The California Budget Crisis strikes again

[pat]

D's teacher has been axed for next year. This is not a surprise, because she was a first year teacher. It is however a major disappointment -- she is an excellent teacher, and I am annoyed that we will be losing her. I hope she can find a job someplace; it would be criminal if she did not have a classroom of kids to work with.

Meanwhile, the old harpy who last year either actively encouraged or at least passively allowed other kids to tease/harass D because he was different is still here, by virtue of having twenty years seniority in the district. (It was not just D, either: another child in the class told a parent this year that he wishes he could have poisoned her. She did not like children who were not tidy, obedient, and quiet -- so she had it out for most of the boys in the class.)

Comments

[cathouse-blues.livejournal.com]

There are always some teachers in every child's nightmare life, it seems who are only there because it was the only job they thought they could get - and take their resentment out on the kids. My brother is dyslexic, and back in the early 70's, befor everyone was far more sensitive to learning disabilities, he had a second-grade teacher who decided to deal with what she thought was his stupidity and stubbornness by locking him in a closet for a day.

But for every Hag, there's eventually a gem - and I hope your kids well get another gem soon.

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

Our district is doing a letter-writing campaign. One of the things I have yet to do is type in my letters (once I get them done I intend to post them here). But one thing I do know is that Ellen Corbett is apparently supporting (perhaps authoring?) a bill to give a "golden handshake" to older teachers. This would encourage them to retire, leaving budgetary "room" for probably 2 new, younger (and cheaper) teachers. That might help you out. Another proposal is to get them to suspend the state-wide testing "temporarily, till the economy improves." Personally, I hope that they give it up altogether--it doesn't work, and it's a complete waste of money that could be spent on something useful, like actual teachers.

I encourage you to find out who your representatives are, and write letters too. Or make phone calls in support of alternative ways of balancing the budget.

*hugs*

[lizw.livejournal.com]

My Dad was an English teacher before he retired, and taught at various levels over the years from 10-year-olds to adults in their 30s. He always said he was amazed to find how many people thought it was a really good idea to go and teach in schools when they didn't actually like kids.