For those of you living through or following the situation here in the Dallas ISD, you know things are looking pretty dire. To sum up the story in a nutshell, people who should know better apparently made a very 3rd grade error in their math while doing the budget for the past few years (misplacing the decimal by about 6 spots), and now us lowly workers are left to face the consequences.Ask anyone around here about what RIF means to them, and unfortunately, probably only about 1 in 500 would talk about Reading Is Fundamental. Instead, the other 49,900 teachers (oops, I guess it IS easy to make that math blunder!) would talk about the Reduction In Force that has been looming over the district's head for the past 3 weeks.
After a school board meeting tonight, the RIF is being put into place. Starting next week, somewhere between 500 and 700 teachers are due to be let go from their positions.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried about my job. But I can honestly say I'm not stressing about being laid off. I've been laid off before, and it wasn't the end of the world. Besides, I've got other things to stress me about my job, like my kids not being able to read or subtract. Also, I know that if I lose my job here, I can always go work in Las Vegas. VEGAS, BABY!!
In case I DO lose my job, I should probably ask everyone to help support me by buying several copies of Learn Me Good and plenty of T-shirts from my store. I am also willing to dress as various superheroes for children's birthday parties...
7 comments:
You came to mind when I read this in the news. Wishing you well through this situation. Change is much better when you get to choose its occurance.
All Superheroes (teachers ARE y'know) should have a Secret Identity complete with alternate vocation (Mr Incredible's SI was an insurance claims approver/denier!) Too bad RIF doesn't bring a corresponding Reduction In Workload. Seems to be inverse effect for those remaining...Best wishes to you no matter how it plays out for you.
My sympathies are with you guys and gals in DISD. Frankly, with economics becoming more stringent, I fear that my specialty, art, could eventually go the way of the dodo. And that's sad. I don't think what we have done to education has made more children active learners. Instead I think too many children do exactly the minimal amount of work they can get by with, and not one iota more. If you should find yourself job-seeking, head up north to Lewisville. We could use some humor up here. And we have a school board that actually balances their budgets. Imagine that!
Thank you for news about my own school district, CCSD. I'm surprised to hear we're hiring. Perhaps we wouldn't be short teachers--although math, science, and SpEd are always shortage areas--if we hadn't been a hiring freeze all summer long because our STATE leaders can't do math. Things are tight here, too--in the entire state. Couple the state money woes with the effects of the economy on a city supported by tourism, and I have to tell you things are depressing 'round here.
We went from hardly ever being told "No" on anything our hearts desired and having special money for after school programs, instructional aides, and field trips to begging for paperclips. At least there was no talk of RIF, though.
Keeping my fingers crossed that you miss the blade! Keep your good humor intact!
I too have been thinking about you, crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. I just don't know how all these bozos manage to keep THEIR jobs when there's such an error of epic proportions. People constantly talk about holding teachers accountable. Well, what about the bozos? Just wondering.
Perhaps you could sell more shirts if you made some that said "I once taught for the DISD and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt" Just a suggestion.
Keep me posted on this whole thing. How horrible it is to hear of this kind of stuff.
Thanks, everyone.
Joel, I might just make a shirt that says that...
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