Games are fun to play
Sometimes you’ve just gotta try cheating…
Playground baseball has many of the same elements that MLB does. Batters, pitchers, fielders and a healthy dose of avoiding an honest outcome. Avoiding the rules of the game is a big part of playground ball. Always has been. Always will be. It’s best if you can shift blame to a third party, though…
“Interference..!”
Remember that one? What a classic. If the call wasn’t going your way, you could almost always find something that interfered with your play. Maybe it was the kid who was chasing a kickball onto your diamond.
“Interference..!”
Or the tree stump that had always occupied a place in left field…
“Interference..!”
My favorite was the ruts in the third base line. We had dug them in there pretty deep with all the leads we had taken in trying to get that pitcher to balk or miss a throw down at the bag. And then…
“Interference..!”
Yeah, “Interference..!” was a great catch-all for our less-than-stellar performance. And maybe, just maybe, if we “sold it” with enough sincerity we could get the ultimate call…
The do-over.
The greatest playground call of all time. The "Mother of All Playground Lies"... The opportunity to back-peddle, reset and avail yourself of the chance to emerge victorious.
Your Association is being asked for a do-over. We’re being asked to believe there was an interference call back in the third inning of a game we played last year.
When I was asked to chair your Community Relations post back in 2012, I had no idea I’d find my time spent decoding the growing threat of alternative parasite schools. I told Lou, our President, that I felt we had “lost our Brand” in this City and I was passionate about uncovering our unique product and telling our story.
That was pretty short-lived (as those of you who have read my columns know).
Instead, my time has been devoted to presenting a clear, concise dissection of Innovation school takeover plans, their unwillingness to play by the rules and the ever-increasing, encroachment of Charter schools.
Now, I’ve been asked to tell the story of the do-over request. The ultimate “Interference..!” call that comes in the form of city sources questioning the contract they ratified with us last Fall.
One of the critical components of that new instrument was a plan to encourage our elementary colleagues to accept after-school planning sessions paid at the hourly rate. Now, I know for a fact that many of my colleagues rejoiced over that piece. Let me tell you, there is a special place in the heart of an elementary classroom teacher when it comes to planning. Planning comes in three forms: the Friday afternoon block; the specialist block and the “I’ll-do-it-at-home” block. The Friday block doesn’t begin at 1 p.m. It begins after dismissing their students at 1 p.m., walking them to their respective bus or corner, returning to the workplace and settling into the task. That’s an overlap of responsibilities my colleagues have accepted as long as I’ve been around. The specialist block is based in Art, Music and Phys Ed classes that relieve the classroom teacher from their teaching / supervisory role and permits them time to perform perfunctory duties. Copying, correcting, classroom/ hallway bulletin boards, parent calls and more. Our system stands apart from every other district. The New Bedford student receives specialist instruction only once in a two-week period. We’ve ALWAYS been behind the curve on this one, folks… So, when our new contract gave teacher’s remunerative credit for the disparity between our elementary / secondary planning period, there was a collective cheer in Bronspiegel Auditorium this past October.
Not so fast…
The other team is asking for a do-over.
Our bargaining unit was recently contacted by the legal branch of the other team. Seems they might have neglected to understand one important thing that we, as teachers, mathematicians and thinkers, understand inherently.
Somebody’s gotta pay for all this.
That’s right. They brushed past those contract items that weren’t in the forefront of their conscious selves. For them, it was all about the evaluation piece. The non-retro piece. The 91 day thing. The 1.75% thing. The “we’ve-gotta-finish-this-befor
The “behind-closed-doors-sh*t-we’v
So, I’m here to tell you something…
Stop it.
Stop the after-school planning that you've taken on. Forgive and forget the planning you've done.
Just stop it. Now.
8 comments:
It is sad that other districts see the importance of specialists, not just for the allowance of planning time but for the education and integration of unified arts throughout the curriculum to benefit- yes the children. I remember when we had specialists every week. Art, music, health and physical education. Even then, I remember when I arrived to class, the teacher was so happy I was in because it was the first opportunity to take a bathroom break! I can only imagine what their day is like now!
Well said, Bill....well said. Let's hope everyone's listening.
I don't think PRAB or City Hall cares. I wonder how many teachers are ready to take to the streets. Our members are TOO PASSIVE. We are witnessing the slow dismemberment of our school system. We need a strong show of force at the next SC Meeting to protest this contract violation and Innovation Schools. Will you join me?
Yes it is sad and frustrating!
Couldn't have said it better! We have always put up with "Very Little Planning Time" at the elementary level. The secondary teachers have long been complaining that they don't have enough planning time. I would like to see them try to function on planning, the way we do. It's disgusting. We are supposed to be "Highly Qualified Professionals" yet we are treated like botttom-of-the-barrel employees. We buy our own supplies, we sweat our A*SES off without air conditioning, we deal with constantly broken down equipment, no consumable books,not enough textbooks, constantly being told not to make too many copies, sometimes a break long enough to use the bathroom, playing the role of mom/dad,councelor,nurse,waiter/
waitress, and the NEWEST announcement, being told that they will soon be changing the rules of the use of copying, that we are allowed to send down to the PRAB print shop, without special permission. This was something that gave us a tiny feeling of being helped out.
The students need specialists in the Arts to express their hidden talents and we need it to plan and gather our thoughts. Anyone, who chaperones for a field trip, for a few hours, tells us that they don't know how "WE" can do this! Respect is out the window from every angle in the teaching profession. Students feel the overwhelmed sense from their teachers. It's a situation that's going to cause us to break down. We get promised a little extra pay for extra work after school and our leaders can't even hold up their end of the bargain. Yet, we are still there preparing, for "FREE" because we value our children and want the best for them. Why? "To be prepared and ready at every moment of the day, to keep behavior under control, and our classrooms running smoothly." Any other profession would be out on strike, but our union gave up that right for us. NO STRIKE CLAUSE! Really?? Maybe that's something that should be thought about again! Oh and don't forget, BRING UP THOSE SCORES!
We went along with a sh*tty contract because we understood that times are tough. This is just abuse. Still no breaks, little planning time, and constant pressure. Teachers at the K-5 level are being driven to insanity. We have no allies. We are in an abusive relationship and don't have the strength to change it.
Those that complain that we don't have the strength to change anything are usually the ones that sit on the sidelines and doing nothing to help make a difference. I do agree that mayor Mitchell is once again trying to weasel out of a deal he made but what are you going to do about it? Are you willing to walk a picket line or are you to busy to do anything but complain about those that are out there doing the work.
Yes, I am willing to walk in a picket line...I am too busy to plan one.
Post a Comment