My 77 year old sister...an awesome Teacher...got a job interview. Unbelievable.

[DDD]

My remaining older sister loves teaching. Last year a new Principal (with only two years experience by the way) cut her loose. She was devestated and has not been able to get another public school job, likely due to her age. She is an early education specialist with a Master's plus supplemental certifications. Every class she has been given in recent years included "difficult" kids and "slow learners" etc....and every year she has molded those kids into achieving above average results on standardized State tests.

Now...here's the unbelievable story. She was called for an interview to teach first grade at a new Charter school last week. Her appointment. was at 8:30 and she was there at 8:15. The Principal spoke to her for about ten minutes and then said "oh I'm sorry there's a problem I have to take care of..we can talk on the way" and off they went to a first grade classroom. Once there the Principal said "Mrs. X would you mind watching these chldren for a little while?" My sister (who genuinely loves children) said "Of course I will."

At around 9:30 another teacher opened the door and said "can you keep these third graders in your classroom for awhle?" My sister said "of course I will". NOBODY replaced my sister all day! Can you believe that? Then the Principal reappeared and thanked her, took her to her office and offered her a job. She was not remunerated for the full day, by the way.

The Principal offered her the teaching job at $ 9.50 per hour! I still can't believe it! DDD

 

[keista]

I'm confused. Congratulations and Kudos to your sister!

But did she really take the job at $9.50???????? Really? That is ALL they offered her? That sounds more like the going rate for an aide. I can totally understand her taking it if she really wants to be teaching, but seriously, WTF?

 

[DDD]

She has to let them know this week, Keista. Almost 100% of the time I keep my thoughts to myself unless asked for my opinion (in real life that is, not on the Board, lol) but in this case my response was the same as yours. She replied "I know the pay is ridiculous but I want to teach!" My response was "forget about the pay issue think about the horrors of working for someone who would treat a complete stranger like that!" Then I shut up.

If it were just one of those things I "might" be able to overlook it but leaving her in a classroom all day and not even checking in on her, having older kids dumped in the classroom, not offering to pay her anything for a full days work. and then...$ 9.50 an hour. Yikes! As I entitled the post "unbelievable". on the other hand, she may do it just to get back into the classroom again. DDD

 

[Wiped Out]

That amount of pay is such an insult for someone with her experience. Even an aide should make more money than that. As you said, I can believe they treated her like that! I can understand her wanting to get back into the classroom but it would be hard to trust these people. Your sister, by the way, sounds like she is an incredible teacher

 

[keista]

I'm just reflecting on my own experience of being offered WAY below what I was worth and what a position called for. (by the way more than your sis is being offered and I only have an AS degree in my field) Since the position was made specifically for me, they didn't have a pay rate for it and offered entry level pay. It was too funny since they wanted ME and did everything they could to convince me that I should take the job at that rate of pay. I was already single with 3 kids and a mother in law to take care of. I turned down the job. If I had taken it, my self esteem would have taken an even greater hit. About a year later they called me back in as an independent contractor and willingly offered the rate I deserved. It was temporary, but still......

But that's me. Your sister could be from a different mold, and her desire to teach may possibly override any insanity she has to put up with. Also, at her age, unfortunately it might be the best she can get.

Either way, she sounds like an AMAZING person and teacher. Kudos to her and a POX on that principal.

 

[DDD]

I'll let you guys know if she takes it. She really is a wonderful teacher and still has alot of energy. She gets by with five or six hours sleep and is off and running. I, on the other hand, have always need more sleep than usual. I can pump it into gear for short periods of high activity but......then I have to make up the lost sleep for a few days. Her energy level is what I envy. She's like the Energizer Bunny. DDD

 

[Nancy]

First of all congratulations to your sister. I hope I have that much energy at her age.

My easy child is a kindergarten teacher in a charter school and make very little money. Together with the hours she puts in and the classroom supplies she buys with her own money it's criminal.

Nancy

 

[JJJ]

She'd make more money as a sub or a Special Education aide.

 

[hearts and roses]

Wait, does she need the money? Or does she just want back into the classroom? There are so many of those tutoring places opening up, I wonder if she could get a job working there for more money? Likewise, there are so many schools that could use her experience work as a para-professional, nit making much money, but at least having an impact and working within a classroom.

But, then again, if the money is good enough for her and she absolutely LOVES working with kids and does not mind working for an inconsiderate boob, then it looks lie she's found the place!

No matter what, I hope she chooses wisely and is happy. I think it is AWESOME that she still wants to teach and share her life experience!

 

[TerryJ2]

Great that she got that offer! But terrible that they took such advantage of her. Let me know what happens.

 

[TerryJ2]

P.S. If she were in Japan, she would have been offered $99,500/yr.

 

[DDD]

She doesn't want to tutor...she wants her own class so she can work with them every day and help them achieve new goals and believe they can have a bright future. Guess I'll know next week.

Let's not, lol, nominate her for sainthood. She and her husband are WAY out there in their political beliefs and drive me nuts with forwarded emails. Yikes! Her "baby sister", DDD.

 

[TerryJ2]

Well, she won't be discussing politics with-those kids, so she can still be nominated for sainthood in the realm of teaching.

 

[Star*]

WE might think that is a ridiculous hourly salary---------but when something is your passion? Your life-blood, your world? Happiness comes before the all mightly dollar.....and the lives she will influence, mold and shape will be forever changed for having a teacher as phenominal as her. She's obviously NOT going back because she needs the money......If I got to work at a donkey farm? I'd take minimum wage and figure out what I could do without to make it work. I'm driving a truck for a WHOLE HECK OF A LOT LESS and I mean like 1/10th of what men are making - and a new guy was just hired and I KNOW he is starting at WAY more than I got---and you know what? I don't care.......I'm happy, I'm living my dream....and as soon as I get good enough? I'll have skills ----then I'll compete....

