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Bottom line has several definitions. They may not fit your
narrative though.

On 7/17/14, anon wrote:
> On 7/17/14, Jo wrote:
>> The arguments on this thread are interesting.
>>
>> 1. A great teacher is irreplaceable. False. This would
>> mean there was only one great teacher. So, if anyone
>> insists on supporting this argument, which poster here is
>> that great teacher and what other ones are sub-par?
>>
>> 2. Schools don't have a bottom line to worry about.
>> False. Schools definitely do have bottom lines. Their
>> bottom lines are probably even more solid than a
>> business. There is only so much money allotted, and part
>> of the job of the administrator is to adhere to the
>> budget. Public schools are not designed to make money.
>> They aren't manufacturers of material goods, but they do
>> have a bottom line.
>
> The term "bottom line" is only used for business, not
> non-profits like school districts. You should know that,
> so don't make a false equivalency where none exists, and
> don't twist my words. That means funds are guaranteed, so
> there is NO bottom line to worry about. That is why they
> are "solid," to use your words. A business HAS to worry
> about the bottom line because if there is no profit, they
> can't stay in business. Principals are allowed to do
> whatever the hell they want, when they want to do it
> because if a district is sued, the district doesn't go
> bankrupt. Businesses in general are better places to work
> because they are more careful in how they treat their
> employees, at least if they are moderate-to-large-size
> businesses, for they are afraid of negative publicity.
> School districts couldn't care less, which is why there
> are so many rotten principals out there. That is why they
> are not closely supervised, which in turn is why so many
> "great" teachers are kicked to the curb every single year.
>
>
>
>
>>
>> On 7/17/14, anon wrote:
>>> PsyGuy is an ignoramus. Schools aren't businesses.
>>> Because there is no bottom line to worry about, these
>>> principals aren't supervised at all and do pretty much
>>> what they want. The worse a principal is, the better he
>>> or she does. Most of them are utter crap and got where
>>> they are because of connections. Talent has utterly
>>> nothing to do with being moved up the career ladder.
>>>
>>> They can literally do absolutely NOTHING, be completely
>>> incompetent, and they will be backed to the hilt by
>>> school district central offices. Teachers are easily
>>> ruined. They are professionals, not Mickey D workers,
>>> and should have rights. However, they do not.
>>>
>>>
>>> On 7/16/14, re: psy Guy's comment wrote:
>>>> PsyGuy favors comparing education to business, which is
>>>> a fallacy of argument. Schools aren't a business. It is
>>>> true that we have a boss, called a principal, and
>>>> generally speaking, if your boss tells you to do
>>>> something you do it or you risk insubordination which
>>>> can get you fired--that part holds true. We are more
>>>> like an architect, you don't hire and then try to have
>>>> an incompetent tell him how to design a house. The part
>>>> that does not hold water is that teachers (when
>>>> compared to the other world) are more like
>>>> subcontractors. We are put on a contract to deliver a
>>>> service, and when a principal asks a teacher to do
>>>> something as unethical as changing a grade, the case
>>>> can be made that the teacher's reputation and career
>>>> could be affected by going along with something
>>>> depending on the circumstances. There was, in fact, a
>>>> case where a principal directed a clan of teachers to
>>>> cheat on state testing by changing answers. The
>>>> teachers went along with it, and ended up facing
>>>> criminal charges. We don't work on a factory line, as
>>>> PsyGuy would describe. We are essentially free agents
>>>> that contract with the schools. For me, I maintain high
>>>> ethics at all times. We have to defend our teaching to
>>>> the community at large and in the end my job is on the
>>>> line if my scores aren't strong. Most of the principals
>>>> I have worked with don't know how to lead in the area
>>>> of instructional design and many don't seem to know
>>>> much about classroom management either.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 7/16/14, PsyGuy wrote:
>>>>> No business owners are the only ones unsupervised.
>>>>> Principals are very much supervised by both the board
>>>>> and the sup.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sure teachers careers can be ruined from evil
>>>>> principals, but thats no more or less true than in any
>>>>> profession or business. You can have an evil VP that
>>>>> ruins your banking career just as easily.
>>>>>
>>>>> Well if your supervisor tells you to change the grade,
>>>>> Id change the grade. Why anyone would think you could
>>>>> tell your supervisor no, and keep your job baffles me.
>>>>> Theres a reason its called a supervisor subordinate
>>>>> relationship. If im going to lose my job its going to
>>>>> be over money or seex, not one students grade.
>>>>>
>>>>> On 7/16/14, anon wrote:
>>>>>> Thank you for a great post. It is the truth. PsyGuy
>>>>>> should just shut up on threads having to do with the
>>>>>> abuse of teachers
>>>>> because
>>>>>> it is clear he knows nothing of what he is talking
>>>>>> about.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Principals are the worst supervisors in the economy
>>>>>> for the simple reason they aren't supervised. It's
>>>>>> rare these days to find one who is any good at all.
