Frustrated.....

There are a couple of things going on with my school that are getting very frustrating for me. A couple of them involve students. Why do we seem to get a number of newly enrolled students JUST before state test time? I have had three new students enrolled in my classes the past week. One has been in class one of four days, the other two show up, but do absolutely nothing of an academic nature.

Another student has changed tremendously over the past two months. This student is, I'll call this student "Chris" are up to it, very bright and can have no problems with any assignment I have for him/her. However, mentally, this student is GONE. Gone far away. Gone to the point where "Chris" will start humming, then singing, then blurting out nonsense words and phrases. "Chris" is on medication, for a condition "Chris's" teachers are not privy to. "Chris" has had to be removed from my classroom the past four days. "Chris" is usually reluctant to leave my classroom and I end up trying to call the office to get an administrator down to my room to coax "Chris" to leave. "Chris," it seems, won't take his/her meds. Or, since I have an idea of the conditions at "Chris's" home, doesn't have the meds he/she must have to maybe function in a classroom. "Chris" has pushed away all other students and they gladly avoid him/her. In fact, they tend to be scared of "Chris." "Chris" has become a major annoyance to the other students in his/her classes and regularly disrupts class. "Chris's" parents cannot help him/her. They have no education or the income to get "Chris" the help he/she must have. Big trouble is brewing with "Chris". "Chris" has the potential to become violent. It is just a matter of time before "Chris" punches one of his/her teachers or fellow students. Our administration, so far, does not seem to know what to do with "Chris". Several times, they have driven him home because he just is not able to deal with school.

Any suggestions from your ( my readers ) vast experiences ?

I'm also frustrated with our local teachers union and our lack of a contract for almost two years now. The latest chapter in this pathetic story is that teacher negotiators met with district negotiators to get a tentative agreement, solely involving money for salary and insurance. However, one of the districts negotiators took it upon herself to unilaterally add a few things to the tentative agreement. This was given to the teachers negotiators at a school board meeting. When one of our teacher negotiators read the addition, they put the T.A. back in the envelope and allegedly ( I didn't personally see this ) threw it at this district administrator. It was promptly thrown back at the teacher negotiator. THIS at a public school board meeting ! And teachers want to be considered professionals?????GDit, why cant' the petty powers that run schools treat their teachers right? Why do teachers have to grovel and beg for state provided COLA ? Why can't what has been agreed upon be left the ---- alone and get these &^%$#@! negotiations over with for this round??????

Ok, enough venting for now. My beautiful wife almost has dinner ready :-)

Thanks for reading this blog. I welcome you comments and suggestions ( sorry, invoking a popular Shakespeare ditty about what to do with lawyers won't work for these district administrators and our teacher negotiators.)