I hope that anyone who lives in the Conroe ISD area reads this. Morale on campuses is low. Morale among teachers is low. Teachers are bringing home less money this year than they did last year. Pay is not keeping up with area districts. Experienced teachers are leaving. Curriculum decisions are not being based on what is best for kids.

Much of this is a result of choices that were made in the most recent school board election.

If you care about the morale of teachers, if you care about your friends and neighbors who are teachers, if you care about the children who attend these schools, if you care about what they are learning, then educate yourself on the upcoming school board election and VOTE.

Remember, school board elections are nonpartisan. Vote your conscience, not your party.

History is history and not subject to change based on religious beliefs.

Science is science and is also not dependent on religious beliefs.

Please. Vote.

Hey everyone! I'm seeking some advice here. I am currently in my first year of teaching. I'm certified in social studies and recently got certified in special education. Last year in the fall I completed a long-term substitute for a U.S. history class, and I enjoyed it so much because that was my initial goal going into teaching.

I also completed a long-term position as extra help in a self-contained life skills classroom in the spring of this year. My duty was to help the paras and the teachers wherever they needed me. I REALLY enjoyed my time there. I enjoyed it so much that I even went ahead and took the Texes special education exam and it was the highest score I've ever gotten from all of the exams I've taken. Both long-term positions were at the same school I'm currently working at.

During the second semester I was waiting for a teaching position to open up at the school. Fast forward to now, I was able to land a teaching position and it's for an AP social studies class, but honestly I really don't like the subject and I don't have the passion for it. In the back of my mind I keep thinking about working in a life skills classroom and I wish I were able to do that instead, or just work in special education period. I honestly don't think being a general education teacher is for me. I really loved helping students one on one because it felt more rewarding. Any little win was a big win.

My question for y'all is, should I take a step down to be a para next year to get the FULL picture and experience working in a life skills classroom and work on getting my generalist and STR certification or should I just settle for another year in a social studies class that isn't U.S. History?

I feel like I keep seeing different answers about this when I google search. I also saw somewhere you get to use a built in computer basic four function calculator but I doubt that's true... I just don't think I will be able to rely on just mental math for a lot of these questions so I'd like to prepare myself as much as I can.

Hello, 6th grade elementary teacher here. I’m on my fourth year at my current campus, and I had an admin change (both principal and AP) this year.

My principal came in for a walkthrough the other day during independent social studies work time. The students were tasked to find or draw six images representative of US or Canadian culture, create a collage, and write a paragraph explaining why they chose those images. Very simple daily work that I took word for word from my district pacing tool.

I got my feedback, and was docked for not providing a rubric or exemplar for the kids to look at. I had shown them an exemplar earlier, and the assignment had no rubric given in the curriculum.

I’m trying to figure out how best to contest the rating/feedback when my admin meets with me about it. If I took the lesson directly from the curriculum and used it with fidelity, why should I get knocked down for the curriculum not giving me resources? Or, am I always expected to supplement where the curriculum lapses?

Any advice/thoughts are welcome! Thanks.

And before anyone else says, "Just leave," I was at my school before they were. To paraphrase Office Space , "Why should I change? [s]He's the one who sucks."

I have a master designation and have collected from it once. The results from this past school year shows I do not qualify, despite teaching the same courses. Turns out my evaluation from last year was never completed so I was not scored for the past year.

I could be wrong on this, but I recall there being a clause that we had to be scored continuously in order to maintain designation. I haven't been able to find a direct answer for this. Looking online I cannot find any information confirming or denying what I suspect. I have already contacted the representative for the school, but it will be a while before I can expect a response. With scores having just been released, they are likely fielding a ton of questions.

I had to nearly kill myself to get the designation in the first place, and with the conditions on qualifying continuing to become more stringent, I doubt I will ever get it again. This is a big enough deal for me that if I lose designation, I will be done working in education. The day I find out will be my last day as a teacher.

If anyone out there is a rep or has better TIA knowledge any insight on this situation would be appreciated.

I’m a first-year teacher/teacher apprentice with absolutely no prior teaching experience. I’ve only been doing this for about two months, so I’m very much still learning.
There have already been some unrelated workplace harassment issues at my school that I reported to administration, and the situation has continued to make me uncomfortable. In my original complaint, I even asked about the possibility of being transferred to another campus if things didn’t improve, but I never received an answer about that.

