How are you feeling after the 1st month of school? What do you need more of? What do you need less of? by Tameka Scott

scotttameka07 — 2024-09-04 19:49:46 UTC

Hey!!

scotttameka07 — 2024-09-04 19:55:15 UTC

2024-09-05 00:29:31 UTC

When will we have a new security guard?

2024-09-05 10:51:17 UTC

This has been by far, my hardest teaching year ever. The students that I have don't get along and their behaviors leave me past exhausted every day.

2024-09-05 11:32:31 UTC

Honestly the morale throughout the building is LOW...There is LOTS of tension!

LOTS of people are concerned about our future here at Abney...

2024-09-05 12:26:38 UTC

I agree with the low morale comment. We are overwhelmed with the amount of time it is taking everyone for this UFLI program. I am sure Mrs. Westmoreland is overwhelmed as well. Throwing us in to this non-negotiable with little preparation time and no time to learn a program before executing it is NOT BEST PRACTICES.

The disorganization of the Beacon testing was ridiculous as well. Test tickets were missing or with teachers not administering the test. When we would call for help, sometimes it would come, sometimes not. I hope with the next round of this, more thought will be put into the organization of tickets and administration.

The school wide email sent out regarding over identifying students of color for tiered interventions was offensive to say the least. Our students are identified by DATA. We have worked very hard to provide meaningful instruction to ALL students regardless of race for YEARS. We do not see color when we identify needs for students.

As leaders of the school, our staff and students and community look up to you all as our guiding force. We have ALWAYS taken great pride in the The Pledge of Allegiance to our nations flag. When staff and students see admin. not standing for the pledge on morning announcements, it sends a message of disrespect. Do better and know that our community is dependent on you to set a positive example.

2024-09-05 13:05:09 UTC

We need a Security Guard (As efficient as Maya) now! Schools are Not Safe....As yesterday proved again.

2024-09-05 18:03:09 UTC

What is the district policy on hiring a new principal? Will teachers be a part of the interview process?

2024-09-05 19:02:17 UTC

Concerning the racist email we received about overidentifying students of color, I want to say that I was appalled that this was sent out to our staff. I do not believe all of our administration was aware or would have approved of the email before it was sent out. Our staff has worked very hard on MTSS for years and our county has guidelines in place that we ALL follow. We work diligently as grade levels, with our administration, our county support, and our school psychologist to ensure students who need support get it. No one wants to identify a child if it's not necessary. This email was not received well at all by our staff, and I feel like IF it had been a problem, we should have looked at the data and discussed it as a staff instead of an accusatory email being sent by someone who does not yet know our staff well.

2024-09-05 19:50:08 UTC

Melissa Westmoreland deserves a HUGE pat on the back for her hard work and long nights spent getting everything ready for us for data day/DI and individual reading plans. Many teachers were on their own to do this at other schools, with no time set aside to complete the tasks during the school day. This took a tremendous load off of us at a time of the year where there is NO extra time to give. THANK YOU!

2024-09-05 20:16:23 UTC

I can only speak for myself, but I did not find the email about our schoolwide data racist whatsoever. I believe that it was trying to shed light on something that may not have been noticed in the past. Not pointing of any fingers, but maybe that's just me.

I think as a staff we also need to be mindful that admin isn't "us vs them". I know this is a place to share our thoughts anonymously, but I feel confident in saying if these thoughts and opinions (both good and bad) were brought to admin face to face, they would be receptive and helpful.

The beginning of the year is always hard and stressful, and I think every staff member in this school deserves some grace.

2024-09-05 20:56:54 UTC

As a general courtesy, can we ALL be mindful not to reply ALL to emails when it isn’t necessary. :)

2024-09-05 21:01:39 UTC

Can we have the WATER BAR again soon! It was a great treat last year!

2024-09-05 21:18:46 UTC

With safety a priority for all of us, has the district considered tinting the classroom/workroom windows darker?

2024-09-05 21:32:53 UTC

When it comes to meeting times and planning periods that time needs to be well respected. Meetings need to be completed within in the time allocated for them. Also the traffic in the hallway is not flowing at all. I notice that taking my class in the halls there are times other classes are in the way and they are going places 5 minutes early which leads to having to many classes in the hall, making it difficult to get where we are going.

2024-09-05 21:38:24 UTC

I think the admin walk throughs in the morning are very positive! I know it can be a distraction, but I think it’s helpful for the students to get to know all of admin in positive light not just in they are in trouble.

2024-09-06 12:43:06 UTC

Speaking of safety, if the classroom doors are to be lock shouldn't the Lunchroom doors be locked. They are closer to the back doors and More children are in danger. Now that all 4 doors are open there will not be time to lock all four doors in an emergency. Also, the windows all around lunchroom should be tinted to 1 way viewing!

out only! Music Silents Has to be Enforced at all segments of lunchroom occupation.

2024-09-06 12:55:19 UTC

I think most of us feel uneasy knowing we will be getting a new principal mid-year. The unknown is often the hardest part of any transition. As soon as something is known or decided, it would be wonderful to have information communicated to us as a staff.

