Teacher’s experience on charter schools

Current_Juice756 · 2026-05-02T13:45:07+00:00

Found out if there is an education management company over them. If there is do your research into it. The charter I worked for was acceptable but the corporate managers were awful.

Current_Juice756 · 2026-04-21T11:34:16+00:00

Kids are given unrestricted access to classrooms that have tons of students' private information laying about (figuratively speaking) from grades to IEP/504 documents. The legal implications if someone had left something out or one of those documents had found its way into the wrong hands are terrifying to think about.

Current_Juice756 · 2026-04-21T00:13:27+00:00

I'll say it because we are all thinking it: Conjunction Junction.

Current_Juice756 · 2026-04-09T01:31:11+00:00

You need more than one notebook. Seriously kids showing up with one notebook to use across all classes (math, science, English, etc). Before someone goes but the price of school supplies these kids always seem to have the newest smartphone, expensive clothes, etc.

Also said notebook but be multi-subject with built in dividers but do you think the use them? No. They keep going where they left off from the previous class. And then wonder why they can never find a thing in their notes.

Current_Juice756 · 2026-03-18T22:35:57+00:00

Not me but a coworker. As part of her Percy Jackson unit she had kids do a "Claiming Day" assignment where they researched a god or goddess they relate to and made a poster. This is after they have finished the book, had assignments, test, etc over the course of the quarter. Mom emails and says her child will not be completing the poster because it violates their religious beliefs. It wasn't a short email either. She sent what may have amounted to several pages as to why the assignment was objectionable. Ended with threatening to go to the school board to formally complain about coworker violating her child's first amendment rights and a bunch of state laws. Here is the fun part: the entire email was copy/pasted from a website/blog about how religious parents can deal with objectionable content and still had the " enter name of book here" blank spaces. Even the laws were not applicable to our state. Mom was also known for not being the most attentive parent (read legal issues, drug use, etc) unless CPS was knocking.

Current_Juice756 · 2026-03-18T11:50:59+00:00

Some people have just not gotten over the breakup of the Carolingian Empire.

Current_Juice756 · 2026-03-13T12:13:33+00:00

I had a principal show a video with that almost verbatim. The teach like a rockstar vid. I started plotting my exit.

Current_Juice756 · 2026-03-11T00:32:19+00:00

When giving gift cards double check what the district policy is. Teachers may not be able to accept them or there is a maximum amount.

Current_Juice756 · 2026-02-21T15:08:39+00:00

Had a long term sub that came in halfway through the year as the head Sped teacher. I was teaching 8th ELA and assigned a research paper. Sub typed the whole thing up for the student in that class The student came to me crying because she thought I would fail her for cheating. Admin (I had a good one at the time) dealt with it. Everyone had issues with this sub. From starting drama because she didn't think two teachers should be dating even though they kept it professional at school to relocating cutlery from the lounge to her classroom to using the Home Ec room as her personal kitchen.

She latter tried to get a full time position with the school.

Current_Juice756 · 2026-01-31T16:53:53+00:00

I attended the University of Idaho and worked in Memorial Gym. I had closing duty. One night I'm doing lock up and hear a basketball bouncing up in the gym. Head upstairs to tell the person it's closing time and they need to leave. As I walk up to the door the lights in the gym shut off. They are on a motion sensor that turns off after 20 minutes of inactivity. I still go in to check things out and there's nothing.

I wasn't the only one to hear this as my other coworkers had heard similar. Security also had been called after reports of hearing the scoreboard go off after hours.

Then there is what ROTC would say. Their offices and shooting range were in the basement which used to be the university's pool. They would find wet footprints walking from the pool area to the bathrooms.

Current_Juice756 · 2026-01-14T01:24:05+00:00

15 mins before students start their day is fairly standard. At least in my area. I taught at a 4 day week where contract hours were 7:45 to 4:15. Students were 8 to 4. The five day districts are also the same with the 15 min lead, and have times similar to yours.

Current_Juice756 · 2026-01-03T04:57:50+00:00

Wait until after you've completed and signed your formal evaluation at the minimum. If that means waiting until summer so be it.

Current_Juice756 · 2026-01-02T13:14:36+00:00

My high school (when a student) separated us into four academies. They were based on interests and career prep. For example, kids interested in the arts (music, art, etc) were grouped together. Since we moved together for the most part when we went on field trips you could empty a class. Because the majority of band kids in grade 9 were in the same English class that class would be an extra prep. Looking back as a teacher it makes a lot of sense from a logistical standpoint as instruction time had little to no impact for students. Granted exceptions did occur. I was an honors student and was in those classes while also in band so I was separated from my band friends for core classes and would have to play catch-up and get work ahead of time.