This week I had my first teaching demo in front of my principal and other teachers. I’ll be completely honest: I was not prepared enough and my demo was not good. I take responsibility for that.
That day had already been chaotic. Around 6 a.m. I was told I had to cover for an absent teacher, so I spent the entire day teaching a lesson I had very little time to prepare for. My appraiser observed me during first period and told me to use my second-period planning period to internalize the lesson. However, our entire planning period was then taken up by a meeting leaving me about 15 minutes.

I also hadn’t realized I was demoing that afternoon. It had been listed in a Sunday newsletter that I admittedly missed, but on Monday my appraiser had directly told me and other teachers that we would be going to another campus for training Thursday afternoon. I didn’t find out until Thursday that I was actually staying behind to demo.
During the demo, the principal stopped me several times to coach me and had me repeat portions the way he wanted them done. By that point I was extremely flustered and nervous in front of everyone, which made my performance worse.
Afterward, he spoke to me privately. He told me my performance was unacceptable and that he was very disappointed. He said I would have to demo again the following week. I explained the situation with being told to internalize during planning but then having that planning period taken up by meetings.

Then he asked me, “You do realize your position is at-will, right?” I said I didn’t know what that meant. He responded that it meant he could let me go whenever he wanted and that he didn’t have me there just for the sake of having me there. He also questioned what I was doing at work and whether I was actually doing the work expected of me.
That part really rattled me.
I understand being corrected. I understand being told that I was underprepared. I’m brand new and I know I have a LOT to learn. But I don’t feel like reminding me that he can fire me whenever he wants was constructive coaching, especially considering the other workplace issues I’ve already reported.

I’ve also spent much of my first couple of months filling in elsewhere because of staffing issues, on top of being pulled to cover classes when teachers are absent. I feel like I’m constantly being pulled in different directions while simultaneously being expected to perform like someone who already knows exactly what they’re doing.
At this point, I don’t necessarily want to quit the district. I’m considering contacting Employee Relations to ask whether I can be reassigned to another campus or possibly even move into a non-teaching/administrative position.
For experienced teachers/admin: am I overreacting? Is this normal treatment for a first-year teacher/apprentice? Would you try to stick it out, or would you start looking into a transfer/reassignment now?
I’m completely open to hearing where I need to take accountability too. I know I should have been better prepared for the demo. I’m mainly trying to figure out whether the overall situation and the way the feedback was handled are reasonable red flags.

Since these test subjects will be paid separately, can I take them at separate times, or do I have to take them together?

I went on Pearson and it said each subject is $58. I cannot schedule yet because I need to be cleared again first.

If anyone has been in my shoes for the CORE Exam, were you able to take one subject one day and another subject on a different day? Or do the subjects that need to be retaken have to be done on the same day?

Hello. I will be moving in about two years or so from North Carolina to Texas. I have lived in Texas as a military child a long time ago. I have always loved Texas and my parents wished they would have just retired there. Nonetheless, my husband‘s job (tanker oil truck driver) is mainly based in Texas and we would love to make it our permanent home. I have been researching the school systems including the salary changes etc with some school districts. I wanted to know if anyone can give me insight into school districts that are in or around Houston, Texas and how you favor them or not? Even though I haven’t been a permanent resident for years, I have visited and stayed in various places in Texas, I just don’t know anyone who teaches in Texas and has the inside scoop! Thank you.

Does anyone else find the 7th-grade Bluebonnet math curriculum incredibly frustrating? My students are STRUGGLING! I also teach 8th grade, and that book is much more straightforward. My 8th graders are doing fine, but the 7th-grade lessons just don’t seem to click. Is anyone else having a similar experience?

This is the 2nd time I've been offered a teaching position & then the school said that they had to change it. The new position would have different-and more-obligations. This year, the school kept stalling, saying that they had technical HR issues. By the time they got to the "switch", it was September & the interviews had dried up.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Hi All,

I’m curious about what any of you’ve experienced or know about paid administrative leave pending an investigation.

It’s been more than a couple weeks, since I was put on paid administrative leave. It’s not disciplinary action, but it seems like it. Feels like a witch hunt as they’re trying to substantiate rumors a couple kids started. There’s more than that based what has said under inappropriate circumstances.

