THANK THE LORD FOR THOSE WHO TRY TO TEACH
OTHERS ONE STEP & ONE DAY AT A TIME !
Let me see if I've got this right.
You want me to go into that room with all
those kids, and fill their every waking
moment with a love for learning.
Not only that, I'm to instill a sense of
pride in their ethnicity, behaviorally
modify disruptive behavior,
and observe them for signs of abuse, drugs,
and T-shirt messages.
I am to fight the war on drugs and sexually
transmitted diseases, check their backpacks
for guns and raise their self-esteem.
I'm to teach them patriotism, good
citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play,
how and where to register to vote,
how to balance a checkbook and how to apply
for a job, but I am never to ask if they
are in this
country illegally.
I am to check their heads occasionally for
lice, maintain a safe environment,
recognize signs of potential antisocial
behavior,
offer advice, write letters of
recommendation for student employment and
scholarships, encourage
respect for the cultural diversity of
others, and oh yeah, teach, always making
sure that I give the girls in my class
fifty percent of my attention.
I'm required by my contract to be working,
on my own time, summer and evenings and at
my own expense towards
additional certification, advance
certification and a master's degree,
to sponsor the cheerleaders or the
sophomore class and after school I am to
attend committee and faculty
meetings and participate in staff
development training to maintain my current
certification and employment status.
I am to collect data and maintain all
records to support and document our
building's progress in the selected state
mandated program to "assess and upgrade
educational excellence in the public
schools."
I am to be a paragon of virtue larger than
life, such that my very presence will awe
my students into being obedient and
respectful of authority.
I am to pledge allegiance to supporting
family values, a return to the basics, and
my current administration.
I am to incorporate technology into the
learning, but monitor all web sites for
appropriateness while providing
a personal one-on-one relationship with
each student.
I am to decide who might be potentially
dangerous and/or liable to commit crimes in
school or who is possibly
being abused and I can be sent to jail for
not mentioning these suspicions to those in
authority.
I am to make sure ALL students pass the
state and federally mandated testing and
all classes, whether or not they attend
school on a regular basis or complete any
of the work assigned.
I am to communicate frequently with each
student's parent by letter, phone,
newsletter, and grade card.
I'm to do all of this with just a piece of
chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin
board, a 45 minute or less plan time
and a big smile on a starting salary that
qualifies my family for food stamps in many
states.
Is that all?
And you want me to do all of this and
expect me to do it without praying?

Del "Abe" Jones, abeabe@worldnet.att.net,
7/08/02

This month's letters: