TOXIC ENVIRONMENT

  This has become a difficult place to work. I am heartbroken to see my colleagues so mistreated, and saddened to see the students paying the price for poor administration/supervisor decisions. So many teachers are leaving, trying to leave, or thinking about leaving.

 Glen Rock has become a very toxic environment and it appears no one is happy. The morale is poor and it appears that the administration is a bully.    

  I feel sorry for the teachers here. They are treated like absolute garbage. 

They are paid terribly. 

Teachers in the Glen Rock School district are not valued or respected by the administration or the BOE. Our district once functioned as a community, the current admin and BOE have destroyed our school community. They have "ruled" by causing fear amongst the staff. We have seen a mass exodus of teachers leaving this district and the exodus isn't over. Teachers in GR have always been part of the "process", we are now excluded and disregarded. I used to love coming to work, now I have angst and am fearful. I love my students and my profession, but the current climate in GR makes it very difficult to feel the passion I once I had. It is very disheartening. RIP "Blue Ribbon School District", we will never see that accolade again.  

There are many colleagues looking to leave, myself included.

  There has been a shocking and disappointing amount of support/recognition this school year. I wish that we had a stronger and positive school community. I thought about applying to other districts throughout this school year, as this has been so hard on me mentally and I have not felt like I could reach my fullest potential. 

   The faculty is treated with borderline contempt by administrators even supposed "top performers"

  I want us to be treated the way we teach students to treat others. They should practice what they preach. Character matters with the students, it should also matter with the adults. There is no reason for those in positions of power to treat employees in any other manner than how we teach students to present themselves and interact with others. If they think their position gives them the right to be demeaning, rude, or insensitive they should not work in a school where we promote and set the example for good character every day!

  There is an atmosphere that they´re out to get us. The firing of those untenured teachers was a low blow and extremely unfair during a pandemic year. There was a complete lack of support and little concern for our health, well-being. There was a lot of words but 

NO ACTION. 

  Currently, it feels as though some teachers (with previous success) are being targeted. To my observation, they are teachers who are vocal with administration or active in GREA.

  Many good ones are leaving and the veteran ones have a target on their back. 

  Glen Rock school district teachers have reported to in person teaching since September and been disregarded and treated in a punitive manner. This has been a frightening school year because of the pandemic and then we were punished by the administrators for unknown reasons. I am genuinely afraid to return to work in September 2021 because I am afraid of administration.

  Administration did not communicate expectations to the staff at the beginning of the year nor was there consistent communication throughout the year. It seems nobody knows what each other was doing.

The faculty and staff in a building become a family. We look out for each other. We share the good times and the sad times, offer support ... In the past, I always felt the administration, BOE was on my side. They were willing to help and support me because they wanted to see me succeed. It doesn’t feel that way now. It feels like the complete opposite, like someone is trying to find a negative and use it against us. It makes each day so stressful. 

  I think the teachers in Glen Rock were treated as people not to be trusted, rather than professionals during a global crisis. Teachers who taught from school but 100% on Zoom were never given the option of teaching from home...once a week, once a month, as needed for their mental health. I don't know of a single administrator who attempted a day in the life a teacher - teaching either a fully remote schedule or a day teaching in-person students while live-streaming students at home. They didn't do it, because they knew how difficult it was and wouldn't be able to do it well. The district didn't compensate us monetarily or in sick days or additional personal days. They told us to do it, figure it out and had the nerve to ask, How different could it be? 

  Teachers and staff are experiencing extreme levels of stress and anxiety and it’s very important that administration be exposed and the community understands that this district is in turmoil on the inside. I personally feel on edge every day because of the way admin has spoken to me. 

We are being bullied and perceived as the enemy. The administration takes the word of the parents over the staff and we are guilty of whatever they say without investigating or looking into a situation. They hold meetings without you and then have the teachers explain after the fact. They are trying to force people out by putting things in personnel files that are not true or going into classrooms and sitting to try and intimidate you. It seems that part of "the plan" is to force teachers to leave who are higher on the scale or those who question their plans. They are setting teachers up to fail. The superintendent told the public that the teachers k-2 would have assistants in the rooms when we reopened in March and that did not happen! All year, the superintendent acted quickly on things without thinking them through such as the aide situation. Hire the assistants before starting the plan! He did not announce to the public that this did not happen! The superintendent does what he wants and bullies those who don't agree with him. The BOE and the superintendent did not recognize the sacrifices we made, including not seeing our family during the holidays because the vaccine was not available and we were teaching up to the holiday for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The superintendent however, had no problem telling us that we can't travel for Spring break. Teaching virtually a week before or after a break would have allowed for the number of days especially at Christmas and Spring Break for staff to see loved ones and be symptom free. No regard for the mental toll it took on us not to see family! If we could have taught virtually. I look into leaving and will if the opportunity presents itself. Staff had family members die of COVID or who were very sick with COVID and all they cared about was you were available to teach. My administrator actually texted a very sick colleague with COVID each day asking her when she would return to teach. That administrator actually thought that on day 14 you were automatically better! She remained sick longer than that!