The plot thickens

I don't know anything about this Darren Muhammed and he doesn't sound completely credible due to his rant about his "civil" and "human" rights being violated, but he does bring up the rumour about Alonso being involved in some sort of domestic violence situation in December!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J1qhv07X_c

Is the end in sight?

The streets and sidewalks are still a mess. Buses are running limited routes. More precipitation (rain/snow/sleet) is in the forecast. Will city schools be open tomorrow? I believe that they will open them because they feel a certain amount of pressure. However, I'm don't know that it's the best decision. I have been out and about on foot a lot during the past several days and have found far too many sidewalks that haven't been shoveled and crosswalks that are blocked by piles of plowed snow and ice. I can't imagine that students will be able to safely navigate their routes to and from school.

So, what's up with Dr. Alonso? Any news? Rumours?

Cabin Fever

I've really been stressed at work this year and have been longing for a break, but this is INSANE! I'm appreciating the time off, but the idea of giving up part of spring break is weighing on my mind. I hope Miss Nancy will give us special dispensation so we aren't either giving up that break or working until July 4th.

I'm still waiting to hear if there is any truth to the CEO rumours. I have just heard that he's being considered for positions in Texas and Florida. Some have said that he could be trying to leave soon because he wants to outrun the mess that's supposedly going on here in Charm City. True or false, it's all very interesting.

Rumour Control

It's been a long time! Teaching has really been overwhelming this year. LOVE the students, HATE what teaching has become. The paperwork required, in the name of "accountability" is ridiculous. I'm all for accountability, but doing paperwork that is unnecessary and which gets in the way of being a more creative, effective teacher makes no sense at all. This is what will finally push me out the door.

I'm actually coming back here, not to complain about my job, but to pose a question. I've been hearing a lot of similar rumours going around about a certain school CEO. I've heard them enough times, from enough credible sources, that I'm truly wondering if they could be more than just rumours. I'm not trying to spread any untruths, just putting the question out there - Is there any truth to...?

Okay, perhaps I should be a bit more specific in my query. Rumour has it that this certain school CEO has had some brushes with the law related to his temper. Domestic-related temper issues that have resulted in police involvement. I went to the trusty Maryland Case Search website, but have found nothing there. I've been told that this could be because our former mayor was trying to keep it on the DL. This made sense, but in Baltimore, also known as Smalltimore, things are not so easily kept quiet. Nowhere on the internet have I found anything about these alleged brushes with the law. Nowhere. I did hear that the question was posed at a recent School Board mtg., but I don't know if this is true. I would wonder why the Baltimore Sun didn't pick up on it, but I believe that they have been complicit in covering up city school stories in the past, so I wouldn't expect them to write about this. So, rumours, rumours and more rumours. Does anyone know the truth. Surely, to take a quote from "The X Files", "The truth is out there." Enlighten me.

UM

Another school year begins

I'm procrastinating right now. I have much to do before greeting my new students tomorrow, but I'm anxious and antsy. It's the normal condition of many teachers the day before school begins anew. This year I'm even more anxious than before. We spent the last week of professional development being given more papers, more forms, more binders than ever before. The amount of paperwork teachers already handle (without secretarial support, I might add!) is already unbearable. On top of that, we now have more data/information to keep track of. I honestly don't know how we're going to be able to do it effectively. I'm all for using data to drive instruction, but there has to be a better way to introduce and implement it. Every year teachers are expected to do more and more work. The average person has no idea what we are responsible for. I think people believe that, since they've sat in many classrooms, they know what teachers do. What teachers do in the course of a 90 minute lesson reflects hours and hours of preparation that no one ever sees. We do research, write lesson plans,prepare activities, create materials, photocopy, sort papers, present the lesson (to 30+ hormonal teenagers, many with social/emotional/intellectual challenges), correct papers, record grades and then start on the next lesson. Now we have to keep track of a binder full of data for each and every one of our 100+- students. When do we sleep? When do we spend time our loved ones? When do we unwind? I know I, personally, have to have "me time" in order to keep my sanity. I don't know how sane I'll remain this year with all the extra work.

Oh, and did I mention, teachers aren't getting cost of living raises this year. But, hey, that's okay. Dr. Alonso got his $29,000 bonus, so it's all good!

