There's no bizness like education bizness...

We continue to be threatened by the fedseral government if we don't meet certain standards. What's this all about? Wouldn't you think that every person in the US at least, has heard the idiom "you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar"? Translation: somewhere in the foundation courses for those people planning on being BUREAUCRATS, the concept of customer service was neglected. Don't misunderstand; I've actually met some very sweet and kind bureaucrats, but generally speaking, even whenthey are nice and helpful, they are still tied to the rules and the rules well, the rules.

Whether it's the administration of your own school district or the water department or the building permits, you have to face those people without personality and far less than happy, who can make your life more challenging than it already is. As mentioned in a previous blog, teachers have plenty of TTD (things to do) without adding any other chores, assignments, reports due, instructions followed, etc. without more work. In fact in a study completed by the NEA, teachers have between 43 & 47 more mandated tasks than they did in 1985!

Where does it stop? When do we as a group say "Uncle"?

The fact is WE DO HAVE POWER and it's time we rethink our positions and start looking at what we are being asked to do, eliminate what isn't important, and question the leadership on how we streamline our day-to-day and our week-to-week, and so on. It's time we stand up to the current thinking "it's all about the children" and add "it's all about each of us because one life is not more important than another"! We can only be effective teachers when we are energized, complete, and feeling like we are essential to the process.