Teachers are in such high demand that they make them wait in line for 45 minutes as part of a cattle call? Before the District knows how many openings they have? If it were me, I would rethink the process

I wish them all the best of luck. Recent applications for teacher credentials (State of California) have fallen to approximately one-third of where they were just a few years ago. My sister is an education specialist in Washington State and they're facing similar problems.

Of course if teachers weren't frequently being demonized by the press and public it might help. Frequent pressure to "teach to the state test" isn't helping either.

But ultimately the problem is money. Society has failed to fund school systems properly, especially since Proposition 13. Alas, even to mention that is simply beating a dead horse.

Again, best of luck to all the Santa Clara school districts.

This breaks my heart.

My favorite thing to do in the entire world is teach physics & math.

Instead I am an engineer/researcher gives a lot of public talks and spend my time tying to figure out ways to explain and teach complex concepts to people.

However for me to even consider teaching, considering no bonuses, no, stock, no significant raises (>20%) a role would need to offer something between 250-300k/yr. Could be done at $175k but living on top Roman.

So the 60,000-109,000 is ... well... it’s frustrating!

It sends a VERY clear message to me, that this society doesn’t actually want me teaching linear algebra, calculus & quantum field theory as it applies to Quantum Computing. They want me working for a private company doing private things. Which is odd, as I would think kids today would need to start learning about Quantum Computing now.

But clearly, with no way to support my family, contine to own my home and pay taxes, to with my Wife support our Daughter on _any_ possible combination offered by the local School.

And while this problem is well known.

I see NO progress.

And it makes me sad. I really love teaching.

We don't pay teachers fair salaries - so no wonder we do not have enough teachers and we cannot attract enough exceptional people into this profession.

In other countries teachers are paid well, have good benefits and are well-recognized, so the teaching profession competes with other well-paying jobs. But not here.

So maybe soon we will see Facebook, Google and Apple-schools, just like we have Facebook, Google and Apple campuses (with free meals and free many other things...) and Facebook, Google and Apple buses. These companies do everything for their employees, but very little for the community!

We are on our way to a major self-inflicted implosion in Silicon Valley - or does anyone think this constantly tightening situation can continue for much longer?

Unfortunately word has gotten out that no matter what the pay, Mountain View Whisman School District in not the place you want to work. The district office headed up by Rudolph and Ghysels broadcasts loud and clear that they do not value employees. They are backed by a board that gobbles up their propaganda and who aremore concerned with their egos than building strong communities. Strong school communities where teacher want to be a part of will never come to be as long as the current toxic leadership at the district continues backed by an oblivious board with a few toxic members of it's own like Gutierrez and Wheeler.

Des, your story interests me and I'd like to talk to you more about the conundrum you describe.

Could you please email me at gcoladonato@mvwsd.org to continue the conversation?

Warm regards,
Greg Coladonato
MVWSD Trustee

This is a well written and interesting article...except for the first paragraph. A shortage of teachers is a SELLERS market.

Teachers have too many jobs. They teach, plan, correct papers, are personal counselors offering private tutoring on their lunch, take personal emails and calls from parents.

The teaching credential process discriminates against older teachers who don’t necessarily have as much current technology skills. Classes required by the state are 90% dealing with behavioral, emotional, legal, discrimination, handicaps, sexual orientation... the list goes on and on. Then there’s the teaching to standardized tests... so teachers don’t have any control over the content. Science teachers have the most work because the planning for labs is extremely intricate and time consuming. So there isn’t time to go a really good job unless there’s a ton of subject support and in-house networking.

Teachers are required to edit film and edit their own video. What student teacher has that sort of equipment? It’s a lot easier now that cameras record, but teachers still have to become editing experts.

It’s a million hoops to jump through and a thankless, exhausting job.

@Monta Loma Teacher - your rant is called "biting the hand that feeds you!" What have you done to improve the culture in your school? What have you done to improve the so called "toxic" environment at the district level. Personally, I think Supt Ayinde is a visionary leader who has made some very difficult decisions in order to improve student outcomes. That is what a superintendent is hired to do ..... be proactive and address issues in the district that need to be addressed. And, personally, I think Trustee Wheeler has had an exemplary record as a trustee - she is a committed trustee and an analytical thinker who approaches issues with an open mind, has long supported teachers/staff, and, is unfairly targeted in these comments. It is so easy to throw stones - I wonder if you are one of those teachers who resents being told to make changes in your methodology or one who refuses to do so!

@An Interested Observer

Actually, it's more like he school distrtict is Infected by a virus:

Here are the symptoms:

Principals are treated like pawns by the superintendent, relocated, rewarded and punished at will.

