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I don't have much more to add onto what the other poster had
to say, sounded like good advice.

What I will comment on is that this is not just a localized
problem in schools. There are about 6 to 8 million Muslims in
America and yet our school staffing doesn't reflect the needs of
all our students. Lumping in all students who speak foreign
tongues in the same ESL class is completely inefficient and from
this story seems unproductive. School districts should be
actively seeking out Arabic speaking adults or teachers if they
can find them and hire them to teach ESL. All they need is
curriculum support and management support. It can be the
same cost as a substitute, but the fact is schools need this.

If there was anything I could suggest to you is to try to
encourage finding adults to teach ESL specifically to Arabic
speaking students. Splitting the class in this way would help a
lot. I do recognize there will students from China or Nigeria and
there isn't as many resources to help everyone. The point is to
do the most we can for the majority and ESL students need to
be considered separately from the rest of the student body.
Perhaps even having it's own budget in a perfect world.

On 2/18/15, concerned teacher.. wrote:
> We have a former Spanish teacher who is 73 and still
> working..she moved to ELD (English for non native
> speakers). I teach Spanish.
>
> This teacher is sick and it's stress related, but if she
> and the principal agreed she'd forego retirement that's
> not my business. BUT..
> 1) This teacher was hired to teach one 3 hour class (the
> students no nothing so they are in one marathon class
> daily) and 2 standard classes..plus she is the department
> head. But the teacher "doesn't want to" teach the 3 hour
> class, so THEY CALL IN SUBS DAILY!
>
> 2) 7 subs have been willing to take on this class as a
> long term job..6 quit. I have befriended #7 :).
>
> 3) Why did #2 happen?
>
> First, the class is TOTALLY out of control. The students
> swear literally every single minute, they run around
> screaming and throwing heavy objects, they leave the
> portable where the class is located without permission,
> dance on desks, etc.
>
> This teacher has flat out "fired" several subs (for poor
> classroom management) and asked them to leave.
>
> She blames subs for everything and yells at them.
>
> She demands that they always use the textbook--in a three
> hour multi lingual class of total beginners--and throws
> tantrums that teachers are "making it too hard" by
> "speaking in full sentences"!
>
>
>
> So.. I befriended sub #7; she speaks Spanish and wanted
> to see my classes. Hence I know all of the gossip above..
> But for some insane reason, sub #7 wants to stay.
> She asked if I could observe the class during my planning
> to help her.. sure.
>
> Here is what I saw:
> Teacher: Saif, please go sit in your assigned seat..you 3
> are talking in Arabic and not working.
>
> Saif: YOU..Spanish Spanish ALL DAY SPANISH..NEVER
> ENGLISH! Me no Arabic?? F--k you!
>
> Note: The teacher spoke NO Spanish when I observed.. she
> understood questions from Hispanic students and answered
> the students in English.
>
> Teacher: Work (she reads the book), speak Arabic..fine.
> No work.. no talking in Arabic. Move.
>
> Saif: continues along these lines..
>
> Anima: No learn; no English..Arabic Arabic ARABIC and you
> SPANISH SPANISH NO ENGLISH.. I go to another class!
>
> Teacher: If you could I would help you, but there is no
> other class for beginners here..
>
> Anima: My parents are coming.. you only Spanish, all
> Arabic, bad teacher!
>
> Then they all scream like this..
>
> Jorge: (when told to stop eating) I eat.. c-nt!
>
> A female student climbed onto the desk, gyrated, and
> rubbed herself all over provocatively.
>
> After school the teacher said "I WILL be "fired" when the
> "real teacher" hears that I have talked to Hispanics in
> Spanish.. and I am surprised she hasn't heard yet. When
> she hears she will tell me to leave.
>
> Good.. I said.
>
> But if I get removed from a long term sub job I don't
> think I can continue subbing--even in other schools--
> anymore.
>
> NO..a teacher can't "fire" a sub. Only an administrator
> can fire you.
>
> If she is the teacher of record and I am her helper, she
> legally can request my removal.
>
> Overall, I now feel that I need to confront the principal
> about all of this.
>
> I don't get to decide who teaches what..I get it!
>
> It's none of business if a teacher of record wants a
> teacher below her removed, nor do I get to learn the
> legal details of what happens next.. I get that, too!
>
> But this is just NOT ACCEPTABLE.
>
> So..how do I approach this delicately and yet forcefully?
>
>
>

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