08/28/2024
"1st Day of School"
There are a relative few careers that have an excitement cycle like education. The first day of school, the build up before a big school event, anticipation of a vacation, a huge victory, win, accomplishment.
Then there are the individual wins of finally accomplishing a skill, overcoming a deficiency, weakness, or perceived inability.
Then there are lows. Things that bring and beat you down.
This picture is of the building I work in. It's a pretty good building and still relatively new, just over 12 years old. It's a twin middle school with a similar building a couple hundred yards away - but miles ahead in condition from many of the schools in the community. Also, in the state.
If you live in a community that has a proposed new school building coming up this voting season, before you make a decision - really look at the impact of supporting or rejecting the plan. Whether your children go to private school or public school, the public support from all in the public education system is an investment both short and long term for the entirety of our respective communities.
As I type this, I am sitting inside this picture building in my office taking a moment to get ready for the day. This is my second year as "Dean of Students" in which I work with the rest of the building trying to keep kids in the classroom and help to minimize negative behaviors that impact learning. My peers have a daunting task in achieving that expectation.
With just about 575 students last school year there were 3,303 office referrals submitted to myself, Asst. Principal, and Principal. that does not include all the teacher-level disciplinary instances. I was responsible for all the data collection and the like. Because of lack of funding, much of the ancillary SEL support was cut back even though we have all the evidence showing why would should have a drastic increase in funding for Behavioral Interventionists, Social Workers, Psychologists - but also more support for Family Education, Parent Education, social services......because the one thing I truly learned the past year is that the vast majority of the families and parents I deal with WANT better for themselves and do work hard, but either do not have the education and proper experience to get out of their own way or do not qualify for the services they really need to get ahead.
....and we don't have the resources to give the families and students in those situations.
So....in this lovely building, I am sitting at 6:30am in a cool, dry, comfortable environment. Up one floor, it is more humid and perspiration-envoking, and up two floors it will be an unofficial sauna in about two hours as all the staff and kids enter the building.
There's already rumors of a fight or two stirring from from social media. I have a mental list of students who are incoming from the elementary schools that are allegedly big behavioral concerns that I need to check in with. We have classrooms missing desks, chairs, and IT equipment because the building was used the whole summer and the understaffed custodial team was not able to finish areas of the building and are scrambling.....
....and this is in a supposedly "new" building.
A career in public education is a non-military experiment in "trauma bonding".
With all of this, I really enjoy the role I have here. Most of the time.
Much of the time. But I have made it clear that I have no intention of staying in the position after this year. Why? I do not get paid enough. I make the same amount as I do as I did as a teacher. My life experience of work as well as observing the life and decline of health of my parents and others around me who gave more than their fair share have taught me that you must always advocate for yourself.
My bosses do not get paid even market value for their positions.
My union just negotiated a contract with the city and we approved it. However, it does not make up for the cost of living increases over the last few years that made the prior contract obsolete.
Sure, this is also a political situation, but mostly - it's a societal issue. America DOES NOT VALUE education. At least not like other industrialized countries. We lip-service public education and politicians place the burden and blame upon it. However, it is the lack of proper oversight and the generational money grab from funding sources that have hurt public education - not bad teachers and principals. It is the lack of continuous capital improvement funding from communities that disintergrate our buildings. It is short-sighted educational policies forced upon schools without the appropriate funding that overburdens educators.
Now, it's noiser in the hallways. Teachers are in the building and we are about 10 minutes away from showtime. It is a new year....and there is always hope.
Right now, I hope I still feel that I make a difference 9 months from now when summer break rolls around again.
Support public education. ALL of education.