BCPSS - Are things getting better?

Renewing my certification has always been frustrating. I have been given incorrect/incomplete information every time I've renewed. This time I thought I had everything complete. I'd taken my 6 credit hours and submitted my official transcripts a year in advance. Three months before renewal I emailed the certification office to verify that everything was set for renewal. No response. A month before renewal I again emailed. No response. I really wasn't worried because I was sure that I was fine. WRONG. On July 3rd I checked the MSDE site to see if I'd been updated. I hadn't been. On the 5th I went to North Ave. to see what was wrong. First she pulled out transcripts from my last renewal period (5 years ago) and told me that I was missing a signature on one transcript and that one course had been taken too long ago. I directed her to the UMBC transcript in her hand and told her THAT was the one I'd submitted for this renewal. Then she told me that I was missing 3 satisfactory evaluations. When I said that I've never had to submit evaluations before and was under the impression that, since one copy of our evaluations goes to HR, they would be on file. She showed me a copy of a letter that I should have recieved, but didn't, after the last renewal, stating that we had to submit evaluations. Before I left to return home to get my copies, I showed her copies of an email I'd sent asking about my renewal and asked why no one had responded. She just shrugged her shoulders. I hurried home, made copies of my evaluations and dropped them off. As of this moment, my MSDE status shows no changes...

Interesting Observations

Okay, I just need to vent a bit about this Kool-Aid drinker and his adoration for "AAA". If I see those triple As again I'm going to scream. If I have to read his self-important posts, written from the skewed viewpoint of a new, highly- touted charter school, I'm going to tear my hair out.

I feel better...

Two posts in one day!

I just found myself over on the Sun website, reading some of the reader responses to what's going on in BCPSS. I really need to stay away because my blood pressure soars after reading the racist comments by so many ignoramuses. I've never been exposed to attitudes like that before in my life. I know that bigots abound, but to be confronted with so many of them is so disconcerting. I'd like to believe that our society has evolved since the 1950s and 1960s. I'd like to believe that we have made progress in the way of race relations - after all, we have a black man who could well be our next president.

What hurts me the most is the comments where people refer to our students as "animals" and that they belong in the zoo and that they are all drug dealers. I suspect these comments are made by people who consider themselves to be good Christians, too. They don't understand compassion for others. They don't realize that we are all in this big, scary world together and we need to do whatever we can to make sure our students - all of them - have a fighting chance in this world. Our society depends upon it, our world depends upon it.

Trying again!

I guess I have a hard time believing that anyone really wants to read masturbary musings by some anonymous blogger. I have to remind myself that I read others' blogs, so perhaps there is an audience out there. Regardless, I suppose I can just treat this as a catharsis, something akin to my diaries of yore.


This fall I began my 15th year as a BCPSS teacher. In the fall of 1994 I was one of a group of teachers, mostly career changers, who saw ourselves as catalysts for change. We were not young idealists, but older, experienced adults who felt that we had something to offer the students of Baltimore. Of the 50+ individuals I started out with, 3 or 4 of us are left. I am on my way out as soon as I can secure other employment. It makes me sad. Very sad.

I cannot say that it's the students who are causing me to leave. Their behavior and the challenges they bring to school have certainly gotten worse, but that's not it. It is the fact that I've been through about 6 CEOs who have done nothing but thrust their unrealistic, poorly thought-out (especially the current CEO) plans. No one has brought any solutions that have been implemented for a long enough period that we could even see if they might work. We're constantly taking one step forward and two steps back. That's not progress, to be sure!

Then there is the BTU. OUR proud union! Our champion! HAH! The Union's sole purpose is to perpetuate itself. It's so caught up in the good ol' girl network that there is never the opportunity to get new blood infused into it. They are so caught up in Christmas parties, cruises and retreats that the needs of the teachers are barely addressed. Try reaching a field representative! Try searching for information on that joke of a website. The BTU is a joke. Alonso knows it and so he violates the contract (like he did earlier this month when he dismissed students due to heat, but made teachers sta) on a regular basis.

Now I can't blame the BTU without also blaming teachers. We get the union we deserve. Unless we become active, unless we hold the union accountable, unless we run for office, unless we vote in elections we will never have the representation that we need.