San Diego Unified Union Explains Teacher Burnout, Fiasco of Mental Health Day (Bell: movies, school districts)

[NYSD1995]

https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topi...al-health-day/

Sent emails to all district and union leadership. This district needs to be broken up.

[joosoon]

What would breaking up the district do to solve anything? Asking in all seriousness.


The district was stupid about this and should've just been honest from the get go that this wasn't a "mental health" day and that they were instead struggling to find warm bodies as has been the case since the pandemic began. They knew this would be an issue when they put together the calendar before the school year even began. Parents probably wouldn't have cared if this was just made a four day weekend in the first place (like other districts are doing) or by simply moving the date up and making a three day instead (Friday off, Thursday on).


The district set this up so the outrage would fall on staff, not their own poor planning.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Where is my shocked face emoji

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by joosoon

What would breaking up the district do to solve anything? Asking in all seriousness.

Would allow the minority of schools with high educational attainment to move on from the majority of schools with low attainment. Would allow establishment of collegiate schools serving the large transient population of relocating residents in and out. 1950's paradigm is way overdue for a change.

San Diego unified is one of the top 20 or so largest districts in the country. Managing these large organizations requires experience that is very hard to get outside of a similar role elsewhere. You have significant competing demands from low-income communities and high-income communities that need to be addressed separately and a monolith school district doesn't improve that at all.

[malcorub16]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

Where is my shocked face emoji

[1AngryTaxPayer]

:d

Originally Posted by malcorub16

There it is

[NYSD1995]

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...tal-health-day

[joosoon]

What would you have done if faced with this? I feel bad for Lamont since he's a good guy and although just the interim sup., miles above Marten.



One of the subs at my site bailed at the last minute, only adding to the crapshow. But we managed because administration there knows how to deal with issues in real time. Some of the numbers I'm hearing from various schools around the district reinforce the idea that it should've just been a formal day off, as that UT piece illustrates. We were at less than 50% fwiw. The staffing issue is real. I've been harping on it for over a year now. I don't think anyone's head should end up on a pike over this, especially since schools were open and the childcare --which was all that angry parents wanted anyway-- was there for them.

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by joosoon

What would you have done if faced with this? I feel bad for Lamont since he's a good guy and although just the interim sup., miles above Marten.



One of the subs at my site bailed at the last minute, only adding to the crapshow. But we managed because administration there knows how to deal with issues in real time. Some of the numbers I'm hearing from various schools around the district reinforce the idea that it should've just been a formal day off, as that UT piece illustrates. We were at less than 50% fwiw. The staffing issue is real. I've been harping on it for over a year now. I don't think anyone's head should end up on a pike over this, especially since schools were open and the childcare --which was all that angry parents wanted anyway-- was there for them.

They could have said "we don't have enough subs and anticipate many teachers taking unplanned days off". I'll bet a lot of parents would have volunteered to help. I'm sure some of the office admin staff could have pitched in too. They could have doubled up classes or pooled everyone to watch movies if they had to. Either cancel the school day for a reason or don't, but "surprise, we're taking a mental health day" ranks up there as one of the bigger PR blunders.

[Futuremauian]

Seattle and Bellevue (Washington) School Districts both shut down on Friday due to a lack of personnel.

https://www.khon2.com/news/national/...-to-shortages/

I sub in Hawaii and most days I am in the cafeteria with multiple classes now. No extra pay for it either.

Apparently this happened all over the country.