Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Why Does This Not Surprise Me?

Because my district is on accellerated block, we go five additional days than those mandated by the state of Texas to allow for state testing. So we are already starting earlier and finishing later than every single district in our county, in our region and in our state. For some reason, our new superintendent, the same guy who implemented Bring Your Own Technology, decided we should have MORE in-service days. I don't know about you, but after twelve or so years, sharing ones best lesson plan becomes an exercise in monotony. It's not that I don't want to do it, or can't do it, but it is rather that I have done this so many times before that it's become routine. So today, in the last full week of school, our coordinator, who I have seen for about 10 minutes this entire year, informed us not only will we have two additional REQUIRED in service days, but that we cannot comp them with other workshops. This is problematic because I was awarded a grant to study illustration at Kansas City Art Institute (not the for profit, the real art school) this summer. But I had to pay my own flight. I accepted with the understanding that it would be accepted for comp time. But now, nooooooooo, it won't.

And on top of that we once again, for the fourth year in a row, will not get any sort of raise, all stipends are ended. So now we go ten days more for the same pay. If school districts don't want unions-and believe me, I don't want them really-they need to stop pulling stunts like this.

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