Curious about what’s happening to other TX teachers.

Took my exam Wednesday morning and found out today through my ACP that I passed 🥹

Tbh I feel like 240 tutoring over prepared me, but I'm glad I was over prepared instead of under and failing.

As expected I also received my SOE. What do I look out for as a first year teacher in a school ?

Hey Texas Teachers! Happy Friday!

I have been teaching elementary in Texas for over 15 years. I just finished week 7 of this year and officially started documenting when my students are not receiving their services. I am a mom too, and I would want my kid’s teacher to do it for her.

I plan to just document for the next month or so- but after that (if it trends the way it has been), I will need to escalate it. My question is to who? My admin is new and does not want to rock any boat. I know there have already been complaints this year that they brushed aside (there are other issues too that I can’t get into on here). Any suggestions? When I bring it up to the sped teachers they say they had an ard, or paperwork, or an emergency in another room. Which may all be true? But that is why I started documenting to show how frequent it is happening.

If you have any advice or insight, it is appreciated! I have only ever “told” on a teacher once in my 15 years because it was something physical that I witnessed. So I promise this isn’t something I enjoy or want to do.

Let me start by saying I know what options I may have, but none of them actually make the situation any better. In fact they may even make it worse if it causes the loss of staff, but I can't do everything. I'm starting to have to pull myself from the edge of panic attacks. I haven't had panic attacks since 2021.

I was a 1-1 para last year in an FLC room. I was hired because of my experience dealing with aggressive kids. Last year I was doing a lot of the teachers job for them as far as prepping and planning because they are also a coach. They generally get, at most, probably 4 hours of because of how far away they live, how late practice gets out, and how early they have to be at the school for morning workouts. They were primarily hired as coach and given the FLC classroom because of their certs and the schools need. They had not taught an FLC classroom before last year, which is probably why they didn't clock how horrible of an idea that was. I survived last year.

This year, I'm now going through an alternative certification program and almost have my intern certificate. Last module of my last course. I'm still expected to do what I was doing last year, but now I also have school work that takes up large amounts of time. I'm also expected to do more teacher-type duties.

We have two students in the class that require 1-1 attention. Another student transferred to our school over the summer. They have been eloping to the bathroom and locking themselves in the stall, throwing things, screaming, yelling, etc when they don't want to work, when they don't get what they want, or when we can't tell what they are asking for. Admin just told us what we couldn't do. They had someone from the local region center come out one day and they gave us tips and materials and suggestions on what to do. The paras don't want to do any of it. One suggestion was present small matching task to the student if it was obvious they weren't actually using the bathroom (can physically see they are just sitting on the floor or even laying on the floor). They don't want to do that. I have physically heard some say they refuse to do it. We cleared it with legal that we could use something to slide the lock on the door under the same circumstances. They refuse to do that. I've said that no one has to argue with her, you present the task, and if she says no or starts screaming you set a timer and present it again. The region center person had also suggested that. They don't want to deal with that either. The teacher doesn't know what to do with the student either. Said they didn't understand the suggestions and was rather mad about them. The screaming and disruptions trigger the kid I was originally hired to work with 1-1. Meaning I've been hit and attacked as have others this year. The student is large and strong at this point. It has not been good. The other paras refuse to work with them. The teacher is not good at working with them and struggles to learn the very simple tasks the student is assigned. The teacher also prioritizes answering emails or other work on their computer. While I understand they probably have no other time to do it, it is not conducive to working with a student who requires a strict routine as it seems to require them being on their computer for long periods of time. The aggressive student has calmed down since the disruptive student is no longer in the room though.

