Coordinating Classes and Substitutes
After losing multiple teachers over the past two years, the remainder of the math department had to pick up extra classes.
By Joelle Gendzel
After losing multiple teachers over the past two years, the remainder of the math department had to pick up extra classes.
By Joelle Gendzel
With multiple changes in staffing over the past two years, Pioneer’s math department has found ways to deliver math instruction to its students.
During the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years, the math department has undergone changes in staffing involving both losing and gaining faculty. The department has lost three teachers since 2019, gaining only one new teacher this year. To accommodate this, courses have been combined and remaining math teachers have taken on a larger course load. Currently, four math teachers at Pioneer are teaching an additional .2 full-time equivalent positions, meaning they teach six sections instead of the standard five.
Most recently, calculus AB and geometry teacher Shannon Prager decided to take a leave of absence for the spring 2021 semester. Her calculus class is currently being covered by computer science and algebra II teacher Cody King, condensing the existing two sections into one. The geometry sections are covered by long-term substitute teacher David Sheppard.
As far as scheduling goes, the process for accommodating a teacher leaving mid-year is fairly simple, says Assistant Principal of Instruction Brendan Simon. The position is filled as quickly as possible, either with a long-term sub or a teacher already at Pioneer.
“It’s hard to find a teacher in January, and a math teacher at that. Math is one of the toughest positions to fill” said Simon. “At most other schools you might see more turnover. In general at Pioneer, we have really good retention with teachers.”
As a teacher, taking over a class mid-year also poses a unique challenge. Lacking complete background knowledge of students and the material covered so far during the school year can potentially leave replacement instructors struggling to engage the class, especially with distance learning.
“It’s hard to teach in this online world, and then if kids have their cameras off mostly, how can the teacher engage them and figure out what they know,” said Simon. “In the middle of a year especially you don’t have that background information.”
Department co-chairs Zohreh Moaven and Aruna Renduchintala believe math teachers may leave Pioneer because of the high cost of living in San Jose. As math teachers are in high demand everywhere in the US, this leaves the school with the struggle of attracting and retaining new teachers on short notice.
“It’s been very challenging to fill the position when the teachers leave during summer or in the middle of year. Math teachers are in demand in any state and because the cost of living in San Jose is very high, it’s hard to attract the teachers and find good candidates” said Moaven and Renduchintala.
This results in the responsibility of taking over these teachers' classes falling upon other math teachers already at Pioneer. Algebra II and computer science teacher Cody King, who now has taken over Prager’s AP calculus AB classes following her mid-year departure, has been able to manage the extra workload and still deliver students the education they require. With the additional class, King now teaches 6 class periods.
“It adds more planning and grading time to my schedule, but luckily I have been teaching my other classes for a while and don’t have to worry about them as much” said King. “There was a two week gap between her leaving and me taking the class and they are a little behind now, but everything should be fine and we have plenty of time to get back on schedule before the AP exam in May.”
Jeneé Dampier, algebra II and pre-calculus teacher, currently teaches a .2 FTE as well. While the addition of an extra class period this year has not been too strenuous with distance learning, the increase in salary is not worth the loss of a prep period.
“I still have not found that the pay increase is reasonable for the amount of additional work that is tacked on to that one class” said Dampier. “The .2 only pays you for the additional class but it is in lieu of your prep period, which you have to find time to do yourself.”
Morris Wilson, 12, agrees that the departure of his AP calculus AB teacher has not been too disruptive. Transitioning between teachers became another aspect of the disruption distance learning has already caused for students.
“It's been an interesting year, getting used to all of the online stuff as well as switching teachers halfway through the year definitely makes it weird but we’re making it through” said Wilson.
During the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years, the math department has undergone changes in staffing involving both losing and gaining faculty. The department has lost three teachers since 2019, gaining only one new teacher this year. To accommodate this, courses have been combined and remaining math teachers have taken on a larger course load. Currently, four math teachers at Pioneer are teaching an additional .2 full-time equivalent positions, meaning they teach six sections instead of the standard five.
Most recently, calculus AB and geometry teacher Shannon Prager decided to take a leave of absence for the spring 2021 semester. Her calculus class is currently being covered by computer science and algebra II teacher Cody King, condensing the existing two sections into one. The geometry sections are covered by long-term substitute teacher David Sheppard.
As far as scheduling goes, the process for accommodating a teacher leaving mid-year is fairly simple, says Assistant Principal of Instruction Brendan Simon. The position is filled as quickly as possible, either with a long-term sub or a teacher already at Pioneer.
“It’s hard to find a teacher in January, and a math teacher at that. Math is one of the toughest positions to fill” said Simon. “At most other schools you might see more turnover. In general at Pioneer, we have really good retention with teachers.”
As a teacher, taking over a class mid-year also poses a unique challenge. Lacking complete background knowledge of students and the material covered so far during the school year can potentially leave replacement instructors struggling to engage the class, especially with distance learning.
“It’s hard to teach in this online world, and then if kids have their cameras off mostly, how can the teacher engage them and figure out what they know,” said Simon. “In the middle of a year especially you don’t have that background information.”
Department co-chairs Zohreh Moaven and Aruna Renduchintala believe math teachers may leave Pioneer because of the high cost of living in San Jose. As math teachers are in high demand everywhere in the US, this leaves the school with the struggle of attracting and retaining new teachers on short notice.
“It’s been very challenging to fill the position when the teachers leave during summer or in the middle of year. Math teachers are in demand in any state and because the cost of living in San Jose is very high, it’s hard to attract the teachers and find good candidates” said Moaven and Renduchintala.
This results in the responsibility of taking over these teachers' classes falling upon other math teachers already at Pioneer. Algebra II and computer science teacher Cody King, who now has taken over Prager’s AP calculus AB classes following her mid-year departure, has been able to manage the extra workload and still deliver students the education they require. With the additional class, King now teaches 6 class periods.
“It adds more planning and grading time to my schedule, but luckily I have been teaching my other classes for a while and don’t have to worry about them as much” said King. “There was a two week gap between her leaving and me taking the class and they are a little behind now, but everything should be fine and we have plenty of time to get back on schedule before the AP exam in May.”
Jeneé Dampier, algebra II and pre-calculus teacher, currently teaches a .2 FTE as well. While the addition of an extra class period this year has not been too strenuous with distance learning, the increase in salary is not worth the loss of a prep period.
“I still have not found that the pay increase is reasonable for the amount of additional work that is tacked on to that one class” said Dampier. “The .2 only pays you for the additional class but it is in lieu of your prep period, which you have to find time to do yourself.”
Morris Wilson, 12, agrees that the departure of his AP calculus AB teacher has not been too disruptive. Transitioning between teachers became another aspect of the disruption distance learning has already caused for students.
“It's been an interesting year, getting used to all of the online stuff as well as switching teachers halfway through the year definitely makes it weird but we’re making it through” said Wilson.