Alternative schools are inexplicably and suddenly targeted.

Repetition of the phrases “the achievement gap” and “closing the achievement gap” in district documents and public statements.

Repeated use of the terms “excellence” and “best practices” and “data-driven decisions.” (Coupled with a noted absence of any of the above.)

The production of “data” that is false or cherry-picked, and then used to justify reforms.

Power is centralized.

Decision-making is top down.

Local autonomy of schools is taken away.

Culture of fear of reprisal develops in which teachers, principals, staff, even parents feel afraid to speak up against the policies of the district or the superintendent.

Ballooning of the central office

Sudden increase in number of paid outside consultants.

Weak math curriculum is adopted like TTO. Possibly weak language arts too, or Writer’s Workshop. District pushes to standardize the curriculum.

Teachers are no longer referred to as people, educators, colleagues, staff, or even “human resources,” but as “human capital.”

The district leadership declares that the single most significant problem in the district is suddenly: teachers!

Teachers are no longer expected to be creative, passionate, inspired, but merely “effective.”

Excessive amounts of testing introduced and imposed on your kids.

The superintendent hires a number of consultants. They in turn provide — or fabricate — data that support the superintendent’s ed reform agenda (factual accuracy not required).

Strange data appears that seems to contradict what you know (gut level) to be true about your own district.

There is a strange sense of sabotage going on.

Superintendent behaves as if s/he is beyond reproach.

Superintendent sends texts while parents and teachers are giving public testimony at school board meetings, blatantly ignoring public input.

A rash of Astroturf groups appear claiming to represent “the community” or “parents” and all advocate for the exact same corporate ed reforms that your superintendent supports . Of course, none of these are genuine grassroots community organizations.

Or, existing groups suddenly become fervidly in favor of teacher bashing--this is where Gutierrez fits in.

Your school board starts to show signs of Stockholm Syndrome. They vote in lockstep with the superintendent. Apparently lobotomized by periodic “school board retreat/Broad training” sessions

Superintendent bypasses school board entirely and keeps them out of the loop on significant or all issues.

Grants appear from the Gates foundations in support of the superintendent, and her/his “Strategic Plan.”

The Gates Foundation gives your district grants for technical things related to STEM and/or teacher “effectiveness”

Local newspaper fails to report on much of this.

THE CURE for Broad Virus:

Parents.

Blogs.

Sharing information.

Vote your school board out of office.

Vote your mayor out of office if s/he is complicit.

Boycott or opt out of tests.

Follow the money.

Question the data

Alert the media again and again (they will ignore you at first).

Protest, stage rallies, circulate petitions.

Connect and daylight the dots.

@Monta Loma Teacher

Put simply....what Monta Loma Teacher said...I wish I had written it!

"Actually, it's more like the school district is Infected by a virus:"

Good way of putting it.

"Here are the symptoms:
Principals are treated like pawns by the superintendent, relocated, rewarded and punished at will."

And as a total shock to the school communities that know them best!

"Alternative schools are inexplicably and suddenly targeted."

The 2 Choice Schools in MVWSD have been made a scapegoat of the Board and district since their inception. The more people want to get into the choice schools, the more these schools get demonized by the leadership of this district. Even former Trustees show a vendetta against the choice schools.

The public and all the other schools are always told that the choice schools have total control over enrollment, when in fact, that's all controlled by the district.

"Repetition of the phrases “the achievement gap” and “closing the achievement gap” in district documents and public statements."

In the entire USA, the only school districts that don't have a substantial "achievement gap” are the districts where every school is equally bad.
The only politically easy way to “close the achievement gap” is by pushing down on the top achievers to make it "seem" that "something has been done".
They just demonize the higher achievers and the schools that have more of these kids and then punish them for achieving more than other kids.

So, in closing, I wish I had written your post!
Thanks

I think if district valued and supplied our special education/ resource teachers with the proper assistance that more would stay. It take a strong principal, super and district office to support this teachers and their supportive staff. If we don’t support them, how does the district expect for them to feel valued and stick around. District office and our principals, also needs to make the parents feel like that they are part of team with these teachers and I bet once they do that. The resource teacher will have more parental support and not more work on their hands.

Let me comment on the topic of the article (first). Hiring of Special Education teachers is advanced by the District board's commitment to address the teacher salary disparity that existed before 2013. I thank my compatriots on the Board at that time, and in the 2013-2017 period for adopting Public Policy that ended that problem. (guess what mates - the Board can set reasonable policy and force the Administration to follow it - IF it choses).