>>>>>> Teachers can and do get their lives destroyed just on
>>>>>> a principal's whim, and anybody who denies this
>>>>>> reality is either a liar or an idiot.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> All it takes to get a career ruined is to refuse to
>>>>>> change a grade when a principal orders it because of
>>>>>> a parent's complaint. All it takes is to get sick and
>>>>>> use FMLA to have a career ruined. It's all about
>>>>>> covering for a principal's or other administrator's
>>>>>> worthless ass no matter what the consequences to
>>>>>> others.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 7/16/14, Empathy and Sympathy wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> PsyGuy? Are you a naturally self-superior, didactic,
>>>>>>> person, or do you have to work at it? Bottom line
>>>>>>> is, are you for real? Or just putting everyone on.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> What in the hell makes you think you know a single
>>>>>>> thing about what other people are experiencing and
>>>>>>> the motivations behind how certain administrators
>>>>>>> operate and why they do as they do.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sure, you are right in that the job of a principal
>>>>>>> is to manage the school and the teachers. And that
>>>>>>> it is the job of the teacher to adapt to a new style
>>>>>>> of management if required.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> But if you think you can make a silly blanket
>>>>>>> statement that all administrators are propelled by
>>>>>>> nothing more than a desire to better their school
>>>>>>> with nothing personal involved when it comes to
>>>>>>> teachers, then you must live on Planet Altair-4.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Whether it fits your fanciful vision or not, there
>>>>>>> are some principals out there who are mean, stupid,
>>>>>>> vindictive, tyrannical, and have no conscience at
>>>>>>> all when it comes to destroying teaching careers.
>>>>>>> And if they have it in for you, then no amount of
>>>>>>> attempted adaptation on the part of the teacher is
>>>>>>> going to change it.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> One bit of proof is that more and more teachers are
>>>>>>> finally relating it, and many others are leaving in
>>>>>>> droves (as another poster said), because their
>>>>>>> physical and mental health, and even sense of
>>>>>>> personal dignity, cannot forever withstand the
>>>>>>> assaults .
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> When was the last time *you* (if you ever were at
>>>>>>> all) in a classroom? What are *your* credentials to
>>>>>>> presume to lecture REAL teachers who know first hand
>>>>>>> of what they speak of, as to what they need to know?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Your post is about the most insensitively, boorish,
>>>>>>> that I have read it a long time. I don't mean with
>>>>>>> me...I am tough enough to handle it, but with Mini.
>>>>>>> Again, when was the last time you ever bent over a
>>>>>>> desk to help a student or contribute to the teaching
>>>>>>> realm. Far as that goes, when was the last time you
>>>>>>> ever bent over for work at all, unless it was to
>>>>>>> kiss some C-Scope executives patootie (yeah, I have
>>>>>>> read you before on this one).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ordinarily, I wouldn't make comments like this to
>>>>>>> anyone. But your post was beyond the pale and shows
>>>>>>> an appalling ignorance of the realities of teaching
>>>>>>> today, and what more and more educators are forced
>>>>>>> to endure.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 7/15/14, PsyGuy wrote:
>>>>>>>> Well they arent dictators, they are your
>>>>>>>> supervisor, and
>>>>>>> their job
>>>>>>>> is to manage you and the school. Thats means that
>>>>>>>> things dont always go your way, and maybe your no
>>>>>>>> longer a good fit for the school and its
>>>>>>>> leadership. Its your job to be flexible
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>> adapt to your schools leadership and culture, not
>>>>>>>> the other
>>>>>>> way
>>>>>>>> around. Being a good fit for 15 years doesnt mean
>>>>>>>> you can
>>>>>>> just
>>>>>>>> keep repeating that behavior indefinitely.
>>>>>>>> Professional good professional adapt to change.
>>>>>>>> Including changes in management. I really dont know
>>>>>>>> why people can think not getting along with your
>>>>>>>> boss is going to somehow be okay.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 7/15/14, mini wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Thank you so much everyone for your support. I
>>>>>>>>> will be substitute teaching. Like some of you are.
>>>>>>>>> Because we need to make a living. I can never get
>>>>>>>>> past this because employers look at your last job,
>>>>>>>>> even if you worked for them before with a great
>>>>>>>>> record. I am leaving TX because I can't afford to
>>>>>>>>> live here anymore. I will have to go and live with
>>>>>>>>> family. That is why I named the good guys and bad
>>>>>>>>> guys in my situation. For Psyguy yes this is a
>>>>>>>>> job, but in the private sector I at least would
>>>>>>>>> have 6 months to prove myself. I didn't get that
>>>>>>>>> in a 4 month contract. So, I can only assume it
>>>>>>>>> was a hack job. Why,I don't know? Like I said
>>>>>>>>> before my direct supervisor and co- workers were
>>>>>>>>> very kind, they showed me the ropes, they answered
>>>>>>>>> my questions. I got along with them. Thank you
>>>>>>>>> everyone. I know I have lost. I just had to say
>>>>>>>>> something to someone. Thank you! Thank you!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>

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