7.29.2009
Most of my entries have been concerned with conveying my frustrations with life and my long days. Until today, the educational policies of New York have not irritated me so much that I want to spend an entire entry trying to explain the system and why I still want to stay here in spite of all the bureaucracy.
Not too long after I committed to this program, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) put a hiring freeze on all new teachers: principals could only hire teachers who have previously been employed by the DOE. As a result, new teachers from any alternative certification programs cannot be hired until the DOE has decided to lift the restrictions. What does this mean for NYC Teaching Fellows, Teach for America, and other alternative certification people? My experience has solely been with the NYC Teaching Fellows, and we have simply had to wait.
Many principals seem to want to hire Fellows for a variety of reasons. Because most of us are first-year teachers, we're cheap. Several hiring representatives have told me that they want to hire the young teachers because of our drive and our desire to help these students who have suffered from inequities in education their entire lives. From what I gather, these schools want to hire us, and I've heard many principals have been waiting the entire summer for the restrictions to be lifted before they begin the hiring process.
If principals know that they want to hire Fellows and new teachers from other alternative certification programs, the DOE has several problems on their hands. What exactly are those teachers in the reserve pool (excessed teachers, teachers who have been forced into the notorious Rubber Room) being paid for? During our training, we've been given a variety of statistics regarding the Rubber Room--one number I've heard is that there are approximately 700 teachers being paid an average salary of $70,000 for doing absolutely nothing other than sitting in the Rubber Room from 9AM-5PM. Obviously, I don't care to verify this statistic, because frankly, 10 teachers getting paid an average of $45,000 for doing nothing is already enough waste. Teachers sitting in the Rubber Room have tenure, as do other teachers in the reserve pool, so this inevitably leads to questions concerning the legitimacy of tenure. Lastly, if principals know that all they must do is wait out the restrictions, the DOE clearly lacks control over what administrative decisions. The power struggle between the DOE and the school administrators yields no benefits for the teachers in the reserve pool, the new teachers, and simply wastes everyone's time.
The mission of NYC Teaching Fellows is to provide aspiring teachers with a Transitional B Certificate while they obtain their Master's of Education, with which they can become long-term teachers in the high need schools of New York. This summer has consisted of Master's "coursework," NYCTF-organized training sessions, and student teaching at summer schools all within 5-7 weeks. My days consist of me waking up at 5:45 AM, leaving my apartment by 6:55 AM, and not arriving home until 7:15 PM. The strenuous days have obviously worn me down, and combined with the possibility that I may not even be employed because of some stupid political issues, it's hard for me to see the light through all this.
When I first started my student teaching at summer school, I was terrified of the children--what if they hate me? What if I'm an awful teacher? Over the course of the past month, I've developed a bond with my students and interacting with them is one of the brightest parts of my day. As 7th grade summer school students in math/literacy, their behavior leaves something to be desired, but that is no longer an issue to me. Everyday, when I realize they have not learned some of the most basic skills, such as identifying the main idea of a passage or multiplying, my heart breaks. Everyday, when I see some of the other teachers at my school, I think to myself, "How can these people possibly be employed?" These kids want to learn and be successful, but so many have given up on them and not many have provided them with guidance. As 7th graders, they can barely read and write 2-3 sentences summarizing their summer school experience, yet they are all incredibly bright. Yes, all of them.
In June, when the program first started, I was unconvinced that I could do this for the rest of my life. Having worked with just a few students and seeing their potential, I'm beginning to think that this is a career I could do for more than just a few years. But, I need to start small. I must find a teaching position before I can even consider anything else.