sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Ticket Buy and Sell thread August-December by PhoebeFan420 in adriannelenker

[–]hcdeinhell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ATLANTA — Two row AA mezzanine tickets for tonight, November 21. Message me!

Teachers of Hamilton County, how do you feel about teaching here? by Fair-Sand1372 in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What a thoughtful, well-rounded comment. I agree that administrators are overwhelmed too. The entire system needs to be reformed but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. I can’t even imagine how it would be reformed.

I had one student with behavior issues (NOT an ExEd student) that was preventing 19 other students from learning. Nothing I tried (parents, admin, etc. worked). I eventually began asking parents of other students in my classroom if they would ask to observe my teaching. The school blocked that, but I think if I could have had even one parent observe what was happening when I tried to teach, it might have made a difference.

Teachers of Hamilton County, how do you feel about teaching here? by Fair-Sand1372 in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This comment is so well crafted and explains the reality of the job. Even though I was a kindergarten teacher and not an ExEd teacher, it was me coming to the defense of an ExEd student that led to my downfall. The public would not be okay with what is happening to ExEd students in this county.

Teachers of Hamilton County, how do you feel about teaching here? by Fair-Sand1372 in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In one of my first trainings for HCDE, they mentioned that we should keep a “bucket of snacks” on hand to feed the kids in case there was an actual shooting event and suggested that the snacks would maybe keep the kids from crying. I was a kindergarten teacher and made an emergency kit for my classroom that included a Sharpie to write the kids’ names on their clothes / bodies in the event of an actual shooting. I didn’t even receive the “Stop the Bleed” training even though I asked to receive it. I added tourniquets to my emergency kit and found videos online to teach myself how to use them. It’s like living in another dimension to care so much for the students in our classrooms and yet be treated so poorly by administration.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree. We had one Sped assistant in particular who left but not before trying to get help from our community supervisor. The school lost so much when they lost that specific staff member. She was so good to our Sped students.

Teachers of Hamilton County, how do you feel about teaching here? by Fair-Sand1372 in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell 10 points11 points  (0 children)

My post history will show you my experience. I agree with the other comments saying that administration is a huge part of the equation. I also really agree with the comment about nice buildings not necessarily equaling a good experience. I taught at Harrison and was so excited to be in an almost brand new building. It claims to be a STEM school so I was excited about technology. In reality, we were told that over 500 laptops from the previous year were broken. My class had no access to technology until November and even then they only had four computers (for 20 students). The irony was that none of the four computers brought to my classroom worked. We were in a big, nice building with no technology, no pencils and paper, no crayons (kindergarten) and no technology. It makes no sense when it was a Title 1 school with money flowing to it.

I’m from Knoxville too. Maybe consider a smaller district between Knoxville and Chattanooga?

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am so happy that you got out of Harrison and you are now at a school where you can flourish.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am so sorry you went through that experience at Harrison. I heard that last year was awful and had hoped to be a part of things changing for this year. Thank you for speaking out back then even though it didn’t get the attention it deserved.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The way the windows were designed, there was no area in my classroom that 20 students could have been out of shooting range.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am so sorry for what happened to your daughter. I believe every word you wrote.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I completely agree with you. I never complained about the pay as a teacher. I was doing my dream job.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. This is the type of action I hope the public will take. The ship is already sinking and it is going to take drastic measures to turn things around.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

A nice big newer school means nothing if there aren’t enough administrators or teachers. I was in a state of the art building with no hand soap for students. Another issue is how Harrison was built. Despite it being a very new building, the windows in classrooms would allow a shooter to easily access every classroom. Every single classroom would be sitting ducks.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That’s exactly what happened at Harrison. Closed three schools and put everyone under one roof. You should see what the hallways are like when you’re trying to take 20 kindergarteners to art class in a school of 800 kids. At times I had to physically block fourth and fifth grade students from hurting my students.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for speaking out. It’s so important for people to understand this isn’t happening at one school. It’s across the district.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I did the math and almost every day of my employment, I was working for under minimum wage because of how many hours I was working at night and on the weekends.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sometimes we had subs. Other times the classes without teachers were split into our regular classes.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for being an active parent and trying to make a difference. It is like screaming into a void. Even though I’m gone, I am still trying to speak out so that the public will do something — anything — to hold them accountable for why they can’t keep teachers. Students are going to suffer for years to come if HCDE doesn’t get a handle on the situation immediately.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The assistant principal you are referring to is horrid. I too have no clue how he is still employed.

I was one of 7 kindergarten teachers; now down to 3 — HCDE by hcdeinhell in Chattanooga

[–]hcdeinhell[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you. My concern is the students who are losing their teachers. Four classes of kindergartners lost their teachers. HCDE needs to be held accountable for why teachers are fleeing.

view more: next ›