Proximity Learning Reviews

NO summer income or ability to plan for Fall classes. Summer school courses are rare. Fall classes don't show up in the system until closer to August. Last year I picked up all of my classes the day before they started. Starting teacher salary for "Full-time" teachers is roughly 5k less than the national average, and closer to 18k less than if you were to work in a brick and mortar school in HISD. Classes are first come first serve. There is no guarantee that you can pick up enough classes to survive the year, let alone save for summer months. Unless you are certified in multiple subject areas, you will probably struggle. Benefits are too expensive if you are considered part-time. Remote, full-time, salaried corporate opportunities no longer exist.

No paid planning period but expected to respond to emails within 24 hours and make sure grades are current weekly and lesson plans are posted daily. Same thing with department meetings, you are expected to attend on your own time with no compensation. No benefits Classes can be canceled at any time with no warning. Expected to attend training with no compensation. When I asked about this I was told by one person that it is calculated into our contract but they expect you to attend training before you are assigned schools so I don't understand how that is true. Another person told me they are doing us a favor by providing PD. But you cannot even look at what classes are available until you complete the PD. This year after all of our contracts were canceled because of COVID and we were left with no income they are asking us to fork over $600 for a Virtual Teaching Certificate being given by a company that has no actual credibility. They have offered a $200 credit for the first 200 teachers who sign up. However, this is still not accessible to many of us teachers who have been unemployed since March. They also told us they would give preference to those who have signed up for the certificate program. How is the equitable to ask teachers who have not gotten a paycheck in 5 months to pay $600 for a certificate for something they are already competently doing? Terrible curriculum resources, you have to recreate everything if you want something decent that makes any sense developmentally for students.