u/MathMan1982

So I have worked at my high school for the last 12 years teaching math (am the dept chair), and have taught math total 17 years in HS and community college.

The last two years test scores have been on the radar for math. They have gone down. Principal has talked to our dept weekly and almost every time it's the word "test scores have to go up". I understand this because the district will get on our principal is there are low test scores. I don't like it but I guess it is what it is.

We have changed curriculum and changed the way we taught.

Recently our star scores were not all that great and we have to wait for the PSAT data to come out sometime this Summer before we know how well our students scored percentile wise.

The problem is that there is no incentive or we can't do incentives for students to perform well.

Is this a problem in more areas in the nation right now with low test scores in HS math?

If you were me, would you move on? I don't want to be that guy that is looked down upon because our test scores aren't good. It seems like whatever we do, students are not motivated to do well because there is no punishment for doing poorly or a reward for doing well.

I am thinking of relocating to another state or changing the subject I teach in. I'm not sure my nervous system can handle another year of being told I'm not up to par due to student's test scores.

By the way, I was told "next year will likely be my last at the school" if test scores from this year's PSAT have not improved. My principal is not all bad and said some good things on my eval but that part kind of hit me.

Got the AC recharged in late march because it wasn't coming out cool anymore at all. It seemed to be cool but at times after recharged even on the coolest setting it cycles too infrequent in my opinion. It will get cool at times but won't stay cool. It like cycles every 3 to five seconds and isn't a cold as my last car 2016 Jeep. It will go cool then about 4 seconds later just regular air then cool again. Maybe this is normal? I just had it checked the other day and they said it's good.

So we are in the wonderful season of standardized testing for HS math students. The last two years scores have fallen a bit. We have increased our rigor and changed curriculum like our principal asked us to.

Here's the thing back in March before Spring break- My principal said some good things about me, but critiqued me on how I did lectures and said if PSAT/STAR scores don't improve, it will be your last year next year. It seems like it's mostly all about test scores now. Our data for PSAT doesn't come out until June or July. Our STAR scores were not that great across the dept.

I've been at this HS for 12 years. Principal has been there 3 years.

My current state: Insomnia, anxiety, and want to move on. Should this be a red flag to move on to a new school or job? Or am I overthinking things and this is a bluff?