Subject: Re: [MK8] I'm also retiring!

Oh Tina! I know you have shared these things with me, but to read it
altogether does make me very sad....I DO hope you will find something that
will suit you. Anyone would be crazy not to hire you on the spot!
I plan on teaching piano and decompressing from the stress for a year
before I consider anything else.
Best wishes!
(((hugs)))
paula in ga
3.5 days left to retire
*“The man who disparages music as a luxury and non-essential is doing the
nation an injury. Music now, more than ever before, is a national need.”*
*– Woodrow Wilson*
* ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)*
*(¸.•´ (¸.•' Paula •´¸¨).•*´¨) ¸.•*¨*•*
* (¸.•´ (¸.•'(¸.•'.•' ♫♪♫♪ *


On Thu, May 20, 2021 at 9:38 AM Tina Morgan wrote:
> So that makes 3 of us so far... Wynne, Paula, and me.
>
> Pre-Covid the special subject classes were shortened to 30 minutes (versus
> the usual 40-45) so that we could be assigned as academic interventionists
> 2 hours each morning. I hated every second of it.
>
> This year my district has a hybrid/virtual schedule. Students attend
> either Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday. The hybrid classrooms have 12 or
> fewer students. They wear masks all day and have desk shields. The only
> time they leave the classroom is for restroom breaks. Special subject
> classes are pre-recorded and a link sent to the classroom teachers, who
> show it in the hybrid classroom or assign it to the virtual students. The
> rest of the time the specialists are interventionists or subs. I decided
> in the fall that I could not stand the idea of another year of having to do
> these interventions so I started making plans to retire. It's not that I
> don't care about the academic success of our students - I DO. That's why
> they should have true interventionists and not people like me - I don't
> have the training, skill, or desire to do it. However, the
> superintendent can be quoted in the newspaper that there are
> interventionists at every school... and Joe Public doesn't know the reality
> of the situation.
>
> I've always thought it would make better sense to have the specialists do
> enrichment activities with the students who understand the classroom
> material. A teacher told me that the reason that's not done is because she
> was told to keep the higher students because they're the ones who will
> hopefully pass the state tests and to send the others to me because there's
> really no chance that they'll pass the tests. Nice.
>
> My district sent me an exit survey. I decided to be polite but honest in
> my answers. One thing I told them is that if I knew I'd never have to do
> interventions again, I probably wouldn't retire. Maybe one day they'll
> stop this crazy practice. I just want to teach music.
>
> I've applied to 3 area private schools. I interviewed at one - 30 minute
> commute, grades 3-6 with an elementary choir that meets 2 days/week after
> school, high school choir of mostly grades 9-10 who need a fine arts
> credit... I removed my name from consideration because why do I want to
> retire only to work harder? :D I have another interview June 10 at a
> Catholic school about 2 blocks from my house. I haven't heard that they
> have a music position available, but I don't know why the principal would
> fool with an interview unless there's a possibility... I have a cousin who
> works there who told me she died and went to educator heaven - it's by all
> accounts a great place to work. There's an opening at another Christian
> academy in town - I've sent my CV but haven't gotten a response, but found
> out that the principal is also retiring and it's up in the air about if any
> hiring will be done until the replacement comes on board.
>
> I've been in this district my entire 32 years. When I first transferred to
> this school 12 years ago, I was a violin teacher (even though I'm not a
> violinist). This lasted 2 years. Another music teacher in the district
> left and the music teacher from my school was sent to replace her and I was
> assigned to do general music AND violin. We made this work for about 2
> years, but it became increasingly difficult to do it all, so the violins
> went in storage and I did only the music. In addition to me, we had a
> dance teacher, a drama teacher, an art teacher, and a PE teacher who was
> super supportive (she had a basketball skills team each year that performed
> choreographed routines at Mississippi State basketball games). The dance
> teacher transferred to another district and was not replaced. The drama
> teacher has a gifted endorsement and was moved to gifted and the drama
> program cut. The PE and art teachers retired 3 years ago but were
> replaced, and a replacement has been hired for me. I'm sad to go for many
> reasons, but not sad for others.
>
> Thanks for reading my essay. I have to go proctor a state test.
>
> --
> Tina Morgan
> tdmorgan7@gmail.com
> Pre-K-5 General Music
> Cook Elementary Fine Arts Magnet School
> Columbus Junior Girlchoir Director
> Columbus, Mississippi
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