I agree

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I agree
By Shannon

I think Cathy Dee is right. As I said, I work in a school that has about half the kids from an at-risk population, while the others come from educated, middle-class families. It is a hard place to work because there isn't
often support in dealing with the at-risk students. The principal wants to emphasize only the good things kids are doing, while sort of sweeping the problems of the other kids under the rug so as not to offend the more educated (that is, more paranoid) parents who might pull their kids out of the school. As Cathy Dee said, a situation like this is more challenging because you don't

have support in dealing with the kids who have trouble. Everybody gets into arguments over whether we have or should have the same expectations for the different types of kids. The principal doesn't back up behavior decisions or deal with behavior well at all because he's working so hard to please the more affluent clientele. I feel like we would be better off if we had a population that was all language learners/Title I because everything could be geared toward them.

To be honest, a first year of teaching anywhere is going to be challenging. Your best bet is to go someplace where you will be supported and not harrassed (whether that be by principals, other teachers, parents, or kids). It's sounds like this school is a nice, supportive place and that you will learn a lot there.