"BTSA" - Busywork: Tedious, Senseless, and Asinine
Having taught public school previously in the Big Apple (in the South Bronx no less), I am not a first year teacher but I am new to LAUSD and find both the District and the "Complete Waste of Government Money that is BTSA" program to be an Orwellian nightmare.
NYC gets a bad rap as being a Darwinian "Survival of the Fittest" quagmire but at least it is a fairly efficient system and, more importantly, it makes sense. The NYC Board of Education is the polar opposite of LAUSD and its Demon Seed spawn, the mandatory BTSA (Beginning Teacher Support & Assessment) program. It makes no sense. None. Nada. Not at all.
The paperwork BTSA victims are expected to do is staggering in amount and laughable in content. The mandatory conferences are a waste of time and although we are given tons of printed materials, they are devoid of salient information. I'd rather they keep all the books we're given (Jesus - the trees killed in the name of education!) and instead give us a check to buy supplies for our classroom. (It is now December and I'm still fighting for pencils.)
The entire program is a sinister mystery. Although I've read through the BTSA intro binder, I still have no idea of what exactly I am required to do to successfully complete the program. I've asked many fellow participants and some BTSA advisors and, basically, have found my confusion to be Universal. I am at the point of sacrificing chickens at sunset in hopes to appease the angry BTSA Gods and therefore get definitive answers.
Despite the money thrown at this needless program, it is incredibly disorganized. Six months into the so-called Assistance program, I've yet to find a support provider (despite repeated requests.) I've attended two mandatory conferences, (kudos to a rep from the Fire Dept. who gave a great Emergency Preparedness lecture - unfortunately it was only about 30 min. of an eight hour day - the other 7.5 hours being a total waste of time), and was made to wait outside for over an hour because they had lost my registration - along with about 50 others. While I was complaining about the delay side (California or not, it can be pretty cold at 7:30 am), someone announced there were 50 "no shows".... hmmm - do the math - maybe someone brought the wrong list? It seemed a logical conclusion - nevertheless, we were made to stand there for another 30 minutes before they had the bright idea (which I had suggested some 90 minutes prior) of letting us sign in on a blank slip of paper. Eureka!
The amount of record keeping and paperwork an LAUSD teacher is expected to complete has reached IRS-like proportions and yet new teachers are expected to do more and more paperwork for BTSA, exercises that have all the value of making a student write "I will pay attention in class" 100 times. It is the ultimate exercise in futility. Indeed, the only entities that seems to be benefiting from the BTSA program are the caterers (keep your lunch, please, and let me go home an hour earlier) and the educational book publishers (which appears to be the biggest money making scam since Ken Lay's Enron deal).
What can we do? Perhaps write Sacramento. Perhaps stage a sit in? Really, I've no idea how to buck this ludicrous system. Suggestions? Anyone? Is this mic on?
I content that original idea for BTSA may have been a good one, but it has spun out of control and, like Godzilla, lumbers along, destroying all logic and reason in its path.
posted by gossamerb @ 6:43 PM
19 Comments:
How ironic is it that one of the purposes of the BTSA program is to promote teacher retention?!
Ha! I love both of these posts of yours for their ring of truth!
Sad but true.
I have 12 years with LAUSD.
How long were you teaching in NYC?
I really wonder what if we all just refused to do this? Sit-ins are a great idea! Where are our almighty union reps? Feel free to check out my own rants on this, too. So nice to know it is not just me!!!
I often wonder what if we all refused to participate. A sit-in is a great idea, but organizing ourselves would be difficult since we have no central communication system except when we meet at these conferences. It is comforting to know it is not just me (feel free to see my own bloggings about BTSA). It is amazing they are able to get away with this program.
Ok, what can we do? I am especially anxious due to rumors they will extend program to THREE YEARS???
I hear all of your complaints! All the workshops we must attend for BTSA and Induction about how to tailor our teaching to individual students, but the BTSA models only a cookie-cutter approach to every teacher [including you from NYC and myself having taught here for 6 years and practiced law prior]. RIDICULOUS! I say forget sit-ins, let's form a class action suit!
I love BTSA. I plan to teach my class the same exact way. I will give my students forms to fill out with websites that can't be found. When they complain I will tell them, "you are lucky you are not in the class next door where they actually help you find the answers."
I plan to teach the same way as BTSA. I will have my students answer questions from websites that can't be found. When they complain I will say, "You are lucky you do not have to take the class next door where they actually tell you what they want." I will then nod as if I know what I am talking about, hoping to hide how lost and confused I am.
Kerry Mazzoni, who wrote the law SB2042 which is stamped on your credential seems to think teachers are the problem. She told me I am not cut out for the profession because I challeneged her to do something about the mess she created while she was a State Assembly Member. She has written other insulting letters to those who have expressed their frusterations about btsa. She's now a lobbyist in Sacramento and cannot retaliate against people who are furious with her about her SB2042 and subsequent comments to those who voiced their opinion and what she has done. Here is her phone# and email, both of which work. Let her know how you feel, she needs to hear it! Call her at (916) 552-2629, this is the number on the phone at her desk. Her email is kmazzoni@teamgsi.net
Be prepared for a response that would reflect the knowledge and attitude of those who make educational policy with no experience teaching in a public school. She needs to hear from anyone who is outraged about the institutionalized hazing that btsa bestows upon us.
