Even the students who want to learn are having a tough time due to the kids who work hard every day to make sure that nobody learns.
Robusto started working at Pleasant Plains Elementary in September. It was closer to home and to where her daughter goes to school. But her excitement quickly faded.
“The behavior problems at the school were intense. The kids kind of ran the school,” she said. “Fire alarms just being pulled at least twice a week. I was physically assaulted. I was called names. This is stuff that happened on a daily basis.”
Robusto said dealing with behavior problems left her with little time to actually teach. In 2018, Pleasant Plains fifth grade English test scores were less than half the state average. Fifth grade math scores were a little higher than half the state average. With 26 reported acts of violence last year, Pleasant Plains had the seventh most out of the County’s 112 elementary schools.
“It was babysitting. It was playing whack-a-mole all day. I don’t know how else to put it,” Robusto said.
Robusto told Project Baltimore that when Pleasant Plains was having problems with students leaving the school, teachers were given a list of strategies to keep them in class. The strategies included dimming the lights and making sure the student had comfortable clothing.
“One of the suggestions was to help them calm down and not leave the classroom, was have lavender scents in your classroom,” Robusto said.
When asked if she tried using lavender, Robusto replied, “No. That’s not my job. My job isn’t to run a spa. My job is to teach.”
District leaders and government officials have no idea as to how to handle this problem so they offer worthless ideas; ideas that don't work. But when teachers complain about the chaos that they're trying desperately to handle, the answer is, "We gave you a book full of strategies. Are you using the book?"
