All of the above... sort of. Taught in BC for 2 years, left, and now I'm a law student. No, it's the not the money - especially in the first 5 years. Money didn't play a role in my decision at all. Look at Sara's video. That's what played a role, at least in my case. I miss teaching desperately, and I have so many days in law school that I think I'm wasting my time. Then I see Sara's video, and I remember breaking up fights, getting hit and threatened by kids, not having air conditioning, not being treated like an adult, and the list goes on. On the other hand, I said it before - I miss teaching. Even with all of those factors, teaching brings the highest professional highs that I think are possible (maybe other than delivering babies or saving lives...). When a student tells you that he/she got into college and wants to major in your subject - it's tough to beat. When that troublemaker in your class sits for 10 minutes and is actually working during cooperative group assignment - it's tough to beat. When you leave school on the last day of the year and you have 75 kids wishing you the best and asking you to keep in touch - it's tough to beat. It's not the money for most teachers, and I especially don't think it's the money for the great ones. Of course they could use more money, I'm not arguing that at all. My point is that the money isn't what makes the difference. What makes the difference is whether or not a teacher has the ability to maximize him/herself as a professional and whether he/she has the support to know that "her superiors" are most deeply concerned with letting him/her do what she does best: facilitate student achievement.

I agree with VoiceForSchoolTruth, though, the blame game needs to be over. We need to engage in the "we can" and the "we must" attitude. We can make a difference and we can affect change if we make it a priority - the question just rests on whether we as a collective city are willing to make that decision.

With all due respect, all of us who were once teachers (I taught at a Title 1 Middle School in BCPSS from 2004-2006) did not leave the profession and our classroom because of pay. Is pay a factor? Sure! But it is a factor we knew about before entering the profession and it is certainly NOT the main reason for leaving. I truly believe you would be hard pressed to find any self-respecting, passionate, hard-working teacher or former teacher who will say that pay, while indefensibly low, is the reason we leave.

So I will be frank - why did I leave BCPSS? I will share what I always used to say: "I can deal with the handful of kids who are being crazy, I can even deal with that parent who comes to conferences drunk and high, but I can't deal with them AND the ridiculous, incompetent ADULTS who run the schools." (I am hopeful that under the new leadership of Dr. Alonso, things will get better as he puts a heavy emphasis on finding excellent school leaders, something that BCPSS currently lacks, but desperately needs.)

After two years of teaching at a middle school that, comparatively, was one of the better run, I was drained, beat down and well past my limit. Examples of why:
1. I didn't find out what I would be teaching until three days before school started. So while some teachers get to spend all summer preparing lesson plans, getting resources and strengthening their practice, I milled about wondering which AP was going to request me (regardless of my stated grade preference) before I can start really preparing.

2. I would not find out where my classroom would be until three days before school started.

3. While I was blessed with the ability to build solid rapport with my students to the point that the majority of them always had my back, there were always those few with whom I could just not connect. Would not be a big deal, except those few always happened to be the ones who came to class occasionally, never EVER did work, and found it amusing to cuss me up and down when I asked them to stop throwing their life away. And, the icing on the cake - North Avenue made sure they were still passed along to the next grade, either because of age or, my personal favorite, because they felt the teacher had not worked hard enough to "hook them" into the class culture.

4. The North Avenue "Professional Development" folks were anything but professional and shamelessly took much of the planning time teachers had and wasted it without even blinking an eye. As a college educated, professional degree holding individual, not once was I, nor any of my colleagues, ever consulted about how to improve PD days or what we really wanted/needed. It is no wonder teachers are digging in their heels against giving more of their planning time away (although, I must admit, I wish the Union would be more conciliatory with Dr. Alonso as he has done everything to differentiate himself from previous administrations and to show that his motives are pure and for the children).

Ultimately, my goal by posting tonight is to show that there are many reasons teachers leave, but I would argue pay is not even in the top 5 of reasons. To answer your question, I moved on to medical school. But there is not a day that goes by that I don't question my decision to leave the classroom - every single day I think about the work I still needed to accomplish with my amazing, bright, good-natured, talented, beautiful children in my classroom. And actually, my goal by becoming a Doctor is to return to Baltimore to work toward establishing quality healthcare for all our children in Baltimore City.

And so let me end with this: many of us have left and will leave the classroom until things get better with the system. But none of us "throw in the towel" and lose the spirit to serve our children and ensure they reach the pinnacle of their potential.

I left the city schools and went to another location where I made less money. Those who tell you money is the problem fail to see the reality and research on why teachers leave the system.

