AB466

AB466 is a piece of legislation that has made teaching even more time-consuming. Last year SJUSD teachers at Reading First schools were required to do an additional 120 hours of professional development in language arts. Most of that training was beneficial: GLAD, Step Up to Writing and Frontloading gave me ways to make the curriculum accessible to my ELL students.

However, this training came at a very high personal cost. The weeks of trainings I was working a minimum of 65 hours preparing unfamiliar material for substitutes, going to trainings, then returning to reorganize the classroom after the children and/or substitutes made a mess. Two of the substitutes were so unprofessional that I had to write letters to Human Resources. I was exhausted.

This year the AB466 emphasis is on math. I do not share the same sentiment towards 120 hours of professional development in math. What I need to be a better math teacher is time to create materials and collaborate with other teachers at my school. Unfortunately, we are required to do 40 hours of training off campus, which undermines the very goal both I and the district want to achieve: engaging and effective math lessons. I am struggling with the rationale of AB466. How does overworking already overworked teachers help children learn more?