“Sad thing is that teachers in NYC are told by the admin and by the union NOT to break up fights. Get security to handle it and stay out of the way.”
First and foremost, we are hired to teach, not babysit or break up fights. Besides, have you seen the average teacher? Our school is filled with them - 24 year old rookie teachers and many of the students out weigh them.
That’s what I do - I go about 200lbs former line backer, so I consider myself a faily tough SOB. They get tired after about 60 seconds then I step in and yank them up by the scruff of their uniforms - yes I said uniforms! I teach in a charter school in st louis city - what a dump and some of my students are complete POS. Believe me, you don’t want to get into it with a teenager - they are cat quick. Now granted if you get a hold of them, they are as good as dead.
And there are some on this site that will claim that teachers are overpaid, ha! Try 40K with a masters degree and have to put up with fights on a weekly basis. My administration or students don’t know it, but I wear a bullet proof vest DAILY.
Hmmm. $40K for nine months ain’t nuthin’ to sneeze at.
But I have been following the money and the issue is not teacher pay.
There is a lot of administrative overhead. But apparently the real “money sink” is special ed. A lot of these students cost upwards of $100K per year to “educate” with minimal results.