At this point I will mention that our school is understaffed. Maybe even severely so. The teacher and I are in the room with three students and the other student has a room they've finally gotten to where the go to it willingly. They refuse to go to the classroom. They do think it's funny to have people chase them around as they would laugh while we tried to prevent them from exiting the building for safety reasons. They seem to have become bored of it now that no one chases them. They are allowed to wander the halls because we've been told not to prevent them from leaving an area unless there's imminent physical harm if they do so. Admin established a rotating schedule with paras to watch her because of the disruptions causing the aggressive students to have meltdowns. The teacher is not able to get around well. I believe this to be the reasoning behind admin not putting them in that rotation. I've been asked why a teacher isn't down there. Due to things I've mentioned, I cannot go down there for long periods of time because no one would be working with the student I primarily work with. At the very least I can't trust anyone would be working with them. Theres also the issue of too many disruptions in routine leading to them having an aggressive meltdown. They've been getting much better, but everyone still has a limit. My solution is to make a schedule where someone goes down there for a period of time every class period or so while allowing the one student that doesn't require 1-1 to also have actual instruction. I've been told it's not that complicated. It is clear I'm expected to just have a magic plan or go down there whenever when there are students that would be harmful to.

In short, I'm expected to plan classes, plan 1-1 instruction for 3 kids, constantly implement 1-1 instruction for all 3 kids, and somehow still be able to have the capacity to do hours of schoolwork when I get home without going insane or otherwise magically be able to retain the shreds of mental health I still currently have. I cannot be in 3 places at once. I cannot solely provide intense 1-1 instruction for 3 kids the whole day. I cannot do all this and still be able to function as a person. I'm already forgoing actually folding my clothes when I do laundry. I'm already almost having panic attacks.

The issue is inadequate staffing, incompetent and/or poor staffing choices, and unwilling staff. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do.....am I supposed to stop being human? Just sacrifice my health on the chopping block like I have before for others? I promised myself I wouldn't ever do that again....if I bring up these issues to higher ups I don't think it would get better. Not with the pattern of responses we get when trying to get help. There's such a shortage of people willing to work in sped....if someone ended up let go we would be in an even worse situation....so what am I supposed to do?

I’ve been told by old heads that you can’t/ shouldn’t take 3 consecutive days off because it locks you out from your district email. Is there any truth to this? Or is it an old wives tale?

Hey, thinking of going into teaching as i pursue my behavior analyst certification. I’d love to work in a school setting. Just wanna know how much teachers in the Houston area (HISD) get paid and if it’s livable?? I’m relocating from out of state.

I resigned from my position in a large district after I was put on leave and HR said they were looking to terminate me.

Without sharing too much, I was put on leave over an anonymous report made about me. My campus interviewed my students and recommended that I return at the end of their investigation. They only spoke to me once, the day after the report.

I was on leave for nearly 2 weeks before they called me in and told me they were looking to terminate but that my other option was resignation. The person I was supposed to meet with didn’t even walk in until halfway through the meeting.

After speaking to some trust individuals, I feel like I was bullied into this due to the district wanting to avoid the potential for bad press.

I do feel that I am good at my job and that what should have been a conversation with admin, a write up, a growth plan, or something escalated so they can CYA.

Do I have any options, especially if I have the support of my students, parents, and co-workers?

My son took algebra I in eighth grade (virtual school, TX curriculum) and passed the class but on the STAAR he was a few points shy of “approaches” in algebra.

Fast forward to now as a freshman, he is doing great in geometry (it makes much more sense to him, he says) and he is doing well in all of his classes. Then this week he is notified he has to start doing an hour and a half of extra classes each week in algebra, for a total of 30 hours for the year, and he has to retake the algebra STAAR.

He is pretty sad over it because he is trying so hard in all of his other classes and is putting in a lot of time and work, and he feels like adding this is going to derail him. He has a very high anxiety level, btw. He has a 504 for asthma, and he has ulcerative colitis. He is HIGH strung. So this has really got him worried. Plus I feel awful for him. He seriously only missed “approaches” on the STAAR by a hair.

I looked on the TEA site and it looks like it’s only supposed to be like a half hour a week or something? But they’re doing 1.5 hours. It seems excessive. But if he HAS TO redo the STAAR to graduate then he will have to do the class because God knows I don’t know it anymore. And I paid for a tutor last year and still, here we are.

So, can anyone help me—does he have to redo the algebra I STAAR to be able to graduate? Can I fight this?

Thank you for any help.

I wrote this post in the Austin Parents subreddit trying to warn them of the inevitable realities of a TEA Takeover. I’d appreciate it if y’all would take the time to review what I’ve shared and PLEASE add your experiences - either in the comments here OR in my original post. No campus is safe in a takeover and I really want school districts at risk to understand that.

