And, ultimately, for me it’s not about the message to the students. It’s about me taking care of myself. If I’m trying to send a message to anyone, it’s to my fellow teachers and any “higher ups” that catch wind of it. The message is that the system is broken. The only way to fix it is to build a better one. Until I can join in that building with some people, I have to question my participation in that system.

I’m not helping to fix anything by acquiescing. And I’m certainly not doing good by the students to show that tolerance is acceptable. Fight. And if you’ve fought a hard fight but still haven’t won, you simply cannot go on. It’s time to change things.

But I really do love what I do (he wrote, while staring at a stack of 100 essays and 2 weeks worth of tests) and hope to be here next year. However, the insult is sickening and I wonder about a system that allows such a practice as ESUHSD (the board and superintendent, specifically) has displayed.

I have similar questions about whether the system is -simply- in need of a totally new hull, or if the boat is going to sink regardless of our efforts. The volatility, though, surely maximizes the interest people have in exploring alternatives, which, it seems to me, is a good thing. While Rhett would make money, we might end up with ideas that create hope for hundreds or thousands of kiddos in our community. A little volatility can go a long way for those ready to ride the rough wave.

These thoughts probably do not lend comfort to the hurt and insulted. I would contend, though, that our society does us a terrible disservice by addicting us to comfort. What matters, at a spiritual level, is whether and how we devote our time and energy to what we understand needs to be done. I have no criticism for those who feel that the proper path is to stay within the system. For those who suspect that something far better might be possible, though, it may be a karmic requirement to explore the options.

Yes; power does corrupt that badly. Perhaps it corrupts even worse when one already has a tendency in that direction, though. I suspect that those we have representing us are such characters. The finances were not open and honest until recently. The deals made at local and district levels were occassionally bad and often egregious. Now that it’s time to fix those problems, teachers are paying the cost in a huge way. Instead of somehow holding Mann’s or Martinez-Roach’s feet to the flame and making them accountable (no pun intended) for this poor spending, instead of figuring out how it is that the finances came to be such a mess and uncovering that larger story, teachers are laid off, more money is needlessly spend, distractions take away from the already-quickly-fading school year. So, once again, educators don’t get the benefits, yet carry much of the blame.

And Shinkou, yeah, that’s why “It’s The System, Stupid.” This is not something unique to our district. It’s something inherent in the system we have decided to work in, hence my lingering question.

I’m with you, obviously. This sort of discussion is taking place everyday at school, one-on-one and in little huddled groups of teachers.

My question is this: If you or I were on the board, or if you or I were superintendent, would we do any better or any differently?

Does power corrupt that badly? I’d like to think I’d do differently, or better. I don’t know. Of course, I’m against what they have done, are doing, and will do in the future. Can they really be that stupid/arrogant/anti-teacher? wow…..

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Public education in the U.S. as we know it will be gone before you and I are dead. What will rise in its place? Hmmm…..Shinkou? =)

Love you bro….