Friday, May 20, 2011

Let the Teacher Turnover Begin!

As the Administration continues to make their rounds with contracts for those employees they hope to keep, the rumors will be flying about who they DON'T plan on keeping. In true MVRCS fashion those staff members who the school does not want to keep will have their contract discussions held off until the school is done with them (i.e. the last day of the school year). It causes us great concern that so many of the teachers who had been with the school for years have left within recent years. Of course none of the 'Friends and Family' members EVER leave (and of course, why would they, they all have very cushy positions that requires little). At the same time it is always disappointing when certain teachers DON'T leave and return year after year much to the dismay of students and parents alike.
We have heard a number of rumors regarding who is staying, who is going, and who is LOOKING to go.It seems that the lead teacher for the 4th grade is actively seeking positions elsewhere. As this particular teacher is a known snitch who frequently rats out her colleagues, we are left to believe that the decision to leave is her own and wonder if she has shared her intentions with the Administration. Sadly, many former staff members have left MVRCS as direct result of this particular teachers sense of superiority and habit of snitching on her colleagues. Even more teachers have requested to not work with her and approached the Administration as a result of her being so incredibly difficult to work with. Unfortunately, as a result of her willingness to rat out her fellow staff members and willingness to play the MVRCS game of systematic elimination (of both teachers and students), she was permitted to continue in her role. We are of the belief that with her departure the 4th grade teachers have a chance of becoming a more cohesive and effective team. If nothing else, morale in the building has a chance of improving.
 Interestingly enough the school does give 'staying bonuses' to those teachers who are both welcomed to return AND plan on returning. We've heard that over the years teachers who have signed contracts, and ultimately accepted a 'staying bonus', yet have a change in plans have been sued. Since it isn't the end of the year and this teacher is proactively and aggressively seeking a position elsewhere, we are left to the conclusion that it is her decision. The question is whether she has or will accept the 'staying bonus' if offered to her. Inquiring minds want to know...Adios Rat-Girl!

5 comments:

  1. She was asked to leave because she asked for a raise.

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  2. If they wanted to keep her they would have given her the raise. Did she ask or demand?

    She was probably asked to leave because she is impossible to work with.

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  3. First off, get your information correct. The staying bonus that she received half of in January and will receive the other half of in June, is a part of this current school year's contract, and she deserves it because she is staying through this entire school year.

    Second, as a former MVRCS Lower School teacher, who has worked extensively with this 4th grade teacher, and keeps in contact with her and other MVRCS teachers, I am wondering where you get your information that teachers leave the 4th grade team so they don't have to work with her. If these teachers hated her so much and didn't trust her at all, why do they socialize with her outside of work? I was recently at her wedding shower, and saw many teachers from MVRCS, including other teachers from the current 4th grade team, a teacher who was a member of the 4th grade team, but now teaches another grade, and other teachers who have left MVRCS because it is a horrible place to work. None of these people hate this 4th grade lead teacher, and all of them are very proud to call her a friend.

    This 4th grade lead teacher is worth a lot more than MVRCS will ever pay her because, the longer you stay at MVRCS, the worse your performance reviews become. At the end of my 1st year teaching there, my 1st year teaching anywhere, I scored a 97% on my annual review. At the end of my 5th year there, when I had already told them I would not be returning in the fall, I received an 83% on my year-end review. There is no possible way I was 14% better at teaching my first year out of grad school than I was after 5 years teaching. MVRCS couldn't afford me anymore, and for them to justify not giving me the raise I deserved, they told me I was not teaching well. I do not know what they would have offered me if I had made it to a contract meeting, as I told them in March that I would not be returning, however, after 4 years of teaching, I named my price and they paid it to keep me there.

    This school, where the families complain about the large turnover, is all about teacher turnover. They want new teachers fresh out of school, so they can manipulate them and indoctrinate them into the warped MVRCS theories. Any teacher who decides to think, is considered sub-standard by the administration, and is either forced to quit or asked to quit by the end of 6 years. It's their philosophy.

    Instead of picking on this 4th grade lead teacher, who has not done all the ratting you're talking about, why don't you pick on MVRCS and try to get them to value education and accredited educational professionals. The teachers are the only accredited things at that school, by the way, since the school has failed to achieve accreditation more than once!

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  4. I taught at MVRCS for 5 years in the Upper School. I was one of the more proactive teachers, and started multiple programs there.

    Believe me when I say that I don't miss the administration whatsoever. What a corrupt group of incompetent people.

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  5. Why wouldn't she or everyone else look elsewhere. The reason why turnover is not higher is because it is very hard even for the best teachers to obtain teaching positions elsewhere.

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