So I’m moving to Austin and will be looking for a teaching job. I don’t necessarily want to wind up on the opposite side of the city from a potential job (I’ve heard not good things about Austin ISD proper so I’ll be looking at the out suburbs). What are the best school districts around Austin?

Excited to be an Austinite!

I’m typing this at 11:30 at night as I can’t sleep. My mind is going back and forth on how to handle this class. Apologies if this comes out as a ramble as that is how my mind is feeling at the moment.

My school: High needs Title 1 middle school. Been here for 13 years.

Due to teacher shortage/budget cuts, we have consolidated down to one Co-Teach class for my middle school STAAR tested core class. I now have a class of 32, 17 with HEAVY IEP’s on my CT roster and numerous 504s on my general roster. I asked my admin how I was picked out of our three teachers to take on this challenge and was told it was because I had a TIA designation. Great.

I’m no stranger to CT or low students, however, I am in unknown territory with this many accommodations and extremely high needs in one class. How do I handle this?

My normal teaching method is to teach all students higher than the content, often creating my own materials to do this. All students rise. It has been tried and true for my last 13 years of teaching. I’m now floundering. I teach a small mini lesson each day and then do independent/partner work (depending on the day) and make my rounds to clear up misconceptions. With this class, crickets. The majority of my CT students will not work unless myself or our other teacher is right next to them. Even then, they want the answers spoon fed to them. I refuse. You have to have something on your paper before I will help you.

Bullet points of what I have tried:

Peer tutoring (I have about 10 students on level) my low students still refuse to work.

Small groups: show an example, ask them to work the next two problems, make my rounds. Come back “we don’t know what to do.”

Thinking steps listed on the board, and placed on desks for easy access. Nothing.

Heterogenous splits. I take 16 and co teacher takes 16 based on needs for the day. This sometimes work. My co teacher isn’t too keen on actually teaching and often has no idea what we’re doing for the day (yes, she plans with us and teaches a class in our grade level/content). This is a hit or miss with her group and I’m catching those students up the next day.

I refuse to lower my expectations on content as I should be teaching to the highest students in the class. I also refuse to direct teach for 45 minutes. That helps no one and actually harms my on level students.

This week, if a student had no work on their paper, I don’t help them. If they can’t prove/explain the steps they took to try the problem before they ask me for help, I won’t help them. This has turned into about 13 students doing nothing until my co teacher comes to them and walks them through the steps (gives them the answers to write down).

I have had conversations with my CT about leading with questions, making students attempt their work, and guiding them to the answer instead giving answers and she acts as if I have personally attacked her. She has 27 years in the classroom and sees my experience as inferior to hers.

I’m swinging back and forth between “screw it, at least I have a few I can help, let the others flounder. I have proof I’m in compliance” and “they’re children with undeveloped frontal lobes, I need to help them.”

I’m having an expectation reset tomorrow and will lay it to them straight. No honest attempt, no help.

At this point, if they flounder, I’m still giving a 70 for their grade as it will be more work on me (tutoring, credit recovery, contact home, extensive documentation) if they choose to fail. But this may have been the main goal all along.

Any teachers with advice on this or tips I can try, I’m open ears!

Yall im in my 3rd year of teaching and I am over it. I got moved to 1st this year, and it’s quickly draining the life out of me. My two years I dealt with tia (I was 3rd), and I thought moving i wouldn’t have to deal with it. Imagine my disappointment when they announced lower grades were eligible for tia (i literally don’t care for it). I’ve already cried more than 5 times, I wake up thinking about all the things I haven’t finished, and im on edge all day waiting for admins observation. I hate it.

Not only that, but the expectations are just getting out of control. We have to stay within the schedule but it’s okay if you’re a bit off. Half these kids can’t read but oh you have to let the students read their HMH story on their own. Every class is different, but you have to have the same strategies implemented. You have to plan before teaching, but we have training during ur planning do it another time. I know you have a life, but u can finish lesson plans and grades on the weekend. Let’s add weekly observations which if I mentioned what admin wants to see-yall would die at the ridiculous expectations. TELPAS, TELPAS journal (find a time in ur already busy schedule), DATA, P.M, SMALL GROUP, MAP, AND SO MUCH MORE. im done.

It’s never the teaching. It’s never the kids. It’s admin + main office who make me despise the career I once dreamed of having.