2024-09-06 13:14:33 UTC

My concern is the discipline in the school. It seems as though students run the show. They get talked to, but that's about it, and maybe sent home for the rest of the day when the event occurs at 11 or 12. This, to me, is mind-boggling. Also, because of where students are placed, they get off from harming other people based on that, which is crazy to me. I can not speak for everyone else; I can only speak for myself. However, I got into teaching to help students achieve their goals. I did not get into teaching because I wanted to be cursed out by a child who hit, punched, kicks me as a teacher or see other students harmed and then excuses made because of their background. We all know this world is brutal, and we are not helping these students by not having strict consequences for ALL students. Teachers should not have to come to school scared and wondering what it will be like today. Students who want to learn should not have that right stripped from them because we are trying to keep the ones who could care less here because the parents may complain. Teachers have a right to teach, and students have a right to learn in a safe environment

2024-09-06 13:21:28 UTC

I did not find the email offensive at all. The facts are the facts. I think looking at it from a racial perspective was not the intent of the email. I believe it was more informative. if you are talking Data, then data was also provided within the email, but I guess somehow that was overlooked. We have to do better, or I know I can not speak for everyone, but I myself was not offended at all and understood that the email was coming from a place to inform and not a place of I want to be racist. My mom always told me 'the truth hurts'.

2024-09-06 13:44:23 UTC

Hallway behavior is MUCH improved since last year! THANK YOU!

2024-09-06 14:13:17 UTC

My concern is that we are letting parents into the building, and we have no way of knowing if they have a weapon on them or not. There are so many people in the building at one time, kids, teachers, staff and parents. It is always crowded in the hall. We can keep our doors locked so that people can't get inside our classrooms but at any given time there are tons of students & staff in the hallway. We had a parent a couple of years ago who was eating lunch with their student, and she came into the lunchroom to confront one of our paras because they had to move her child at lunch the day before. Thankfully nothing came of it, but it was still scary for those of us who were in the lunchroom.

2024-09-06 15:07:38 UTC

I appreciate the timely manner that response was taken after the tragedy this week to take a step closer to being even more safe in the building by removing the magnets from the doors. As a teacher that is in-and-out of classrooms throughout the day it seems to be causing more of a disruption. I understand that this may have been a county move and not an Abney move but it also concerns me because the students are being encouraged to open the doors. If they are just going to jump up and open the door, what is the point in them being locked? Also, in a situation (God forbid) an intruder could use a staff member as a familiar face to get the door opened since the students are now accustomed to open the door for those people. Is there any way we could have a building secret knock? I know that sounds silly, but an intruder would not know that was in place and the students would know not just to answer from a regular knock.

2024-09-06 15:49:24 UTC

Parapros are having a hard time being pulled to be a substitute, when subs make more money than most of the parapros here per day.

2024-09-06 16:43:25 UTC

When a student constantly hurts staff and other students can we have a consistent plan for what discipline they get? One day we send one home for hurting staff or students. Next day another student hurts someone and they stay all day. The other children in the class are not getting the education they deserve.

2024-09-06 16:45:31 UTC

I know there have been several safety questions and concerns over the past few days. Please respond to this comment with anything you need admin to consider as well as discuss with leadership on Monday.

2024-09-06 16:50:34 UTC

I know this is somewhat out of your control but maybe relay the message at the county level, to remind substitues that it isn't appropriate to be taking medications in the presence of students especially at this level!

2024-09-06 18:37:51 UTC

Going with the moral...and just overall staff/teacher appreciation...

We are ALL replaceable. If we decided not to return to our jobs the reality is that someone would be here to fill in our spot within days. At the end of the day for me, the joy of teaching has fleeted in numerous ways...I feel underappreciated, unseen, and overlooked.

This job is insanely overbearing. The things that are expected on us and thrown on us truly is a lot.

It is difficult to show up to a place every day knowing the list of things weighing on me (academics, safety, leadership, parents, data, SOAR folders, PBIS planning, etc.)

2024-09-06 18:43:44 UTC

PBIS is all over the place....if this is county mandated, we need support from the county or PBIS program on how to celebrate positive student behavior.

Kids don't care about about the teacher stores, or coloring, or wearing PJs...they want experiences.

It is also difficult/confusing for teachers to create spreadsheets/rooms for an entire grade level on a whim...more planning and effort needs to go into PBIS days.

Could we put all student names into a drawing and do 2-3 students per grade level that gets to do a fun, meaningful experience? (Pizza with the principal, or a fun lunch, arcade/game truck? mobile field trip? jumpy/Rockwall?)

The other grades could do their own smaller scale PBIS while those kids do their "big" thing?

2024-09-06 18:44:26 UTC

If we didn't meet the goal for Boosterthon, how will the $ we did raise be used?

2024-09-06 19:37:53 UTC

I want to first THANK our admin for what they have done! We are very blessed by the leadership in this building.

We all have places we need to grow, and asking "how can we get there?", speaks VOLUMES to who they are.

I would love to see more consistency with discipline. However, I know it is 1,300 students to 3 admin!

There have been students who make threats, get in fights, cuss others out, and get multiple warnings. Then come back to the room smiling. Whereas others seem to be "one and done" and suspended. Although there has to be some flexibility, I would like for our students to know that having admin called is not a "vacation", it's a consequence. It makes it hard to deal with behaviors, as it feels like we are not being "backed up".

2024-09-06 20:00:08 UTC

I honestly am shocked by this Padlet. We teach our students RESPECT and that words have power. Respect: seeing the value in all things and treating all with care. The emphasis on Dr. Scott's email being racist is an extreme response. Dr. Scott shared our data to have us reflect on it. Our data reflects on us as Abney as a team. People's extreme response and reading into her email is unnecessary. Truth will offend and hurt, but truth challenges us to reflect and see things differently. Dr. Scott....thank you for bringing this to our attention. I am sorry that Abney showed this side and assumed your email meant more than simple data.