Forty-five Days To Go

Saturday, April 6, 2019

This event occurred a couple days before Spring Break.  "Schultz, I need you to make some copies of these works sheets for me."  "How many copies?" I asked T4.  "Sixty of each work sheet and put them in two groups of thirty."  That sounds simple enough, right.  I've been making copies for teachers for the entire school year and I've got the system down pat.  However, this request came with a T4 facial expression that spoke volumes.  You see, for almost the entire year, when I was asked to make copies, it was sixty and put them in three groups of twenty.  Putting the copies in two groups rather than three groups seems simple enough until I tell you this.  When I walk into the classroom on Monday, April 8th, at 8:55am, not 9:00am not 8:50am, but exactly at 8:55am, I'm walking into a classroom that will be occupied by thirty fourth grade scholars.  So back to that T4 facial expression when she said, "sixty of each work sheet and put them in two groups of thirty."  Try and visualize the look on her face when she knew, despite her strong objections, that she will have to teach thirty scholars in a classroom that is barely large enough to fit that many desks for the remainder of the school year.

Before I go any farther I'm going to remind you that I'm about to complete my seventh year in this school.  Seven years, no regrets.  Seven years and I've met so many great people, both teachers and support staff, that I plan on returning for year eight.  Now I must tell you that this school has a serious hitch in it's giddy up and you are about to hear about it.

Let's start with the classroom that is to my immediate right when I arrive each day.  With the exception of about two weeks there has been no permanent teacher in this classroom.  How is that possible?  Moving on to the classroom that is to my immediate left when I arrive each day.  Two teachers have occupied this classroom.  Their combined time in this classroom is less then half of the school year.  How is it possible that these two recent graduates failed after only a limited time in the classroom?  As it stands right now, and I know I'm not a teacher, there are only five classroom teachers in this school that have been in the building longer than I have.  That would put me sixth on the teacher seniority list.  Sixth, after only seven years, and I have reason to believe that I'm about to move from sixth on the seniority list up to fifth at the end of he school year.  There is only one way to arrive at this point.  There is a failure at the leadership level, both in the school and at the school corporation office, when they don't recognize the number of teachers that have left this school and ask themselves, why did this happen?  So what are the immediate damages caused by this turnover?  You are about to find out.

The first AnotherT4 departed at Christmas break.  The second AnotherT4 departed at Spring break.  There is no plan to replace these teachers so what are the damages.  The damages are the facial expressions of T4 and OtherT4 when they were told that their class sizes will increase by at least ten scholars each.  That will put both of them right at thirty scholars in their respective classrooms.  Here is the part that really grinds at me.  There are overhead teachers in this school that could have been placed in AnotherT4's classroom for the remainder of the school year and that didn't happen.  When that didn't happen additional damages, damages to the scholars that I work with, will happen.

This took place several months ago.  "Schultz," as T4 handed me a Post It note, "these are your scholars.  Every day, no matter what is going on in this classroom, you help these scholars.  Got it."   "Got it," I responded as I looked at the note that had five names on it with an occasional sixth or seventh name hitting the list.  So, who are these scholars?  They are the bottom quartile.  The ones that really struggle with math facts, and in this particular case, multiplication and division.  T4 has the bulk of the classroom and that is the correct direction to go in.  Assigning me the rest is also the right way to go for this reason.  Small groups, sometimes one on one, and I can slow down the pace and it was working.  You could see it in the scholars faces, it was working.  They were catching on.  They wanted to work with me.  They would rather skip recess and stay inside with the gray haired wrinkly faced old guy and do math and their scores were improving.  And then, BOOM!  Blowed up and on April 8th, T4 will try and figure out how to regroup and start over simply because there is a problem attracting and retaining teachers and that is not her fault.  That is a leadership fault.  Everything about this situation stinks.

It's now Sunday, April 7th, at 2:00pm.  We are at eighteen and a half hours and counting down until T4 and OtherT4 walk into a classroom with thirty scholars each.  Here is what I know for sure.  These are two damn good teachers, they've been busting their humps all year, they will make the adjustments needed, and academic progress will continue because there is no way in hell that they will be defeated.

There are forty-five days to go in the school year and it is going to be interesting, very, very, interesting.  At some point I will know what teachers, if any, are leaving.  What teachers will be changing roles.  Will there be another leadership change.  How will the current leadership change the academic day for the start of another school year.  Best of all, how will I survive three days of camp with sixty or so four grade scholars.  If you stick around I'll be glad to tell you about it.