GOOD LUCK to your SISTER in her pursuit of happiness.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Why on earth is she in THAT classroom?
These are the teachers that we need at the University level teaching "new" teachers how to actually teach.
Because back when she learned, they actually got taught those skills. Now they don't - there isn't anybody left who knows anymore, so it doesn't get taught.

 

[donna723]

So this is a regular full-time teaching position? What justification did they give her for paying her what is obviously much less than what the other teachers are making? It bothers me A LOT because it looks like they are taking advantage of her because of her age. They are reaping the benefits of her education and years of experience and paying her peanuts in return because of her age. And she's accepting it because she wants to teach and have her own class so badly.

 

[susiestar]

First of all, I think they are probably required by law to pay her. Not sure, but I know in most businesses if you are being interviewed, and then are asked to do the job for a few hours or a day to show you can do it, then they MUST pay you for that amount of time that you worked. If you are not offered the job, or are hired days/weeks later, they still have to pay you for the work that they asked you to do. If you offer to work for free to show that you can do it, then they don't have to pay you. But this principal ASKED her to teach the class, she did not offer and did not offer/agree to do it for free. She should be offered the rate a substitute would be paid.

It is great that they offered her the job - it is really hard right now to get jobs if you are older. They are trying to take advantage of her with this low pay rate. I know teachers are grossly underpaid, but that is just nuts and insulting.

IF she takes this job, she is going to get more of the same. It won't change - other classes will be dumped on her, with no notice, with no one to take a class for her should she need it, and more shenanigans are going to happen.

I cannot help but wonder what would happen if the school board and/or parents learned that a principal took a person who was NOT a school employee, someone that the principal did not know, had not done a background check on, and had anly spoken to for ten minutes and left the person in charge of a room full of children, later to be two classes of different grades in ONE room - for hours. Wiht no one checking to see what was happening.

As a parent, this is terrifying. I have to trust that the school has screened employees and will know that they are not criminals, are not dangerous, and are capable of handlng a classroom full of children. I do NOT expect anyone to leave my child or a group of children with someone they do not know - esp not for a full day!

While your sister might get a class of students, she is going to have to deal with so many other stupidly crazy situations that it will be very hard to stay professional and she will be treated horribly. in my opinion the principal put those children in danger - NOT because your sister would ever, in any way, hurt the children. They were in danger because your sister was an unknown person, actually a stranger to the principal, the other teachers, and the children. ANYONE could have taken your sister's identity, faked some papers, and spent the day with those kids - and the damage would have been done hours before anyone bothered to even look in to see if everyone was okay.

am glad your sister got an offer, but this is NOT going to end up being a good job for her. If nothing else, she should use the day left alone with the kids as leverage to get a decent wage. I am SURE that the parents and school board would be more than happy to fire the principal if they were to learn that not just one, but two entire classes of children were left alone for the day with someone who was NOT a teacher or other type of employee of the district. Around here that would most likely mean the principal lost her credentials and was not allowed to work in a school again. This really is THAT far out of line on the part of the principal. So if nothing else, have sis take the job but insist that she be paid a much higher wage or she will go to the school board and PTA with what happened!

 

[Nancy]

Charter schools are free to pay teachers whatever they want, as long as it's minimum wage. None of my easy child's friends who graduated with education degrees were able to find jobs in public school systems and they are all working in charter schools and day cares. Why? Because so many states are going to charter schools because they don't have to pay the union negotiated wage. Our governor has cut public school funding in some cases more than 80% this year in order to force more charter schools to open. It's worked, we have a boatload of charter schools opening and a whole lot who are failing. Public school teachers are being laid off left and right. The only jobs left are in charter schools. easy child isnt making enough to live on, let alone save anything. But if she wants a job she has to take it.

InsaneCdn, I can guarantee you that my easy child and the fellow teachers she graduated were, do know how to teach. In fact they are the ones willing to do whatever it takes to make sure every child succeeds. They are the one willing to differentiate their lessons and go outside the box and try things that haven't been done in the past. They are the ones who stay long after the bell rings and work long into the night preparing and not rely on what's been done before. They are the ones that often some of the seasoned teachers look upon as threatening their jobs because they are raising the bar.

DDD this is not meant as any criticism against your sister. I am sure from your description she is one of the best and has the highest credentials. It's just that the general statement that teachers now don't know how to teach is not correct.

Nancy

 

[DDD]

No problem, Nancy. She has been in the school system long enough to see and adapt to new programs. Some have been worthwhile and others have bombed. Because of her experience level (and no doubt her age) she was let go. Her income based on seniority made it possible for the school to cut costs by getting younger teachers. Her students really did benefit from the fact that she totally understands that program x doesn't necessarily work for student y...and she has always pulled something out of her hat so that each student did well. A few years ago she had an underachieving minority student who was two years behind grade level. Somehow she got his family involved and in one year he made up his missing levels and moved on to grade level.

My eldest granddaughter, by the way, managed to get into the public school system by substituting one year and bonding with the staff and assistant Principal. He got a promotion to Principal of a new school and offered her an ideal job.
LOL Even my sister was jealous. Gd landed a third grade gifted class with fewer than twelve students! Where we live and where she lives alot of positions are given out based on the "good ole boy" system. Four of difficult child#1's former easy child friends got full time jobs straight out of college. They are all bright achievers but there are many experienced teachers trying to get a classroom. in my humble opinion, decisions are often made looking at the budget and community connections. The Charter school movement is just one more political movement that I deplore. Sigh. DDD

 

[TerryJ2]

So, is she taking the job? FT?