This is my last year.

I've been a high school English teacher for 12 years. I've loved it. I've always put in 60+ hours a week, making sure my classroom is an exciting place to be, and trying to tailor my teaching to the needs of each and every student. I've been the department head for 6 years. I've headed the union for 3. <br><br>I have 350 students this year. I was given an "assistant," a former student of mine who graduated with a 2.6 GPA, with no training at all. He has no background in education. He is nothing more than a classroom monitor. He cannot help students who are struggling, he can't grade, and he can't take any of the burden off of me. He doesn't. He sometimes sits with the students, sometimes roams the room, sometimes takes a nap. I have to change my gradebook to say he taught one of my classes, even though he has never taught a lesson in his life.<br><br>Two years ago, I was being observed by a principal. He began to read my lesson plan, then stopped me and said, "You really expect every single student to be able to do all of this?" He pointed to the box at the top of the lesson plan that says, "Standards." I said, "Well, that's the standard. Every student should be able to do this." He said, "Well, some just can't. What are you going to do for them?" I said, "What do you mean?" He said, "This isn't the real world. You need to give a lot of extra credit." I said, "Like what?" He thought for a second, then said, "I don't know, give extra credit for bringing in a box of tissues, or an unopened bottle of water." I said, "You want me to bribe students to bring us the things we need to function?" He said, "I wouldn't call it a bribe; I'd call it an 'incentive'."<br><br> VISITING ADMINISTRATORS FROM OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE COME TO OUR SCHOOL TO WATCH US FUNCTION AS A BETA TEST FOR OTHER DISTRICTS TO MODEL THEMSELVES AFTER. I am serious. Twice this has happened. I've been told that my district is a model for how to educate "our type of kids."<br><br>I have been ordered to dumb down my curriculum. I teach AP. That's gone next year, because I have too many ESL students. They asked me to change my honor students to regular students so my roster would look better. I said no. They moved my roster around for me anyway. <br><br>The district is mulling over the possibility of giving students a 50% just for showing up. Any effort at all would be enough for a passing grade. I've been ordered to give students a chance to retake failed tests as many times as they like. I do not have the time or energy for this. There is no support for students who fail. There is no academic summer school, no credit recovery program. No alternative school for students who have been expelled. <br><br>I had an administrator tell me that I'm a bad teacher because I refuse to let students use their phones in class. I should just accept that they want to have them, and give them something to do on them. They suggested Kahoot. I told them that's unacceptable to me, and I won't do it. I was called into the vice principal's office and written up. <br><br>Last week, I had a parent-teacher conference in which the mother of a senior who is applying to college asked me if I would accept late work. I told her no, it's against district policy and my own policy. She asked why. I said, "Because if he can't get his work in on time while he's in high school, he'll flunk out in the first semester of college." She asked me what his grade was, and when I told her, she asked me to raise it. I said no. She got angry and said, "You don't care about my child's future at all, do you?" I said, "I care enough to teach him the value of getting his work in on time." <br><br>There are cameras in my room. I am filmed sometimes for hours at a time. I have no idea why, nor even for whom I am being filmed. I have been filmed by students and parents alike, then had the videos posted online with the sole intention of getting me fired. I've been given death threats. Had my tires slashed. In one instance, someone actually followed me home. <br><br>There is no support by the district or administration for teachers. Last year, when teachers went on strike, the district went to war with teachers. It was vile. We got support in droves from parents, but not from the district. <br><br>There is no dress code for students. They come to school in their pajamas. Take off their shirts in class. Walk around naked in the bathroom. I have caught students having sex on campus. The school is filthy. The district doesn't pay for janitors anymore, so we are expected to clean up after ourselves and our students. <br><br>We have been deemed by the state to be a "failing school." We are 2nd from the bottom in achievement in the entire state. The district's response to this is to have us stop teaching and give students the sample questions from the state test for 6 weeks. We spend the first two weeks of school every year doing baseline testing. We spend the last three weeks giving the actual test. We end the school year with post testing. That leaves us with about 6-7 months to teach, except we have to stop in the middle of the year for mid-year testing. We don't receive the results of any of this testing. We don't get any state or district support. There is Summer PD, and it is a waste of time. <br><br>So...I'm done. This is my last year. I may stay in education, but I will not be a classroom teacher anymore. I have never been the sort of person who is good at politics or networking, and it seems like both of those things are necessary to get ahead in education.