Personally - I know an experienced special education teacher, with over 25 years experience, who was offered a MVWSD position, and is going to move into MVWSD next school year. Why? Two reasons, lives in MV, HIGHER SALARY in MVWSD than in San Francisco school district! Salary is just one thing, but it is an important Public Policy!!! ( Public policy is set by the Board, and not the Administration, CAO )

the Voice reporter explains this well and simply:

"After a series of hefty pay increases starting in 2014, the Mountain View Whisman School District is now on the upper end of the pay scale in the county, with salaries ranging from $60,933 to $109,243 for the 2017-18 school year. No surprise, then, that the district's booth was among the most popular, with a line winding around the room and a 45-minute wait for interested teachers to get an interview.

"For a first-year teacher, they will go where they need to go, and that's where the school districts are willing to pay the most," Munshi said.

Steven Nelson is a retired Trustee of the MVWSD (2013-2016)

Let me comment on @Monta Loma Teacher items (second). At least those concerning hiring and RETAINING teachers.

I think you are entirely correct in these items, and I know in the past has been confirmed by BOTH, * the teachers union confidential surveys of MVWSD teachers, and * the District Quality Audit during Randolph's first year:
Power is centralized.
Decision-making is top down.
Ballooning of the central office [ BTW this is confirmed by % Teacher costs 31%, state average is 37% ]
Sudden increase in number of paid outside consultants. [BTW this is a continuing problem shown in the Budget %s]
Superintendent behaves as if s/he is beyond reproach. [ Board President backs him 'in writing' TTO:Math ]

Steven Nelson is a retired Trustee of the MVWSD

@No2Virus - sir/madam you are in total error on:
"The 2 Choice Schools in MVWSD have been made a scapegoat of the Board and district since their inception. The more people want to get into the choice schools, the more these schools get demonized by the leadership of this district." FALSEHOOD but I understand, your opinion!

"The public and all the other schools are always told that the choice schools have total control over enrollment," ... FALSEHOOD !

Resident of Rex Manor - I consider some of your writings to be the work, of what I, a progressive Republican, would call an elitist, Wealthy vs. Poor political RANT. Total poppycock in my opinion, except for those who agree with the Stevenson mom, called out in PUBLIC by the former Principal of Stevenson, Tyler Graff. Feb, 2015
"Stevenson Principal Tyler Graff immediately followed the comments by emphasizing that all parents in the district cares deeply about their children and their ..."
Web Link

So @No2Virus - I consider you a perfect example of a social class SEGREGATIONIST, and I will continue, as a former Trustee, to wage a civil discourse campaign ("vendetta" if you insist) against whoever you are and your type of economic SEGREGATIONIST rantings.

Despite the well known and well publicised teacher shortage, MVWSD still plays games whereby they pink slip and lay off the majority of new staff in February, telling them to go to the job fair and interview for a chance to have their position back.

It is incredibly demoralizing as a teacher, and as a team member where your grade level team is a merry-go-round of new team members, that need to be onboarded, shown the basics of how things run on this team, all whilst juggling a full plate of initiatives and short term fixes. There are enough new people on our staff, that I am still figuring out which teacher belongs to which classroom. Next year, I can expect more than half the new faces to be gone and replaced with newer faces.

Now that the pay is closer to the Silicon Valley average, it is a step in the right direction, however witnessing the way that teachers and principals are being treated by upper management, makes one want to leave voluntarily.

I would be curious about how parents feel about the rate of staff turnover and what they think is the reason for it.

totally agree that teacher turnover - caused by workplace environment, is a big and continuing problem.

The policies of the board allow this problem to persist. The oversight of the Superintendent, who manages the district office people, allow the central office interference (bungling) to persist. And in some cases, the ineffectiveness of particular principals, over particular teacher-issues, drives teachers away from workplaces.

Principals are managers - and they can and have been part of the teacher-retention problem process.

GMS saw 2 experienced science teachers leave/retire when the science teachers were denied, by the principal, any effective input in their request for adequately reconditioned new science rooms. The principal sided with the district office 'to save money' at the science rooms expense - yet allow the principals office a two million dollar reconditioning that was not in the original approved GMS site plans.

