Today is a red letter day......... Sept 30th.
Probably doesn't mean much to most of you......... last day of the month.. Fall... Winter around the corner........
BUT for anyone in the education field - Sept 30 is a red letter day. It is the day that the government takes a "snap shot" of every kid in every school. It is the day when all the "i's" should be dotted.. and all the "ts" crossed.
Doesn't sound like a big deal does it??? You'd kinda expect by now all the kids would be back in school - registered.. stamped.. approved.
BUT it is so much more than that.. and in my job... I rely on information to trickle down from so many different sources.. the main office.. the school Board.. the parents........ and usually someone falls between the cracks.. and my being the last line of defense... it is usually left up to me to find those lost souls.......
But yesterday I did my final head count........ in past years I have fussed and fumed over the last handful of kids that aren't settled....... This year I just dumped them out of my data base........ so we don't get funding for them.... so what?? I have done everything humanly possible to get all the ducks in a row.....
What I really wish the government would do is a head count of educators.... make sure they are all in the right place - doing their job - all their "Is" dotted and all their "Ts" crossed. Maybe then they would sit up and take notice. BUT the government doesn't much care about the educators. And trust me when I say the damn unions are no help at all.
Let me explain what I am going on about........
At noon every day I have 18 educators in 18 classrooms - I have 2 substitutes should someone be sick (only 2 you say??!!! yeah no one much wants a job that is one hour a day - in the middle of the day ......... so it is a really tough job to fill - even harder to find substitutes for the position) Well yesterday I had 4 lunch educators off........ do the math..................Today I have 7 off. yeah 7 !!! It's Friday - it's been a long month - I guess some of them just felt they deserved a day off - another long weekend....... shrug..I sure as hell don't know... all I know is I have 7 off and approximately 100 kids not covered. That's why they pay me the big bucks..... (smirk smirk)
But there is a happy ending to this saga ....... to this month...... to this Red Letter Day - W and i are taking off......... we are going to the States for the weekend - we are gonna hole up in a pretty lil hotel - we are gonna mix and mingle with some BDSM folks a bit on Saturday - and then do some shopping. BUT most important thing of all - we are gonna spend some time away from the maddening crowds...... just the two of us... create a little "make believe" world where we are the only people that count.
I am SO looking forward to this weekend..to freedom and loving and laughing and relaxing.
It makes the whole month of September worth it.
I will bring my camera....... and maybe my lap top.....but if i don't get a blog up till Monday - you'll all know I am haven't jumped off the edge of the world... I'll be back - We'll be back
Play nice ....... play fair..... take good care of each other...... see you all on Monday.