I Suck Redux

Posted by on Aug 15, 2005 in dish | 4 comments Today I spent yet another day out of the classroom at a State workshop on how to do my job better. According to the official line, if I don’t have student achievement at 98% on our state test or higher for every kid in every class, I am ineffective.I would rant about the overall injustice of such an approach–I am, after all, human, as are the children in my classroom–but doing...
read more

Priorities, Schmiorities

Posted by on Aug 4, 2005 in dish | 1 comment Today I have a long talk with a parent who’s concerned that Darling Dearest may have bitten off more than could be chewed with two AP courses and a spot on a varsity team. Is thinking of dropping AP. We talk, I pitch, parent agrees to keep kid in class. Good for kid. Good for parent.I relate the saga to a colleague and she says, “So why wasn’t parent in the coach’s office...
read more

Back to School

Posted by on Aug 1, 2005 in dish | 0 comments Back to school today. Totally different atmosphere from the RWA Conference. I’m feeling a tad schizophrenic right now. Am I writer? Teacher? Harried mom? Whatever the case, I’m busy as hell and realizing that my bad summer habit of staying up late and sleeping in is going to bite me in the ass for the next couple of weeks, especially considering that my school district has moved the...
read more

Gadflies ‘R’ Us

Posted by on Jun 28, 2005 in dish | 1 comment I’ve done it now.I got fed up and spouted off to our local paper about the state of affairs at my high school, and they printed the column. Now that I’m out on my limb–I took a shot at our high school’s community members, who are passionately interested in athletics and extracurriculars, but not so much so about academics–I’m waiting for the saws to come...
read more

Kick ’em When They’re Up, Kick ’em When They’re Down

Posted by on Jun 9, 2005 in dish | 0 comments Florida school grades came out yesterday. To no one’s surprise, the richest high school in our district got yet another A, while my inner city school got an F. Again. Much kvetching ensued. TV trucks parked all over, reporters clamoring for a quote. We hid out back. We’re sick to death of media. With all due respect to the people I know and love who work for newspapers, etc., media...
read more