Caught in the Whirlwind
A teacher living in the era of education reform may survive, but it will not be unscathed. The current school year has unleashed a barrage of attacks on everything a classroom teacher values and stands for. This blitzkrieg has caused me to hunker down and get centered before daring to pick up the pen (hit the keyboard?) again.
Budget Cuts-A dramatic reduction in counseling, clerical, and custodial staff has left my school with a skeleton crew of employees to meet the needs of our 2,100 students. Classrooms go unswept, hallways and stairwells are acquiring an odd smell, teachers are hoarding supplies, and to top it off, hot food in the cafeteria is a rarity. It’s not safe to have 10 people monitoring