2 I'm all for airplanes crashing into neighborhood homes or Jose Canseco auctioning off his finger, but once in a while don't you like hearing something nice?
3 Kristi's spirit rings the Christmas season in about a week early, but what of it?
4 I love San Jose sometimes, and I really love Christmas in the Park.
5 Fun thing to see!
6 I don't even mind the commercials now that it's not July.
7 So cheers!
8 Moving On, Part One: we're having contract disputes with the District as I compose these words.
9 I decided to back off those issues until I see where things head, but right now the teachers are working to rule.
10 This means we are done working at 3:30. We technically don't have to grade papers, plan lessons, answer emails, write recommendations, etc. outside of the school day.
11 Of course we all do. And I'll be honest: I don't think the District is being professional about any of it. I have never seen such immature and amateur tactics in my life.
12 Honestly? I work my butt off just trying to keep my head above water. Most of us do. I have to put literally twelve to fifteen hours on weekends planning and grading.
13 We know this when we become teachers, and the vast majority of us simply do it.
14 We have worked in good faith for over eleven years, when we had our last raise. We accepted three extra students per class in order to secure a contract in 2008. This means more disruptive classrooms, as 30 is a much easier number to manage than 33. In addition, it adds up to another half class of papers that need grading each time an assignment is given. This includes tests and projects as well.
15 We began leaving at exactly 3:30 last week. I can't even clean up and re-organize my classroom by 3:30.
16 Yesterday I decided not to do any school work at all and still couldn't help but lug my workload home. It was nearly impossible for me not to take out a pen and grade vocabulary and tests.
17 I'm frightened of falling behind, but I wanted to see what life was like not being on pointe.
18 I dislike it considerably. I like being on top of my game.
19 But I am harshly dissatisfied with the juvenile tactics taken on by our District leadership.
20 Let me make this clear: they are not bargaining in good faith. If they were, I would report that here.
21 They are not. Someone gave a surprise bulletin over the announcements yesterday telling students to go down the the Valley (a nickname for the area where they do Activities) at lunch to get more information. Our union knew nothing about this. In war they call this a preemptive strike.
22 Isn't it though? Who decided this? What info was being disseminated, and whose agenda was pushed? I don't know, but I have my suspicions.
23 We'll see where it heads. I'm torn, personally because I don't want the students to be hurt in any of this.
24 I don't enjoy the disrespect for people who give up weekends, live through Code Reds (shooters on campus), comfort students with broken hearts, or listen to victims of bullying, many times students who don't always have popular social skills. Many of us do those things voluntarily.
25 For the record I had already written a DN last night into the two a.m. It had much more anger in it.
26 I even mentioned that I was angry, but used a harsher word. I won't here, because I wish to maintain a degree of class.
27 I do have a little of my Dad in me.
28 Actually, he would have said, "Give 'em nuthin'!" Meaning, "Don't let them shove you around."
29 If you know my Dad you know he would have said that.
30 Old Skool.
31 Anyway, we'll ride this out and hope nobody gets hurt.
32 Time will tell. Meanwhile I might go downtown and have a look at Downtown Ice.
33 Gottago.
34 See you again.
35 Peace (I hope!)
~H~
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