2 <twinkle>
3 I just got home from the Board meeting and have absolutely nothing to report. Well...I do. Sort of.
4 It's a mild story, but here goes.
5 I got off school at exactly 3:30, got in my car and drove to the D.O. (jive for the District Office).
6 I stopped at McKee and ducked into Starbuck's. It was raining.
7 Had a grilled cheese and a frap, and chilled for a bit.
8 Once I had things going my way, I headed up to the District Office.
9 It was WAY early. Three people were in there and the girl at the desk still said, "May I help you?"
10 It began to pour. If it were a movie I would have thrown a cliche' flag. I'm surprised no lightning.
11 I headed home. My house is a few miles from the D.O.
12 Got inside and re-grouped. I was already wiped out by all the stresses of the negotiations, and trying to work to rule, a nearly impossible task.
13 Made a little chicken/veggie soup and got back out. It was closer to 6:00 but at this point I couldn't tell. It was dark and scary driving there.
14 It poured.
15 When I arrived, the parking lot was a rain-slick zoo. People parked in zany areas. They were almost peculiar in their choices of parking spaces. Scary.
16 Not a normal parking lot. I got the skeets. I wanted out.
17 The cars came alive, I swear to you. They had cartoon eyes and everything.
18 I tried to get out but one guy parked in an area that indented the corner area, causing a turn that was ridiculously thin for even the tiniest of cars.
19 I tried to make a u-turn in the corner of the parking lot.
20 I looked like a Sumo wrestler trying on a girdle.
21 Forward two inches, backwards two inches and repeat and repeat and forward two inches...
22 That was my brain counting the u-turn adjustments.
23 I finally turned clean and got out.
24 I hopped on the freeway and headed home.
25 When I drove up, Helene was already there.
26 I was going to take a cab to the D.O. but she offered to drive me there. I didn't want to ruin her evening, because she never gets to be by herself.
27 She gave me a ride to the D.O. but was free to relax the rest of the night. I figured I could call a cab; the place is close. Or even walk; it's only a few miles down the road.
28 She pulled in and headed straight for the same area with the indented corner. I yelled, "Don't go that way!"
29 She saw no reason not to continue in that direction, then she saw the corner. "See?" I said.
30 Without a glance she drifted right around that cartoon corner like it was the Grand Canyon.
31 And this with rain and mist and all. Suddenly all was clean. She pulled right up to the front.
32 Yeesh.
33 'Tis the season.
34 We exchanged good-byes and I headed in.
35 I saw some friends and began boushitting.
36 Anyone lookin'?
37 I heard a voice that sounded like Neil Patrick Harris impersonating Che coming from the lobby speakers.
38 He popped off about all the GREAT students who had graduated from the District.
39 I sensed a filibuster from the District's bag of tricks, and it would appear I was correct. Bore people and they'll go home. Demagogues.
40 Some things just don't surprise me.
41 The rest of the night seemed an illusion, a migration from one friend to another.
42 Other worldly. You really couldn't squeeze into the main room to see, nor really did you want to. It was hot and uncomfortable in there, so I stayed in the lobby.
43 Would that make me a lobbiest?
44 It makes you think.
45 I ran into Lisa Baker, and we took to chatting. I told her about the rain and all and it turns out she lives right by me. She offered a ride, so no worries there.
46 It turned into a nice night where friends would flit to different friends, catching up while the speaker from the next room crackled and moaned. There was no live feed on the monitors in the lobby, which completely puzzled me. They don't have that technology? They have everything else.
47 The microphone, the cheers from inside, the coolness of the lobby, and the array of students taking pics for homework assignments made for a pretty nice night. The student speeches rocked. Someone taught those students. Impressive; kids from the entire District rallied for the teachers!
48 I was relieved of news-reporting duties, since I couldn't get in the room nor hear anything but chants. I peeked into the main room.
49 A teacher stood in the middle with a wireless mic. She talked about the club or team that she coached. Between tears she went on.
50 She told of how her students would go help feed the hungry during the holidays, and because of work to rule, she decided to cancel it, which meant that people who normally get food would not be getting it from her students.
51 She cried, and it was a poignant moment. She did that so that other teachers would get the message.
52 It was the stuff of movies.
53 Lisa needed to go so I said my good-byes. It was nice seeing old friends and talking with colleagues. I don't know where it will all go from here. We believed in this new Superintendent when he first came to us. He was from a family of teachers. He knew the soul of teachers. That's the Board we all want. One teacher chanted, "Be that Board! Be that Board!"
54 Be that Board. Solve it. Let that club feed those folks who need help. Understand you have an army of volunteers willing to do things. Give us respect. We will respect you.
55 That was the message. Don't be the Board you have been lately. Improve, and Be that Board. The one that listens and sees what teachers do.
56 If you don't, you own that legacy. It won't be pretty.
57 Gottago, but that was the basic message.
58 Be that Board. Go back into session and re-consider.
59 That's it.
60 See you again.
61 Peace.
~H~
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