I have emailed Ms. Mazzoni with my rants and hope she will take them to heart...that is,if she has one!
What an eloquent summary of my past two years. I was sitting here avoiding work on a portfolio entry gone awry, when I had the thought of googling: "BTSA nightmare" and stumbled upon your blog. I'll keep on reading & sending empathy in your direction.
BTSA does exactly the opposite of what it is intended to do. As a new teacher who has taught for the last two years, I have seen the frustration among fellow teachers who are very upset and frustrated with the endless amounts of paperwork that is supposed to "support" us as educators. I taught science in an inner city school, where the turnover rate for teachers is high. The consensus among educators where I worked who were involved with the BTSA program expressed an overwhelming amount of dissatisfaction and frustration with the program.
As a BTSA participant, I have remained loyal to my students, working extremely hard to ensure they receive an exceptional curriculum. I have also received commendable evaluations from my administration, but yet, because I forgot one piece of student work to attach as evidence, I cannot clear my credential? Now, I have to repeat another year of the BTSA program at my own cost because I forgot some small piece of evidence which has hindered me from completing the BTSA program. I am now so frustrated and so upset, that I have decided to leave public education, in order to teach in a correctional facility; where, apparently crime does pay. Here, I will have more personal autonomy and less bureaucracy to deal with. It is no wonder why we have a huge teacher shortage in California. For one thing I would like to study for the CSET so I can teach chemistry as well. Unfortunately, I just don’t have much time thanks to the BTSA program. Not only do we have one of the most, if not the most, stringent Credential Program in America, but, we now have a tedious, confusing two year program to pass. I agree that beginning teachers need support, but, BTSA is not the answer. Not only is it a huge waste of tax dollars, but, a burden on our educational system. It has driven me and other teaching professionals alike out of the school system. The ironic thing is, we actually lose teachers who go to work for the BTSA program!
Sadly, another long term sub will gladly take my position, who, most likely does not hold a science degree and will administer endless amounts of mundane paperwork to the students who will no doubt copy them from each other. All of this while the long term sub sits at his desk and surfs the net and the kids learn nothing. Given the endless amounts of hoops I have had to jump through; I am officially burnt out. Why pile on more work to an already exhausted overworked teacher? BTSA has succeeded in taking time away from my students, while investing it into some ineffective program that is no doubt, hurting the profession rather helping it. Remember, the teacher shortage is not because of pay, or lack of support, but because of endless, laborious tasks that have if anything helped sustain the demand for qualified teachers. Make sure you are honest in your evaluation!
BTSA failed to take off one of their cancelled seminar dates off their website. I signed up for one of those dates and went today for what was supposed to be my first seminar. I got to the hotel, and the hotel said there was no such thing happening. GREAT. I got no notification of a cancellation, and the BSTA contact person told me that they cancelled the date, and she has no idea how I was able to sign up for it. I wasted my time and gas.
I am not surprised that the seminar was cancelled and yet you were able to sign up for it. And attend. And no one was there. Take heart, had there actually BEEN a seminar, you would have walked away with the same amount of worthwhile info.
I can feel your pain but I write this now from the position of being OUT OF BTSA and, for what it is worth, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I keep hoping they'll disban this awful program but at least is is finite, a two year reign of terror & tedium.
This was posted in 2005 and today in 2007, nothing has changed. I just left my first BTSA semniar consumed with rage. I'm a very decent teacher. I like my job. But after today I want to quit teaching.
Let Kerry Mazzoni know how you feel and that you're quitting because of the laws she wrote and passed through making you go through this nonsense. Until people start standing up to those responsible for this, nothing will change and they win. Here's her phone number and email:
(916) 552-2629
kmazzoni@teamgsi.net
I hope those who are disgusted with BTSA have the courage to speak up. You won't lose your job or be retaliated against. Your administrators know that btsa is a bullshit program and will not disagree with you. If you don't believe me, try to find one administrator or faculty member that has anything good to say about btsa. COME ON!
Does anyone know if schools are receiving funding based on number of teachers who have completed this BTSA? I feel harassed by my administrators regularly. They even went to the extent of asking the district BTSA person come all the way up to my school just to try to talk me into it. And this is after I gave my principal notice that I will not be returning next year or for the foreseeable future as I am pregnant and plan to stay at home. What's it to them?!
I have written ms. mazzoni. I held nothing back. She and her law have literally ruined my life. I won't bore you with the details. Hopefully she responds and it will be comical. I'll be back to share :) good luck guys!
Just finishing the revisions of my BTSA portfolio based on the comments of my support provider that I more or less did not BS enough. i found a way to respect him for his dedication to the job he does well -- but in the last two days of "fine tuning" this worthless pile of pencil pushing work, i've lost all respect for him. The system has to kill our spirit and freedom like they do to the kids so we can learn to swallow their senseless, demeaning procedures for the rest of our career. I've been teaching for 15 years, but just clearing my credential. I loved teaching but don't care for it after BTSA. I realized teachers quit in the first two years not because of the profession but because of BTSA. If you're in it and your hating it -- its cause your a real teacher and a thinker. get in the classroom and support true leadership.
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