Then, 4 math teachers (just staying with STEM) left after they saw the abuse of process in the Teach To One math "fiasco" at GMS. Incompetent site management, and totally inappropriate new curriculum process at the district office level (further compounded by a board president 'toeing the line' in a written public "we done no harm, broke no policy" letter. sure )

But - why is the Teachers Union, now not under Mr. Pharazyn leadership, not publicly speaking up? MVWSD Teacher? Where are your work colleagues on this? You have tenure of employment just for this reason. Your union should be able to form a multi-school study/task force of 'trusted' (no-snitch) members to Be Specific.

pfGMS worked on 'the pay' side of this as a trustee (2013-2016)
he was a 'black shirt' during the "work to rule" teacher labor troubles

Same MVWSD teacher here. Excellent question, regarding where the teachers union stands on this. As I've been working towards tenure I have been keeping my head down, but my understanding is that the contract opens up certain clauses during each negotiation period. There are so many things wrong that we are voting on highest priority items first, which for many years has been the pay discrepancy. Teachers that ARE speaking up are being punished by being involuntarily moved to different school sites and into grade levels that they did not request, which as per the contract is totally legal and opens up a power play dynamic when a teacher is asserting his or her opinions too freely.

It is honestly easier to move districts than it is to stay and change things from the inside for yourself or for others. If parents start pushing the issue of why are so many teachers leaving of their own volition, or through the pink slip process, then maybe things may change.

I joined MVWSD so that my own children could attend MVWSD. After a number of years in the district, we no longer want to stick to this plan. Why would we? The teachers that made each grade level great, are being shuffled around or moving of their own volition. The brand new teachers, while capable and young and vibrant ARE still learning on the job. They bring with them new ideas and new materials that disappear as quickly as they came. Not to age myself, but 'back in the day' kids would talk about Ms so-and-so in 4th grade and everyone would collectively look forward (or dread) going to her class. There is no continuity or shared history. Each summer parents come to look at the rosters and wonder about who their child's new teacher could be, just as they wondered last year, and the year before.

@MVWSD Teacher

High teacher turn over means the teachers left with experience must be shifted with their experience to different grade levels. It's an effect rather than a cause of high teacher turnover. Believe it or not as professional educators we are expected to be flexible and teach at any K-5 elementary grade. Our contract even says we can be moved every two years, so I fear you have some very unrealistic expectations as you keep your head down waiting for tenure. And believe it or not, there will always be weak and burned out teachers, even those with tenure, that strong teachers must cover for and pull along at each grade level. Your desire for continuity and shared history should not mean that low-performing teachers who refuse to be team players should be allowed to stay in their classrooms and roadblock both students and their colleagues.

So yeah, it's much more complex than you have painted it. Overall however, I would agree that the climate in the district is very bad. In my 20 years teaching I've always had good principals. It's the bad and political ones that aspire for the district office. It's the 7 superintendents with their new ideas and bold initiatives that have added to the chaos more than anything. And talking to my colleagues at Graham, Mistral and Landels it's that board member Jose Gutierrez who you have to look out for. He will visit your class and poke around and the next thing you know the administration is breathing down your neck. He is systematically targeting all of his daughters former and current teachers since he obviously feels slighted or cheated. His behavior is very unethical.

Hi fellow teacher, MVWSD teacher here again.

Whether or not the contract states that teachers can be moved every two years is irrelevant to whether teachers wish to be moved. Expecting inter-grade level flexibility along with new initiatives like RTI, PBL, SIOPP, Benchmark, Eureka etc, etc, is piling the teacher's work load plate higher and higher.

I am not yet confident enough in my abilities and knowledge of the standards and curriculum in my current grade level to be able to handle a move to a brand new team, with new standards and new curriculum. I did not enter the profession to be constantly scrambling and learning on the go, all while having my neck breathed down, and told that I can do better. Change is not immediate. You need the time and space to make it happen. Please don't miscontrue my comment to mean that I am not open to change and learning, just not in the capacity of 3 grade levels in 5 years.

I want to have resources and projects that I have used before so that I can improve upon them in future years. It is demoralizing to put hard work into something that is only applicable in a particular grade, and find that you're not going to use those materials again, as you just got moved to another grade level, because you've been deemed the strongest link on a new team.

I am unaware of how the contract clauses have remained the same or have changed over the years, but you must admit that in years past there was more continuity in grade level teams.

Some of your retorts seem to have missed the point that I was making. My apologies that I was not clear enough. I am not at all in favor of low performing teachers remaining or roadblocking anyone. I am however in favor of the cessation of wasting money on BTSA for new teachers that are all summarily laid off in a predictable pattern.

The district needs to do a better job interviewing candidates if it truly is the case that the majority of every cohort hired at the job fair is performing so poorly that they deserve to be laid off in March.

When I entered the district, I was told to seek a different place to work, by a teacher who was retiring that year. This comment initially struck me as odd. Having not known the teacher who approached me, I just wrote her off as a bitter woman, who had some personal issues with her workplace or principal. I now see that she was trying to do me a favor. The virus is spreading, as someone else so eloquently put.