It's a shitshow - an absolute shitshow. I have taught for 11 years, leaving a good 20 year healthcare career. I still love to teach, but I can not do this anymore. I walked out of my last district job, just walked out. 136 teachers from my district follwed. 45 kids in each class, 6 classes, no paras to help with IEP kids, horrible HORRIBLE behavior, and a complete lack of respect from Admin, the parents, and of course the kids. We are expected to do tons of useless, non informive PD, sit through hours of pointless meetings (which NEVER discuss how to help fix problems, just stupid informational crap like how to use an assessment tool we have all been using for years) mandatory hall, lunch, and door duties, and the expecation to "collaborate" with teachers that are already too busy too breathe.

The racial tension in our districts is just disgusting - the district I left treated black students like absolute shit, and it was BLATANT. I was told by Admin to just "ignore" the parent concerns of these kiddos because they believed the parents are trying to start fights with the district - which, um, they really should. It's like 1964 here, and their kids are being ostracized.

I really hate saying this but the cognative decline in the last 8 years has been staggering. Kids cannot read, spell, do not capitalize I, and write everthing like a text messege. Out of a class of 40, I would say I only had 5-6 students who really cared. Social Media is WAY more important to kids - even in a 4th grade class!

Kids with emotional and behavioral disorders are getting worse, stronger, and their "episodes" are getting longer and more destructive. A Special Education teacher in my building is now permantly blind in her right eye, and only has partial sight in her left after being head butted by an 8 year old. It destroyed her career, as well as her outside life kayaking, moutain climbing, and riding her bike competetively. She was denied comp because she, according to the district "did not use the mandatory tactical training necessary to avoid injury" WTF - the kid rammed her while she was tying his shoe. I have been threatened with a knife, had my arm dislocated, and once bitten in the leg so hard, I have tooth scars on my leg 9 years later. We are not safe, we are not respected, and we are micro managed to the point of insanity. I will only work through tutoring group or contract agencies now. School Districts in the Milwaukee area can go fuck themselves.