How Long Can I Last?

It's probably national news by now. I know it's a big deal in Atlanta. Front page material. A teacher fired for reducing a student's grade as a penalty for sleeping in class. It'd take me 40 minutes to drive to his former school. This decision has probably taken less to affect me.

I'll put money on the fact that our faculty will be addressed about this issue at least by post-planning in two weeks. If our county admin do their jobs on thier usual timescale, it'll more likely be during pre-planning next year. Why do I say that? They'd much rather tell us what we can't put into our policies and procedures for the new year than try to "patch" things from this year. To give an example of their timelines, all teachers were supposed to get a laptop at the beginning of this year. Then it was the beginning of second semester. Then they finally voted on it last week.

Everyday, there is less and less we can do as teachers to ensure that learning has taken place. We are supposed to be held accountable, but apparently we can't hold the students accountable. WTF? Me, I just take digital pictures when kids sleep in my class. That way, when mommy and daddy ask why Jr. failed the last test, I just pull out my portfolio. But then it's my fault for not telling them that a 17 year old kid sleeps in class because he can't be responsible for such things on his own apparently. And copied assignments, both/all people get zeros. Big fatty goose eggs.

Example: Students turn in photo-identical lab reports.
Them: "But we were lab partners."
Me: "Communism failed. The wall came down. You are an individual."

How long until I don't get to bust kids for plagiarism? How long until the admin would be happier if I just gave everyone a 90? (sad that we lower our cutoffs for grades, it was 92 when I was in high school 10 years ago) How long until my lesson plans get handed to me at the beginning of each week? How long until the admin interview students to make sure I followed them? Conspiracy theory? I used to think so, too. But now The X-Files is looking more realistic than reality.

Consider...
Two candidates for science department head next year. Really three, but I thought the third was a joke. Seriosuly.

Candidate one has worked at the school for 18 years teaching primarily chemistry. Was here when the math/science magnet program started 5 years ago and was assimilated into it to teach 9th graders chemistry due to her amazing ability to connect with younger students. Develops Chemistry II course for advanced topics in Chemistry. Has been selected for Teacher of the Year and has been STAR Teacher for the last two years running. Has knowledge and experience working in the "main building" for 12+ years, the magnet for 5. Candidate's main objective is unifying a fractionated department and has the leadership skills and respect of the science faculty to actually pull it off.

Candidate two has been here for around 7 years. "Teaches" physics and astronomy, the latter apparently well despite at least one major misconception. Has no discrenable leadership skills, barely speaks English. Leaves student teachers alone with kids for hours during their first week (despite state's policy that an employee must be present at all times). Not only teaches physics poorly, but wrong. (distance and displacement are not the same thing, an electromagnet coil is not the same thing as a Tesla coil, no all of the lights do not go out because they are in parallel, etc.) Makes me think it's an April Fool's joke when announced as Teacher of the Year last year. (when I realized I'd never even want to bear that title)

Okay, I'll stop. Obviously I'm biased. But I think you probably know where I'm going with this and you already know who was announced as the new department chair this afternoon. I'll stay mostly out of spite, but I'll be damned before I let myself and my peers be micromanaged by a tunnel-visioned, ego-deficient, control freak.

The worst part? The scuttlebutt is that the pricipal is probably being sent to the new school because he's tight with money. Seems they had a little trouble at the most recent school. (see #6) You'll preach to me at the beginning of every school year that you admire loyalty and then you make a bone-headed decision for leadership positions AND leave?

It probably took more common sense than research to answer the question in this title bar.

Fuck it, I'm going home to have a beer.