Little Complaints

Today after school we had a faculty meeting. The first thing on the agenda was to discuss budget concerns for next school year. The economy is not good and basically we can only afford to spend what we spent this school year for next year. For your information, Loudoun's budget for 2009 was $745,500,922. We are a very large school system, but still, WOW. As a taxpayer that number frightens me. Our property taxes increased by $200 a month this last year, $2400 for the year. I got a $150 raise this year total. I am conflicted because as a taxpayer, I cannot see paying any more. As a teacher, it scares me what we as teachers we will lose.

Annoying thing about faculty meeting... "Equity Training" after budget talks. We're sitting here talking about all of the teachers that will lose their jobs, how class size will increase, and services to students will be reduced. Then we sit there and for an extra hour to be trained on how to be more equitable. NO ONE wanted to be there. How about we get rid of the whole paid team of people that are in charge of creating long and boring trainings on equity and keep some teachers so we can reduce class sizes. just saying... I have nothing against equity. It's great! Let's do it!

Also, after complaints from from some teachers through the union, we now have inauguration day off. You're probably thinking, well that's nice an extra day off of work. What it actually means is that the schools will be closed so all of the work that you would have done that day at school, you will need to do at home. Which means, I get to lug home 24 writing journals and somehow input grades through the internet that I don't have. They are letting us come in the SATURDAY afterward so we can get our work done. I heard an experienced teacher say, "We've never gotten off inauguration day before. Why this year?" ...that's very equitable.

I love my job, the part where I get to teach. The other part, well...