ig source edit typo
this post was submitted on 01 Apr 2025
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I...
Did you say "standing room only" classrooms?
How? Moreover, how?
That middle school also had actual riots where multiple teachers were injured. They were very good at limiting news coverage - this was part of a stupid program of consolidating schools that was a horrific disaster. (No consideration about gang territory or bus lines.)
I also knew a guy who was hired without a background check as an adjunct/emergency certification - and they gave him a cafeteria for a classroom. (Requirements a few years ago relaxed to just require a college degree in anything, now even that’s optional. The nicer districts brag about all of their teachers having college degrees.)
I have been trying to blow so many whistles for so long, but absolutely no one gives a shit. The Supe is too busy spending Ed money on Trump Bibles.
Have you considered talking to the news? This is all profoundly abnormal. I know journalism is mainly dead, but it's the kind of story John Oliver might pick up anyway.
Trust me - I have tried. I’ve left hundreds of voicemails with elected officials and local news media. Both about education and child abuse in mental health care.
Oklahoma has been a failed state under Project 2025 style policies for the past ten years.
Hey, it takes some work to be 49th in the country in education. I believe if we try just a little harder we can make it to the bottom!
Epic is the largest school district in the state.
Epic counts students logging into their computer and answering 5 questions as a day of “attendance.” As long as you do this at least once every two weeks your child remains enrolled. Teachers are supposed to meet with students for at least an hour in person once a week, but individuals make exceptions and play games with rules - often, thirty minutes over zoom are sufficient.
Epic teachers teach all subjects and grades. In the same day, I could help a high schooler with geometry and a severely disabled kindergartener with letter recognition. This is something I am qualified to do, but I don’t think I think my skill sets are common. The same teachers are grading student assignments - how effective feedback can an elementary Ed certified teacher give on an assignment over the quadratic formula or an essay over the causes of the French Revolution? (I tend to be popular with other teachers because I will sit with a physical science teacher and teach them atomic theory, or how to factor polynomials, while admin hates me because I call out stupid bullshit.)
There is an epidemic in Oklahoma of illiterate and innumerate children and young adults.
I should have assumed you had, I know you've been through a lot. You're not wrong, but... Thanks for trying. It really burns me to know kids are going through this.
“Burns” is the correct verb. It keeps me awake at night, cost me my marriage, and has lead to multiple mental health breakdowns.
November made me suicidal, because I knew that they were going to gut DOE, and the feds were the only ones with any power to do anything. (DOJ managed to get their report out on time about how OK uses cops and jails instead of providing mental health care to people; the findings from the investigation into Owasso Public Schools prompted by Nex’s murder is also something that needs to be read and discussed more)
I’m exhausted. All I really want to do is talk about physics, math, history, how to make arguments - to teach. I fucking love it. I should be in a classroom in Tulsa or OKC right now running a lab - I know there’s a classroom right now with a long term sub that needs a crazy mad scientist to throw things or light things on fire or show off radioactive rocks. But I can’t work a job where I’m dehumanized, not recognized as a trained and knowledgeable professional, or where the fact what I have a uterus and a beard means I must be some sort of deviant who wants to be around kids to hurt them - and then also be paid so little that I have to have a second job to survive.
I wish you could find a way to pursue this somewhere more aligned with your values. There's a brain drain happening right now for a reason, I would heartily recommend joining it.
Thanks for what you do. The struggle could be worth it if you make a meaningful difference is just one young life, and I bet you have already done more than that.
This is part of the defunding of education. 20 years ago my high school was wall-to-wall desks you had to squeeze to get to, and it's only gotten worse since then.
I always knew my high school was slightly fancy. Nothing extreme just, had decent facilities and decent groundskeeping, etc.
I never realised it was fancy for having under 40 kids in a class. This, at the same time as yours.
I promise myself to never to fall for that "kids these days aren't we good as we were" bullshit. Kids these days are going to need a lot of help. Maybe more than we can even give.
Kids these days are generally more intelligent but less well informed than kids in generations prior, in my observation.
Raise a reader like your life depends on it, has been my approach so far
I am on it 😇
Inspired by this thread, today I set up my kid's neglected bedroom Linux computer to read comic books off my media server and he's already obsessed. Woo!
🥳 that is awesome!