Ba Humbug!

I apologize for the new black-n-white look. It’s not a change of style for the newsletter. Due to, I was told, budget contingencies, the color HP Laser Printer I had in my room was removed. Fortunately, the power of the pen—well, type—is just as persuasive in black-n-white, if not more so. Long live the power of the pen! Viva!

It’s the fourth week and I’m still receiving requests to enroll students. Some probing and I usually get that they have been waiting weeks to be assigned classes required to graduate. A lot of students have been withdrawn from my classes due to having met the class requirement already. In the end, the story will be ‘teachers are not raising student test scores.’ Give me a break! When the enchiladas hit the fan, test scores go down, the finger will point at our direction.

The story line will be that we are not good teachers and we are not doing what we should and that if we were, test scores would reflect otherwise.

Ba Humbug!

I suspect counselors are not at fault, but the switch to the 4x4 with not enough preparation time.

In the meantime, I need help. I’d like to know what kind of good teaching techniques I should use to get students caught up that have missed four weeks of the ten week mester? I’m sure they’ll come up with something that will have all the bells and whistles of good theoretical teaching. Ay Caramba!

I know, let’s all will it into existence. Not unlike the Little Engine That Can. Yes I can; Yes I can; Yes I can...Si Se Puede!

Ba Humbug!

It’s late at night and I’m getting too creative so I’ll just shoot out a blast of whys:

Why is it so hard to print from computers?; Why are 18/57 computers in room 6 broken?; Why is no teacher in charge of room 6?; Why don’t all students have network accounts to access their work from any station?; Why are two computer carts (40 laptops) in room 1 (book room) instead of being used by students?; Why are two other carts (IBM Laptops) hardly used?; Why have so many laptops been stolen already?; Why haven’t teachers been trained to use Canopy?; Why do we only have 10 or so LCD Projectors for teachers?; Why haven’t more been ordered yet?; What software licenses do we have, when do they expire, which ones will we upgrade, where will the licenses be maintained?; Why hasn’t the Abobe MX Suite been upgraded? Why is it so difficult to get tech assistance?’; Why are we going to pay someone to maintain our school’s web page?; Why wasn’t a teacher(s) asked to maintain it with students?’; Why weren’t any resources made available to the teacher that used to maintain it but now are to the company that will?; Who were the teachers that were consulted about this?; Why don’t teachers decide the topics of staff development?; Why are there so many meetings?; Why aren’t all school budgets totally transparent?—what do we have, the categories, and yes, who gets what?; How about who gets paid additional hours beyond their normal 120hr/month pay and why?; What about Block Grant AB1802?—how about having a clear, simple, equitable way of making these funds available for teacher and their classrooms?; How about shutting up Mr. Nava and go to sleep?; How about all of us going to sleep on these and other issues? This would not contribute to making our administrators more effective. It really is in our best interest for our administrators to be successful. Have no doubt about this.