teach in nearby communities. We have been left with teachers who are not well qualified teaching higher level courses. Upper admin has made working for GIPS extremely unfavorable and our good students are suffering or leaving because of this!
After teaching for this district for 18 years, I just wish they supported me more and trusted me!
Class sizes are much to high. The current min. Should be max.
It would be nice if the board of education and our negotiations team could work together on what a pay raise for teachers should look like. When the board automatically says "no raise" what is that saying to teachers? I make less money every year. I have two masters degrees and maxed out after year 11. I have paid for my raises. After year 11 have made less money every year. As a couple, we make less money every year. The district admin gets a 3% raise or more with no negotiation. School board just says yes. With inflation, cost of living, insurance etc., our family struggles and we are veteran teachers/staff members. Longevity does not set in until year 20. Most districts is 15 and most districts get a spouse bonus to get both in the district. When the school board and district admin do not want to give us a raise, it is a big slap in the face. District admin and superintendents get a healthy raise while we get none.The district claims that they are giving us more money for insurance so that is part of the raise. Most businesses cover that separately and then take home money would be a raise. The district also does not cover 100% family insurance. When current school board members make comments on facebook that teachers teach for the outcome not the income, it is a direct slap in the face and excuse to pay us little. Compensation shows teachers their worth when it comes to value. We are not valued by the current school board. We do not like being patronized either. All jobs are important. Most other jobs are compensated for experience and education. How many people would stay at a job that says after 11 years you will make less money and we will not cover all of your family insurance? How many district admin or school board members would stay at their job if they did not get raises or have insurance fully covered? Not many. I could keep going but to say that we are in it for the outcome not the income is being very ignorant. We have families and expenses just like everyone else. Pretty defeating when you make less money every year.
I feel as a district we need to better pay our paraprofessionals and offer them at least single insurance in order to keep better quality support. I feel that by hiring just anyone off the street to teach it undervalues my degree and the hard work I have put in to become a teacher. I feel like I am in a tricky place due to the fact I have less than ten years left that I have to teach I have to stay with the district because of where I am on the pay scale. I think teachers should have been compensated for working during the shut down as I put in just as many hours during a school week or more preparing things for students and learning more about different things my students could do to learn online that the district gave no support on. I feel the district needs to trust us more with technology. I can’t even use some of the resources I used during the Pandemic as they have now been blocked but they were useful tools for kids. I feel like teachers are given crappy computers and are expected to use them and we are also expected to use extremely outdated IPads to support our students with special needs. There are very few subs when we are gone and no para subs when they need to be gone do we are forced to cover and do the best we can to still support other special needs kids too. I feel like the district is very unfair to our Specials teachers by making them teach in two different buildings it is extremely difficult for them to have to get to know over 600 kids, how is that what is best for kids. The district also has class sizes of 24+ in their buildings with the poorest kids, those kids already have a bad start in life now we have more kids in our school so we have less time to give them. Shouldn’t the schools in better neighborhoods have larger class sizes as they typically have two parents and parents who are able to read and write English? The district will not order new furniture for our pilfer schools but all the newly built schools can have all brand new furniture. I know our school has a mold problem as when I move furniture each year I find mold growing on walls where bookshelves were and am told to just wipe down the walls. Our roof has never stopped leaking and our ceiling tiles have never been changed or anything above them cleaned so I am sure there is mold growing above them or in the ceiling tiles. Our carpet has wrinkled in the hallways and stains that won’t come out but the district won’t replace it. We didn’t even have a school playground for years and the district didn’t make sure our kids had one we had to raise money to get used playground equipment from another school. We have a soccer field that won’t grow grass because our kids play so much soccer it would be great if we could get some artificial turf so when it rains a bit or when the sprinklers run our kids don’t traipse in mud. We can’t even get new playground balls and equipment each year. I feel like none of the schools have adequate parking spaces for school events. Even the new schools have to use driveways and streets for parking and they had a ton of space that could have had more concrete for parking.
Students (as well as their parents) need to be held accountable for excessive or repetitive misbehaviors. The district needs to provide real world consequences that increase in severity everytime the behavior is repeated. After school detentions need to be brought back so it affects the parents' schedule as well as their child's. The district also needs to allow student's to retake core subject classes when comprehension of the content is nonexistent. The district (and education in general) preaches that every child learns at a different rate and has different abilities... yet we group students together based solely off of the year they were born and nothing else. We do an extensive amount of testing throughout the year, but none of that data is even used when it comes to their abilities and whether they are ready for more difficult and complex content. Have to learn to count and recognize numbers before you can add and subtract... then must add and subtract before you multiply and divide... etc.
I feel the administration is so far removed from teaching so their advice is not always appropriate in today’s classroom.
There is a huge issue with recruitment versus retention in GIPS. In my opinion, GIPS does not value the experience & expertise of veteran teachers - they take teachers out of classroom teaching to turn them into "Academic Coaches" & "Behavioral Coaches" & most often those coaches have only a few years of actual teaching experience, & what the district REALLY NEEDS IS MORE TEACHERS. I don't blame anyone for wanting out of classroom teaching because the demands on classroom teachers are impossible, but I don't need an academic coach, that has taught fewer years than I have, observing me or offering me a coaching cycle any time I have a question or a concern. What I need is help with my STUDENTS & help with the workload because the classroom teacher can't be expected to do it all alone...what are all of these other jobs for? Why are adults even in schools if not to help STUDENTS? We are so tired of everything always being a teacher problem & "teachers just need more training" (more work) or a coaching cycle (more work), when it's our STUDENTS who need help! Not everything is a teacher problem that just requires more training! These "coaches" should be helping STUDENTS, but instead, they come into classrooms, with a team, & observe things like how often the teacher is giving positive praise ratios & what routines & expectations they see in place (if rules are posted, etc...) & they record this data & leave a happy note. But in the last several years, classroom teachers have seen a steady increase in lower academic skills & more severe behavioral disruptions, & it's most often a small number of students per classroom that have those more severe behavioral issues (maybe 1 to 3 students per room). Wouldn't the district make better use of these coaching positions by actually serving that small STUDENT population that needs more intensive interventions, rather than spending that time in classrooms like mine that have already proven year after year that the teacher isn't the problem & doesn't just need more training in that area... it's her/his 1-3 students with more severe behaviors that need the help? Adults in schools should be helping STUDENTS, not other adults with professional degrees. GIPS has indicated that classroom teaching positions have all been filled this year, but failed to mention that this comes at the expense of eliminating other positions that would have helped students & teachers alike - reading interventionist positions in elementary buildings, as one example. Teachers want a seat at the table instead of being blindsided by drastic changes & then being told "that's what you asked for." I want a personal response from district admin. & BOE members when I send them a personal email instead of a blanket statement from one person or no one at all. I want struggling students to receive the help they need, not just based on weeks upon weeks of data that "has to" be collected first & then it's too late. A teacher's expert input, as a professional with a degree & as someone who works with & loves their students everyday, should carry some weight as well. We're tired of being observed every week, & sometimes multiple days of the week, by all kinds of people & teams (other than building principals who should be getting into classrooms) & then we're left with a "happy note." It's demeaning. I'm a professional, just like district admin & I'd love to be respected as such. If they truly want to help & make social/emotional learning & reading top priorities like they say, then don't give me more than 20 students & get some of the people who are observing me all the time into classrooms to actually teach as well (coaches). We are also tired of new initiatives/adoptions & increased workloads year after year. A great example of not being transparent this year is that elementary teachers were told that we are getting more plan time with early out Wednesdays being taken away, but now that students are out on full day Fridays or Mondays, teachers are having to spend mornings in meetings that are largely new information or curriculum adoptions & then we have to spend the afternoon doing just the work we are told to complete from the morning meetings... & NOT our own true plan time for lesson planning or prep. And as teachers, trying to work in the workroom on several occasions, Skills students in our "quiet rooms" have been heard screaming at Skills paras, "You cunt! Fuck you!..." & these have been K-2 students. Those students should not be in a general education building at that point & this program has remained at our building for YEARS because we don't have a parent population, in general, that can or would speak out about it - IF they even knew half of this. This program has also forced our building to turn storage rooms into classrooms which is completely a fire/safety hazard & has also taken any & all forms of storage away from classroom teachers in certain wings of our building & we now have to keep school items at our own homes or cram our classrooms full when we were promised that we didn't need larger classrooms like the rest of the building because we would have these great big storage rooms in our new addition. Those storage rooms were turned into classrooms within two or three short years. The only thing that has kept me working for GIPS is the fact that I am essentially "stuck" as a veteran teacher & would not receive the salary I do elsewhere. I DO love the actual teaching part of my job! I DO love the students at my building & my building admin & coworkers. THANK YOU for the opportunity to speak the truth, without fear, & KNOW that others actually care to listen!!
Elementary teachers are so overwhelmed with the large class sizes permitted by the district this year that many are privately refusing to come back next year if class sizes aren't reduced.
It would be so nice to be supported with student behaviors and our decisions or reactions to the behavior.
Replacing Dr. Grover and the Board of Education will never alleviate student achievement problems. I have the highest faith in the administrators of GIPS and will continue to speak up for them. I believe the problems with student performance and behavior are societal and trauma informed from the pandemic. Assuming that a new administration will solve any of these problems illogical and irresponsible. Just support our teachers AND our administration. Then you will see success.

