Real Teacher Conversations, Brought to You By CPS

The following snippets of conversation have been gleaned from real conversations by real teachers in the course of doing their jobs. Okay, some may be subjected to the artistic license rule, but for the most part they represent the essence of conversations that have really occurred in all too real Chicago Public Schools. The names have been changed to protect the innocent, the perpetrators, and the instigators.

"I can't believe she can just do that to people. Where is the Union in all of this?"

"You know what she's trying to do, don't you? Trying to make it uncomfortable enough for them that they'll retire. Then she'll hire someone else to do the job, and they'll owe her for their jobs."

"Yeah and they'll save a lot of money by hiring younger teachers who get paid a lot less."

"I'm really surprised the new librarian isn't younger."

"Oh you know she likes to hire people from her church. This school is full of them."

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The teacher said, "I can give you one name, XYZ. She's not officially labeled BD (Behavior Disordered) or anything, but she acts like it. Nobody ever documented it and got her labeled as such. Every time she walks in a classroom, she creates a scene over something and the drama is contagious. By the time security comes to remove her the rest of the classroom is out of control."

The administrator said, "Maybe you can write it up and get her referred to the social worker for some counseling."

Another teacher said, "The social worker is only here one day a week."

Yet another teacher said, "I tried that. She won't go to see the social worker." At that point the conversation fizzled and someone interjected something taking the conversation in another direction.

Later 3 teachers, not in the company of an administrator were talking. One said, "When you write her up and call for security, she bolts the room and wanders the halls. Nothing ever happens to her."

Another teacher replied, "Well you're better off without her in the room. At least you can get some teaching done when she's not there."

The first teacher agreed, "Yeah. You know it's gotten to the point that I saw her in the hallway before class the other day and when she turned and went the other way I pretended not to see her. Without her there, class progressed reasonably."

The third teacher smiled and added, "Now that's good teaching. See you learn something after teaching for a while."

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In another instance several teachers were discussing what to do about chronic hall-walkers, students who don't go to class unless forced to do so, yet show up daily at school.

"We should make a list of the ones who are always in the hall, and put them in in school suspension every Friday until they stop roaming the halls."

"Do you really want to have all of those kids in one room all day long? Do you want to deal with all of them in one place?"

"You know most of them are really low functioning and they just don't like being in a classroom. They read on a second grade level and we're asking them to do high school level work. People just pretend that they can be successful when they can't and they get frustrated and roam the halls."

"Yeah well, if we're making a list of hall-walkers, I say we need to put Student XXX on the list. He never comes except when he's rounded up and made to come."

"Student XXX? That kid is dangerous."

"Dangerous? When he's in my class he never causes any trouble. He's kind of quiet, but then he only shows up when he's caught in the hall, and then it's usually halfway through the period."

"Really? He probably doesn't have any of his buddies in that class with him. They feed on each other when they're together. Believe me, that kid needs to be locked up."

"Are you going out for lunch?"

"Yeah. Need a ride?"

Needless to say these conversations didn't take place at an elite college preparatory high school. They happened at a neighborhood high school in a neighborhood known for gang shootings. Teachers had this to say about their school as opposed to an elite college preparatory high school.

"Wouldn't it be fun if you could have a one month social science experiment where you switched all of the teachers from Elite College Preparatory High School with all of the teachers from Bad Neighborhood High School and saw how each group fared? Who do you suppose would have the most success with their students?"