My jr. high/high school children have their first day on Wednesday. I've finished paying all their school fees and am still amazed at what a "free and appropriate" public education is costing me. :p
God I love this time of the year…foot ball, cooler weather and my school zones are soon to be in effect! I can just hear it now...."What, the school zone hasn't started....I wasn't going that fast (35 in a 20)....I don't live in this town (as if that matters)...this is bull****...Shouldn't you be out there catching real criminals...my brother is a cop (I’m still trying to figure out why the woman screamed that…yes, these are all real quotes)"...and my all time favorite "I'll see you in court!" to which my answer is "Thanks, I need the overtime...now sign here at the 'x'..." and in slow and sarcastic voice "Drive carefully."
I am SOOOOoooooo looking forward to this school year. My last of three is off to college on the 28th and my wife and I are FINALLY on our own. After 24 years married, 23 years with kids, we are so ready to enjoy the company of just each other.
We bought season tickets to Army football. We have two road trips scheduled for wine-tasting w/B&Breakfasts. Going on a cruise with other adult friends. Trip to Disney sans kids. All this is planned between now and January.
Be glad you had that long. Here in SoCal, outside of LA teachers reported 8/5 and school started 8/10. However, the trade off isn't that bad. We get the whole week at Thanksgiving, 3 weeks at Christmas, 1 week at Spring Break (not related to Easter of course) and last day of school: May 28.
In another life, when I become an administrator, I will implement meaningful hands on in service classes. We have two days on campus and two days vertical teaming at the high school 45 minutes away from ours. Convenient to the administrators, but not to us is the norm. I know they have to go through the expectations, the rules, changes in the rules, special education and on and on and on, but my district is OBSESSED with technology. We already use laptops, projectors, smartboards, CPS systems, doc projectors and have tested through all the programs we use. Couldn't they give us one year to enjoy our accomplishments? Yet at my campus we have to make extensive changes to our mandatory websites to make quizzes and activities interactive. That's hard to do with an art class but I'm game. It just gets a bit annoying to have to create elaborate lesson plans while the facilitators simply run off a sheet, send us to a website and imply they are doing us a favor by even being there. I have to wonder if this is the way they run their classes as well. Plus I hate the touchy feely icebreakers. I would rather have this time to work in my room and get things prepared. One more day of nonsense.....
9 comments:
My jr. high/high school children have their first day on Wednesday. I've finished paying all their school fees and am still amazed at what a "free and appropriate" public education is costing me. :p
Hope you have a great year!!
Summer's over - I was at school today. My official day to report is tomorrow, and the kids are back next Monday.
Great break, though.
God I love this time of the year…foot ball, cooler weather and my school zones are soon to be in effect! I can just hear it now...."What, the school zone hasn't started....I wasn't going that fast (35 in a 20)....I don't live in this town (as if that matters)...this is bull****...Shouldn't you be out there catching real criminals...my brother is a cop (I’m still trying to figure out why the woman screamed that…yes, these are all real quotes)"...and my all time favorite "I'll see you in court!" to which my answer is "Thanks, I need the overtime...now sign here at the 'x'..." and in slow and sarcastic voice "Drive carefully."
I am SOOOOoooooo looking forward to this school year. My last of three is off to college on the 28th and my wife and I are FINALLY on our own. After 24 years married, 23 years with kids, we are so ready to enjoy the company of just each other.
We bought season tickets to Army football. We have two road trips scheduled for wine-tasting w/B&Breakfasts. Going on a cruise with other adult friends. Trip to Disney sans kids. All this is planned between now and January.
Empty nest? Bring it ON!!!
Meanwhile you teachers have fun at school. };^)
Mrs. C. - watch out, you'll get Darren on another of his illegal school fees rants. He only has 15 now in his blog's historical files.
No one likes a braggart, Steve, or a smart aleck :-)
Be glad you had that long. Here in SoCal, outside of LA teachers reported 8/5 and school started 8/10. However, the trade off isn't that bad. We get the whole week at Thanksgiving, 3 weeks at Christmas, 1 week at Spring Break (not related to Easter of course) and last day of school: May 28.
GO, Darren! Really, I'm ok with paying for my kids share of public education. Let's just not pretend that it is "free" or "appropriate." Discuss. LOL
In another life, when I become an administrator, I will implement meaningful hands on in service classes. We have two days on campus and two days vertical teaming at the high school 45 minutes away from ours. Convenient to the administrators, but not to us is the norm. I know they have to go through the expectations, the rules, changes in the rules, special education and on and on and on, but my district is OBSESSED with technology. We already use laptops, projectors, smartboards, CPS systems, doc projectors and have tested through all the programs we use. Couldn't they give us one year to enjoy our accomplishments? Yet at my campus we have to make extensive changes to our mandatory websites to make quizzes and activities interactive. That's hard to do with an art class but I'm game. It just gets a bit annoying to have to create elaborate lesson plans while the facilitators simply run off a sheet, send us to a website and imply they are doing us a favor by even being there. I have to wonder if this is the way they run their classes as well. Plus I hate the touchy feely icebreakers. I would rather have this time to work in my room and get things prepared. One more day of nonsense.....
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