Today, my students were informed that the PTSA at our school was encouraging their parents to come to the school at 6:00pm to write letters to their representatives to inform the representatives what the budget cuts in our state would do to our children, and how it would affect our children. Asa teacher, I know that I have to be careful with my "captive" audience, but my eighth grade students realized themselves that the cuts would cause hardship for them, and be detrimental down the road for them. I think the phrase the Republicans use, is "putting it on the backs of our children."
What I don't understand is that people can not understand this. I am broken hearted because as a teacher I hear what a horrible job we teachers do all the time, yet tonight, as I do many other nights, I will work for 2-3 hours writing personal responses to my students's journals. I make myself available to them at night, actually just responded to a request for help through an online forum, and on the weekends. I teach them about being nice to each other. And yet, THEY, who are supposed to be poorly educated, getting a lousy education from no-nothing teachers, can see what kinds of stupid things are going on. Yet, these people, and I'm sorry I do have to believe that it is majority elderly and blue collar people, who are usually the ones decrying the education that their children and grandchildren are getting, can't see what their children see.
Everyday I work from 6:30am until 4pm, and sometimes 5pm, at school. I then come home, eat dinner, maybe watch an hour of television, then spend upwards of two hours responding to my students journals, trying to give them a personal response. I can only give each journal five minutes, and even then, collecting 15-20 per night, I am overwhelmed, as I still have to do grading, and planning. I must also analyze the data from my previous quiz, test, or interim exam to determine why my students are not succeeding at the prescribed rate. I must create something like an IEP, individualized educational plan, for each student that was not succeeding to help them succeed. I must also be sure that all of my grades are uploaded to the internet so the parents can keep track of their child's grades at any moment, note if they have missed any assignment, and be aware of their grades on every assignment.
But now I have finally begun to ask myself why. Our states have given up on our children. They DEMAND regular progress, never-mind that they are comparing the scores of this year's students to that of last years. (I've lost 20 days of education time this year to testing practice and testing.) I find myself not teaching good writing skills or strategies, but those that will help them pass a test that requires that they write no more than one page, nor does it require them to use paragraphs. They will cut our resources, increase our class sizes, I currently teach 168 students spread 40-32-32-32-32. Proposed class sizes could increase by as many as 5-15 per class. That means between 25 and 75 more students. HOW CAN I GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED? I sometimes find myself overwhelmed now. When a student writes a creative piece that hey are very excited about, I can't find the time to read it and give them feedback, because it won't go in the grade book, and so the parents won't see it.
I use an online program to provide students with access to each other and to me outside of class. I also can post all of my assignments there so that they are accessible outside of school, or if they lose their materials. I worked at McDonalds (thanks to them for hosting the McTeacher night). I participate in fundraising nights at local restuarants because it helps defray the costs of school functions like dances and field trips. And now I am part of a committee that I don't necessarily have the time for so that the end of the school year functions are successful, and we can recognize all of our students's successes. And now, now, I am looking at budget cuts that may cost me a job. I know that I am not unusual, I know many other teacher who are doing the same thing.
But I am heartbroken. Why? Because like many or my colleagues, "my kids" are just that - MY kids. I care about them, I want to help them succeed. Yes, I am single, who has time to date, and actually, I am a male teacher, who really cares about the success of my students. Of somebody asks I say I have 170 children; ok, so that number changes year by year, but you get the idea.
I am ANGRY at the assholes who are giving millions and more away to wealthy people, while taking from these children and are saying that TARP and having to support education through raising the deficit is "putting it on the backs of our children." As a teacher of writing, I tell my students to use reason and avoid strong emotions but really. . .
FUCK YOU AND YOUR RICH ASSHOLE BENEFICIARIES. I hope you choke on your riches. I hope that your children have the same values that you have and put you in a home with nothing taking all your money from you, you robbing, greedy, self-centered, self-righteous sons of bitches. Snyder, Walker, Scott, Sandoval and all of the rest of you, stop talking through your asses and MAN-UP! I remember learning in school and in church to do the right thing, to take care of my fellow man, to love my neighbor as myself. So maybe it isn't the schools today that aren't teaching the lessons, maybe it was the schools years ago, because these loudmouths certainly haven't learned how to be human. Try doing the right thing for once and be honest about it.
In my community there is a political flier that has found its way into my mail box that accuses some of the politicians of being liberals. It seems that being a liberal is a bad thing. Well, I should also add that the flier does not identify who the cowardly politician who can't even put their name on it is sending it. If being a liberal means standing up for what I believe in, and putting my name on it, then I am a liberal. If being a liberal means that I care more about kids than my wages, then I am a liberal. If it means caring more about people, than profits, then I am a liberal. If it means actually doing the right thing, more than just TALKING about doing the right thing, then I am a LIBERAL!!! And if there is a God, I am really beginning to since I see the way he seems to be able to abide these assholes all stealing, raping and pillaging in his name, then, I hope that he will forgive me for wishing harm on these fakers and speakers with forked-tongues, but I want them to suffer divine punishment so badly. And, if I have to take punishment for wishing harm, and it means something better for MY kids, all 170 of them, then so be it! I, who am of questionable religious beliefs, can not abide, can not stand the way they act pious while doing evil.
I'm sorry this was more of a crying, screaming rant then a diary maybe, but I am so frustrated with the stupidity I see and the way that the teaparty and Republicans are tearing apart this country and destroying our schools and communities. To use their trite phrase, I don't hate them, but I hate their hypocrisy, their lying, their greed, their duplicity, their pride in who they are and what they are doing, (hmm, should I just list the 7 deadly sins.)
I should have been a lawyer.