Treatment by administration.
Lack of parent involvement.
Professional support is horrible.
No sense of belonging.
You are always under seige by teachers, students and admin.
New teachers get the worst assignments.
High School students who read at the 5th grade level
Most days you have 80% of the kids in class, shame it's a different 80% every day.

Finally, don't confuse those who came with the intention of being career teachers with those whose contracts were for 2 or 3 years.

I am a former Baltimore City teacher currently attending law school in Portland, Oregon. I left Baltimore for several reasons, but, quite honestly, not least among them is the pay. I support my mother, little brother and sister (who are both coming up on college age), and on a teacher's salary that hardly leaves room for a family of my own.

I loved teaching. I love the kids, with all of thier difficulties and frustrations, they are still kids. I also miss the social advocacy component, teaching the kids about the black panthers, the history of baltimore, and direct action for hurricane katrina victims. I am confident if more teachers in baltimore taught their subject material in a way that was socially relevant for the kids, they would have much more difficulty in the classroom. I also miss working with the adults at my school, who were (for the most part) competent and willing to talk through conflict.

I do not miss the blame-shifting adults who always pointed the finger. Every one in the system is working under great stress, there is not enough money in the system but the bosses still expect performance. What frustrated me the most were people who always complained about their bosses, like many people in blog posts that I participate in. STOP COMPLAINING and do your job. It is not impossible, I and the others in my building dealt with many of the same complications and got the job done. I know many teachers with a 'can-do' attitude who succeed despite the obstacles.

I am not skeptical of those who claim money had no part in their decision, however I do question what one is trying to accomplish in making such an argument. Do you claim that teachers should not be paid more for thier work? By arguing that money is not the issue, you downplay the importance of money in many teachers', including my own, decision to leave teaching. You also lend to the administrators' argument that the current teachers salary is adequate; they can cite your arguments to prove that increasing salary will not improve teacher retention. As someone with two master's degrees, I constantly thought about the other positions I was qualified for where I would be able to adequately support my family (and work in an air-conditioned building). A higher salary may have convinced me to stay in the job that I love.

In closing, I will be back in Baltimore in one year (and this summer for an internship). I love it there. I will work with kids from my former school in a mentoring capacity, and i hope that I can play a positive role in their lives. However, I cannot do so for a teacher's salary and still support my family. Thus, in trying to better the system, provide incentives for teachers AND improve the administration of the system. We can start with a 10 gigaton bomb being set off over the North Avenue building.

I am constantly disappointed by the attitude toward "North Ave" by those responding to blog entries. The catalyst for this post is an entry from "ZNO", specifically the ending comment: "We can start with a 10 gigaton bomb being set off over the North Avenue building".

I can only imagine the frustration and feeling of running through quicksand that must be experienced by city teachers. As a city school system employee stationed at North Ave, I can relate 100%. The situation may not be identical, but we at North Ave are faced with the very same obstacles and frustrations imposed by incompetent, corrupt and selfish administrators that are simply out for a pay check. Not all of us are evil. Not all of us are rolling around on piles of money, taking pleasure in how difficult it is for those out in the "trenches". There are many that struggle with the decision to stay - desperately wanting to improve the school system for the betterment of its students, but so beaten down and exhausted from the injustices that occur so frequently that we are left wondering if it is worth it. The physical, emotional and mental toll of being a city school system employee can only be truly understood by those who have experienced it.

I want the city school teachers to know that they are not alone. What they do - the difference they make in the lives of city students - is nothing short of remarkable. It is my hope that Dr. Alonso continues what he has started and receives the necessary support to end the decades-old mismanagement of Baltimore City's education system. Some days it feels as though nothing is going to change, but I try to remain hopeful that things will be turned around as the criminals are separated from the champions.

I am confused by several of the comments made by ZNO.

1. I'm glad that you faced the same obstacles and "still got the job done." However, the fact that these obstacles exist (fighting, cursing, inept administration) is reason enough to continue talking about it. Are you implying that we should just "get over it" and move on? If we don't talk about it, how on earth are we going to fix it?

2. Nobody in their right mind would say that they didn't want to be paid more. However, I think most people are saying that they don't do it to keep themselves in bentleys and furs, but because it they feel passionate about it. When I leave, it won't be because there's not enough money.

3. And the bomb comment? Was that really necessary?

j, thanks for reminding us that there are people at North Ave. who are caring, concerned and share the frustrations that those of us in the schools experience. "North Ave." has become a term that we use to label, what we have perceived to be, the oppressive, clueless administration of the city schools - "the powers that be", so to speak. It's not fair that it colors all the employees in the "puzzle palace".

