Getting a Good Deal

Contract Issues The teachers in Oakland have been without a contract for more than the time I’ve been teaching here (so more than 14 months). It has to do with the school district being bankrupt and taken over by a state administrator and the tension that that has caused everyone. Today, is good Berkeley/SF/Oakland style, there was a protest after school during the time that staff usually have meetings. I actually first heard about the protest from a woman at my church wanting everyone to go to the rally and sign a paper in support of the teachers. (I love my progressive politically active church!) Keep in mind that our district is HUGE with like 6 high school campuses, each with 1500+ students. It is easy to feel a big disconnect between the district administration and your own school site. So when OEA (union) notes come along, I usually don’t pay too much attention, I just try to focus on my students in the here and now. Alright, so here is how it affected me today… I’m part of a 5 member advisory committee that creates the lesson plans for the school’s advisory class. Today was to be our presentation of the lessons for the next 8 weeks. We had our presentation broken up among the committee members. Then the announcement of the protest came. Then the announcement that 2 of our members would be going along with ¾ of the teaching staff. I didn’t go because I was working in my room with my girls and the candygrams for CAC. The principal walks by to go to the meeting, “it’s time for the meeting Ms. Kinney.” I walk in and it turns out that we’re going to present anyways, even with the members and the staff missing. I’m unprepared to do the parts that are not mine. Just about all of the questions get focused on me because I talked more than my other committee partner. I’m on the hot seat. I’m embarrassed by our poor performance and a little ticked that the committee members bailed on me. Grrr. The worst part is the fact that we’ll have to do the presentation again because the entire staff needs to see it so they can actually do it in their advisory class next week!! Highlights **The CAC candygrams has surpassed the $100 gross mark… about $70 net, so far. Two days left to sell these things! **Today we experienced weather!! Our first day of RAIN!! Thank you God! Not as many kids skipped school today as I thought would. **Homecoming on Friday—should be fun if there is no rain (or not too heavy). **Wilderness First Aid Class this weekend, then I can officially go backpacking with the BAWT gear.