alli snow

Playing hookey today so I can work on my report cards, which are due next Friday. I have 4 of 18 done... or at least as done as I can get considering we have one last test to do. 4/18 is... what? Almost a quarter, right? Can I take a nap now?

ETA: 2/3 done!

The good:

1. It was the last day of testing for my select group of 'knucklehead' 4th graders, who were really starting to get on my nerves.

2. Installed a new school computer.

3. Got free wine.

4. Got something in the mail that I was waiting for.

5. Finally got something in the mail that I'd been procrastinating on.

6. Had a student write on my white board "YOU ARE THE BEST". She even spelled it right.

The bad:

1. Locked my car keys in my trunk. Doh.

However:

7. I still have AAA Roadside through my mom and the guy was there within 20 minutes, and I was home a little early thanks to light traffic.

All in all, I think I got off easy today.

So my local union is currently in negotiations with the district. We've been working without a contract for a while now -- in the meantime, we are the lowest-paid teachers in the county, every time health benefits go up we have to make up the difference, and our administrators are still some of the best paid around. There are also more of them compared with neighboring districts who have more students.

The negotiations were on today and the union had fliers and things out trying to get people to come and rally and show their support for the negotiating team. Did I go? Well, no, because as a non-tenured teacher the union can't do crap to help me keep my job. And I have an hour commute and I wanted to go home, dammit!

Well, I'm finishing up some things after school when one of the union site reps come on the PA to remind people about the rally. Which is fine, but she ends the announcement with something to the effect of, 'if you don't come, good luck finding a job next year'.

Now, I'm fairly sure she didn't mean for it to come out like that... she probably is thinking that if people don't show support for the union it's bad for us. But the union isn't going to change how many teachers get hired back next year. And that's beside the point. The point is, it pissed me off, and if I had planned on going, I wouldn't have after that.

I'm a teacher in the CA Bay Area, and I'm a conservative. Not always a comfortable thing to be. Take the election, for example. About half the staff were liberals who styled themselves as independents, or somehow above politics, but thought Obama was profound and brilliant and, well, above politics. Most of the rest were undeniably partisan, and the Palin jokes flew thickly in the staff room. At least one is a self-identified socialist. Then there was me.

I really don't care. I knew what I was getting into, politically speaking, when I entered this profession in this part of the state. And surprisingly, the thing I was worried about most - dealing with the teacher's unions, and serving my 'best interests' as an education vs my best interests as a citizen - hasn't come up.

Until today.

The gov't of California wants us to pass 1A in the May special ballot election. They call it something like the 'budget stabilization act' or some BS like that... basically, according to analysts, it builds up the state's "rainy day" funds by extending the recent tax increases for another 2 years.

We got a flier this afternoon exhorting local union members to support IA because, paraphrasing, then the district won't have a $12 million budget deficit! It's the magic pill, the solution to all our problems!

Being one of the 26,000 CA teachers who got pink slipped last month, that's pretty meaningful to me. But I have to stand behind my principles and continue to oppose it because what it means for the taxpayers of this state. Including me.

The thing that really infuriated me was this part of the flier:

[School name] staff needs to commit to a day for phone banking between April 27 and May 18. [Local union prez] has cell phones for us to use during this time. Instead of having to stay for a certain period of time, we just need to meet a call quota and then we get to go home. These are not cold calls. We are touching base with voters who normally are supportive of schools and just reminding them to get out and vote. There will also be a script for us to read. [Emphais added]

This just amazed me. I will continue to stand up against 1A, even if it means going up against co-workers on the issue, but the language here just amazed me.

(x-posted to conservatism)

So, I didn't want it to come to this.

But the fact is that I am a teacher at a low-income school that's been having problems with cash-flow, both because of the state's issues and because of things going on at the school itself. I don't have enough chairs for all my students, and barely enough desks. We have no librarian at the school and therefore no way for students to check out library books, so my class library is extremely small. I have bought paper, sentence strips, activity books, binders, and many other things for the classroom -- today I bought a rug because my classroom has no carpet, just vinyl tile.

The curriculum I have to use is extremely dry and I'm doing what I can to liven things up so the kids - who are in general unmotivated remedial students - have a reason to want to go to school in the morning. I spoke to the VP on Friday and he's going to look into some options, but I don't want to wait for the administration. On Friday I went and bought some materials to make center activities. I also want each student to be able to have their own book bag, I would like an easel, markers and construction paper, red pens for correcting, and more things like the rug I bought to make the classroom more comfortable and welcoming. Plus, you know, books. But I'm also in the process of buying a home -- I just don't have the financial flexibility that I have had in the past. So consider this the official kickoff to



Basically, yes, I'm asking for donations. I definitely won't judge anybody who doesn't want to or can't contribute because I know that I'm not the only person in the world having financial woes. But I figure that every little bit helps.

To every person who donates I will write them a 300 word minimum fanfic for the fandom of their choice. I know it's not the greatest incentive, but at least I feel like it allows me to retain a little dignity.

So, here's what I'm going to do. Comments to this post will be screened. If you would like to donate, my paypal email is salmonczar@gmail.com. If you can't use paypal, comment and I will definitely be happy to work something else out. Just fill out the form below and consider your good deed done for the... oh, year at least. I just wish I could make it tax-deductible.

Thank you in advance,
Alli

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