A Retort to my "Don't Blame the Teachers" Posting

-----Original Message-----
From: crownroyal56 <crownroyal56@gmail.com>
To: Dr. Jim Castagnera <castagnerac@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Sep 17, 2013 9:25 pm
Subject: Fwd: Employment Watch-RESPONSE TO DON'T BLAME TEACHERS

Hi I would like to comment on the "Don't Blame the Teachers" article. Being a former school administrator, superintendent assistant, coach, and teacher I feel the need be really clear. I feel the article is truly unfair. So let me take you through a day of an administrator. An administrator school day starts long before the school day. Beyond the meetings, lack of support from parents,putting out fires, endless observations, grievances, and daily reports the day ends at 10 pm at night. The Blackberry is sending emails from 12 am in the morning until 12 am the next morning. Principals have sometimes three or four hundred emails easy in a day. Not to mention a school leadership team meeting with two parents in a school building with 1100 students truly sends a powerful message. Parents want their children protected, they want a drug counselor, a behavioral counselor, therapist, and a kind ear. To be really honest there are many people WHO should not be parents. The school system is designed for education. However over the years it truly has become the back bone for society. 

If you have not walked a mile in my shoes you can not understand the burden I carry.  

Many assistant principals and principals have a passion for what they do. As far as the money please! There are teachers making over $100,000 a year. Not to mention when they retire many will retire in tier 1. 

Teachers are trained to teach. I came up through the ranks. I cultivated my craft and trained others. I left the profession after 15 years because the system is operating from a deficit model. Facebook and Twitter has become the new babysitters. Very few parents come to school and spend  quality time with their children. Children are raising themselves. Latch key children have become the majority. Video games have become the new babysitter and homework comes back unsigned. The parent who gets annoyed because the school shows an interest disconnects their cell number. The parent who leaves their child at school and forgets on a regular to pick them up yet gets angry when the police is called. The parent who knows their children have been absent for many days yet only shows up to get a mandated letter so the welfare benefits do not stop. Education is no longer a priority. This new generation has a lack of interest in education. I have chosen to no longer waste time on issues that are out of my control and will not change. Yes blame the principals and the superintendents for the failure  of the educational system. We can accept 50% however the other 50% goes to the parents who have failed their children over and over again. Visit family court, foster care services, group homes, and juvenile detention centers. Each child will tell you they were looking for the love of a parent NOT an administrator. When we can hold parents to the same standards as teachers and administrators maybe the system will change. 

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• Don't blame the teachers