When I was younger, I was idealistic and thought politics did not exist in education. Yes, I was
I have been teaching AP Psychology since 1992, the second year of the course's existence. I have been teaching the course successfully since then and have been an AP reader twice. As you can imagine, my passion for the subject is quite strong given my involvement with this blog and other activities.
So after making a decision, my school has decided to give the AP program I have created to another teacher. I still get to teach regular psychology, but the AP numbers have not grown to the satisfaction of the deciders, so AP was given to an English teacher who recently got a doctorate in counseling psych. As I sit here and write this, I am torn between laughing at the absurdity of the situation and doing something with the rage that I am feeling. Numbers--that was the sole reason. Let's give this a try and see what happens was the rationale. The words arbitrary and capricious come to mind.
So here is my question. Are there any schools out there looking for AP Psychology teachers? Preferably California--SF Bay Area to avoid licensing hassles, but I would consider most places. I still have a job, but am now actively seeking another position where I can teach AP Psych.
Sorry for using this blog for a personal platform, but I just wanted to inquire. If you would like to see my CV, please email me at psydways@gmail.com. Thanks for any advice or insight you may have.
posted by Chuck Schallhorn
Sounds incredibly frustrating. It seems odd that many schools would love the fact that you bring so much attention to AP Psych in a positive way.
ReplyDeleteHow very frustrating. I hope everything works out for you. Sometimes work places in general can be very short sighted. Keep us up to date on your situation. My fingers are crossed for you.
ReplyDeleteI hope there's a great school out there looking not just for a great AP Psych teacher but a true Master Teacher which you clearly are. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHow outrageous!! You are such a dedicated teacher... If you are interested in coming all the way over to YES Prep in Texas, I know we'd be extremely interested in having such a master teacher at our school!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear about this! Your work has done so much in helping me build up my own AP class. I continue to be amazed at the decisions made by administration in our schools. I wish you the best of luck.
ReplyDeleteThis is nuts in so many ways. I got to know Chuck by e-mail in the mid-90s when we were (and still are!) part of the Psych-News e-mail list and I quickly learned what a terrific teacher he was. I was the first to teach AP Psych in my district and Chuck was one of those terrific virtual colleagues who was always able to share resources and feedback on ideas.
ReplyDeleteFlash forward to 2008 when I returned to teaching and Chuck, Kent Korek and I came up with the idea that became this blog. I was excited to both be working with Chuck on a project and learning from him again - it was a rough re-entry to the classroom for me that first year.
Flash forward to 2013. One year after meeting Chuck face-to-face for the first time last year in Kansas City, I'm pointing my AP Psych students to his terrific short YouTube review videos.
Seriously. This is how a veteran teacher is treated? Shame on your administration. I hope that you can connect with a strong school and a new partnership builds with mutual respect.
Thanks for all those years of being one of my co-teachers - and sorry I never cut you in on my measly paycheck! --Steve
I have never commented here before, but I want to let you know that I have been feeling outrage over your situation since I read your post yesterday. I don't think I can add anything specific to the comments above. Outrageous!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had anything more concrete to offer. I live in Illinois and don't know of any open psych jobs, anyway. Please keep us appraised of the developments.
I do take some weird solace in knowing that there are some administrations out there that are dumber than mine.
( I only comment anonymously because of that last comment)
I'll keep my eyes and ears open, as I teach Psych in San Francisco … but such openings are few and far between, even in a good year. Unfortunately, most jobs in independent schools are just posted to their websites; that makes it tough to track down an individual job at a particular school. Sometimes, Monster is used by schools — far more than alternative job board sites.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Sorry to hear that such a terrible thing happened to just a great teacher.
ReplyDeleteYou've been a huge help with this blog, don't let it get you down.
Thanks for everything you guys do!
Chuck,
ReplyDeleteI'm just finishing my 2nd year teaching AP Psychology and this blog and resources has been a great help. Looking at the effort you put into something beyond the classroom, I can't even imagine how good you must be IN the classroom. My guess it's going to be your school's loss. Best of luck and I wish I could help in your job search, but I'm on the other end of the U.S.
Dean Longwell - Hampton HS
One piece of advice I often give young people who don't get into their "dream school" may be relevant here: doing well is the best revenge. Maybe, freed from the strictures of the AP curriculum, you can remake the "regular" psychology course into one that focuses more on topics that truly excite students. As a professor, I would so much rather have students who are eager and ready to begin college-level work than ones who think they know it all (but often don't) and are stressed out by the AP process. Create more of the former, and you will have done a great service to the discipline!
ReplyDeleteOne piece of advice I often give young people who don't get into their "dream school" may be relevant here: doing well is the best revenge. Maybe, freed from the strictures of the AP curriculum, you can remake the "regular" psychology course into one that focuses more on topics that truly excite students.
ReplyDeleteWhat he said. I don't teach an "AP" course, but I have my students take the test (voluntarily) and have a high success rate while following to a large extent the comments given by my predecessor here in the comment string.
Your admin appears to be run by idiots, a great shame, and yet provides clear total vindication of the Peter Principle in action. I can totally sympathize with the urge to leave. Then again, living well is the best revenge. Teach free of the AP Curr. strictures, encourage kids to take the test and rock on.
"Doing well is the best revenge."
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. I had a similar experience a few years ago that still angers me today. But I did manage to find another position, and was thrilled when my new students scored higher than any previous year prior.
I am catching up on old posts and just found this one. So disappointing to hear of this. You are a great teacher and a leader in this field. How short-sighted of your administration. I hope you find another fulfilling position in AP Psych, because such bad building leadership deserves to lose you. Though I am sure you would dazzle the general psych kids, I think I would do the same if I were in your shoes. You can find a better outlet for your expertise. Good luck! (I'm no where near CA, but will let you know if I hear anything nonetheless).
ReplyDelete