Steps our endorsed board members have taken include:

Hiring an interim superintendent, and, after seeing his professionalism, knowledge, and expertise in the role, promoting him to superintendent. As a result, the Board felt comfortable reducing their influence to allow him to manage his plant and people.
Reducing the number of committees from 25 to 6.
Overseeing the cutting of $5 million from the budget, beginning with Administration.
Beginning to ask harder questions of the District Leadership Team, which resulted in the delay of a reorganization of the middle schools that could have been problematic.
Reducing Board exposure in the media.
Reducing Board exposure at the District Leadership Team level.
Choosing to put the Board in an advisory role for strategic planning as opposed to including the board in strategic planning.
Holding Board members accountable for unprofessionalism.
Actively attempting to sell superfluous GIPS properties.

What are we doing about it?

Chaperone endorsed three GIPS Board of Education candidates for the 2022 election. These candidates vowed to see the betterment of GIPS and, furthermore, the community. Since their election to the Board of Education, each of them have worked together with the rest of the Board to change the trajectory of the GIPS systems and better support our students and educators.

Though we have taken great steps toward the betterment of GIPS, there is still so much more to do. To continue working towards improving our school system, Chaperone has endorsed four candidates for the November 5, 2024 election.

What can you do? Vote.

Help us continue to improve the trajectory of GIPS by voting for Chaperone-endorsed candidates Donna Douglass, Dave Hulinsky, Tracy Goodman, and John McHargue on November 5.