Avalon, I can certainly understand the perception of North Ave - I often find myself feeling the same way and I'm there every day!

1. j, please accept my apologies as well - when I use the term "North Avenue" I mean it the way Avalon described it. But you raise a good point. It's like when various organizations label a specific school as failing or persistently dangerous - as a teacher in that school, I know I'm working as hard as possible to change that, and I take offense that the label is applied to the whole school, without regard for the amazing efforts being made. Your comment made me realize that labeling North Ave that way is kind of the same thing, so I will do my best to be better about it in the future.

2. I don't know who you are "Steph", but I find myself consistently agreeing with you on your posts. It makes me wonder how many other people share a more progressive outlook for our City schools - and the impact that could have if the BTU were to really organize and motivate its members to express those progressive views.

Thank you Artie. Reading posts from people like yourself helps me stay motivated and focused to continue fighting to improve our schools.

Thank you Artie! I sometimes feel as though I'm talking to myself. But you're right, we're out there, we just have to find everyone and band together to make a difference.

In response, the bomb comment was not meant literally, and it was not meant to be directed at the individuals who work at North Ave. (although, some of them are rude and incompetant, others are helpful and motivated). My North Ave comment was directed towards the massive amount of administrative burden placed on schools within the system from the beaurocracy. I apologize that some were offensive, and agree that it was not necessary.
In response to Steph, yes, I do think people should stop complaining about the impossibility of thier jobs. I worked in a program to mentor teachers in my content area, because for some reason my students scored well on standardized tests. As a relatively inexperienced teacher, I tried not to go into other schools and tell teachers how to teach thier subjects, but found that most were unwilling to even try to improve. They preferred to complain about how impossible thier job was, how horrible the administration was, and how ill-behaved the kids were. THAT MENTALITY GETS US NOWHERE. And from reading your posts I believe you agree with me.
I am not saying allow administrators to chide teachers over the intercom. I am not saying stop trying to influence your schools for the better. I am saying stop complaining, organize, and be pro-active.
As for the money, you are right that it is a personal choice. I did not enter the profession with dreams of a bentley, that would be ignorant. But I definitely left because of life circumstances that required me to make more, and I would have stayed a teacher if I could have. My point is that those who say the money has no bearing on the quality of people that aim to become teachers are lying to themselves and doing a disservice to those who are organizing for change.

I'm not a previous teacher. I'm a grad student, having changed careers to become a teacher. I hope to never be in the position to have to quit, but with all that I've heard, I think it might be likely.

I want to teach elementary school because I want to be able to get the kids off to a good start. The problem is, for me, not the money at all. Alot of people blame this on why teachers quit, but my current financial situation allows me to stay at home with the kids, if I so choose. But, instead, I want to teach. I am learning so much in my teacher preparation courses that I feel I can help students learn, regardless of who they are, using a mixture of what I've learned.

The real problem is that teachers want autonomy. They want to be able to do what they believe works. I mean, after all, I have spent thousands of dollars going to grad school for several years studying the most effective teaching practices..and the least effective ones. I should be on my way to being an expert (once I've got a few years of actual teaching under my belt). Because of this training, we should be able to USE it in the classroom. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to go by what we've learned. We are told to read scripts, to not veer from what administrators have said for fear of losing FREE money from the government. The children are the ones who lose out.

I think as professionally educated teachers, we should be treated as if we are educated. Imagine, if you will, me being given a group of students just to take care of for a day, but being told by my administrator that I should give the kids drugs. I KNOW BETTER (because I've gotten a good education) and that it would hurt them, but I have to do it because I've been told to...by authorities on education.

This is the lack of autonomy I'm talking about (I'm sure I could have had a better example, but this is all I can think of right now). We KNOW effective teaching ways, but are not allowed to be the teachers that the STATE has forced us to be by making us take countless college courses. If the courses are obsolete in reality, then why make us take them for licensure?

I'm so upset that I will, in all likelihood, not be able to use anything that I've learned in college. If I don't get to use it, I think the state should refund what courses or information I didn't get to use!!!!!

I could write this over, better, but I just had to respond right away. As you can see, teachers are very emotionally charged individuals when it comes to their jobs. How many other people can say that about their jobs?

First off, I would like to say, your opinion is definitely appreciated. I won't go about this as other students may have, rudely and offensively but I will go about it respectfully. I do believe these issues needed to be touched on but they were gone about the wrong way. Even though the facts that were stated were true, I still think they were blown out of proportion. My name is Jade Lawson and I'am a student a Mervo, a well taught student at Mervo and if you want to know how well, I think that you should investigate your assumptions a little further.