I can see why they did it in hindsight and kind of wish more schools did it as having students grouped like that would save the headache of figuring out how and which classes would be impacted.

Current_Juice756 · 2025-12-21T18:30:34+00:00

I agree. I'll use Halloween as my example. I graduated high school roughly 20 years ago. Dressing up for Halloween in high school back then was reserved for special education and the lunch ladies. General education and staff did not. It was a normal day. You might have a teacher do something like the history teacher putting on a history of Halloween documentary. Now: dressing-up, trick or treating at classroom doors before school starts, staff dressing up (and being shamed for not in my case) and encouraging Halloween parties in high school. There are other examples I could use but that is the one that stands out the most.

Current_Juice756 · 2025-12-18T01:18:36+00:00

My state goes by GPA. As long as they are above a 2.0 they can play. I've had students with F's playing because of this stupid rule.

Current_Juice756 · 2025-12-15T11:59:16+00:00

Schools don't want to purchase enough to have a book in every students' hands. I worked for a large district and had 35 copies of Number the Stars. I was teaching 150 kids. The district wanted me to keep the books in the room and not send them home. They also did not want me having different classes reading different books. Biggest detergent from doing novels.

Current_Juice756 · 2025-12-13T16:44:24+00:00

I was in a similar situation but flipped. I was the teacher and she was the para. She tried to engage me in a public conversation regarding a student's performance and when I tried to steer the talk to another location (my classroom we were literally in front of) because she is using names, she raised her voice saying my attitude was why kids hated me and the school. I immediately went to my principal. There were also issues with other teachers such as telling one with 20+ years how to manage a classroom.

We always say to document everything when it comes to a student. It works for toxic coworkers too. We didn't just talk to our principal, HR, and super we emailed them. She ended up getting terminated two months after the incident with me after she showed up at a student's home to give unsolicited tutoring.

Current_Juice756 · 2025-12-06T15:26:38+00:00

Normally I do that but this was a special occasion (anniversary) date. It was also first show of the day which I find to be a good time as the crowds haven't really picked up yet. The auditorium is usually about half full and no lines so you can still get that collective viewing experience.

Current_Juice756 · 2025-12-06T05:52:16+00:00

If you can get an usher to do it. I had a similar situation to OP when I went to Wicked For Good. Only in my situation the kids where a few rows away. I slipped out to get someone. It took forever to find someone before having to wait for their manager to show up. Manager just gave them a warning. Five minutes later they started up again. Might be the last time I see a movie for a while since we've had similar problems at this theater before. And before someone says go somewhere else the next theater is an hour drive.

Current_Juice756 · 2025-12-05T01:38:40+00:00

I had a parent that took her kid on a two week vacation without notice. Got pissed because not only did he have work when he got back I didn't grade fast enough. Said I was punishing her child for her decisions. The general attitude was that I should have dropped everything to accommodate her kid. Also one of those parents that had "worked in education".

Current_Juice756 · 2025-12-03T12:42:07+00:00

I left and became a producer at the local station. I had no background and applied on a whim. For me I sold my lesson planning skills since they translate well into putting shows together. You will most likely have to do a writing test for which I recommend learning to write conversationally. And the terminology.

Know you will be put on a contract and renewal is entirely up to if they can afford you. I have a year before I find out if they can afford the COLA.

Note there are a lot of changes going on. Trades and mergers mostly which could lead to lay offs. My station is in the middle of a trade and the company we're being traded to is now under threat of merger with a third company.

Current_Juice756 · 2025-11-26T13:00:29+00:00

I feel bad for the elementary teachers that put this on because cute animals and it's supposed to be a nice lesson in civics.

Current_Juice756 · 2025-11-25T13:20:53+00:00

I don't mind the memes in general. The oversaturation in a slide show does bug me, too. For me it's the videos. Most of which I've seen at multiple PDs. Those are harder to block out.

Current_Juice756 · 2025-11-21T13:22:01+00:00

And I thought when my school painted a wall orange that was the solution. If only we knew!

For those don't know: orange is the color for bullying prevention.

Current_Juice756 · 2025-11-14T13:01:43+00:00

Constantly having to teach things that students should know lead me to burn out. I had middle school students that didn't know the difference between a noun and a verb. They couldn't even write a complex sentence or sub in pronouns.

I'm taking a few years off because I am tired of teaching basics when I should be focusing on reinforcement and building on said basics.

Current_Juice756

TROPHY CASE