And if your way should falter along this stony pass......................

It's just a moment -- U2 -- Stuck In A Moment -- 2000


Willie is at the Vet's for his surgery today. Send a little good juju his way, wouldja'?


And while you're at it, send a little for the Princess too?


She's not having very much fun right about now. The carnival ride spun out of control and she got tossed onto the blacktop. Lemme' tell ya' all about it, but first, refresh your memories with the last few paragraphs of this.

Are you done yet? You sure are a bunch of slow readers? Are you high?

Nevermind. Counselor, strike that last question. Let's move on.

So, do we have the picture? The Princess was hoping to move into the lead teacher position for next year's class. She submitted her application and resume several weeks back and waited patiently.

Alright. Maybe not so patiently.

You sure are a demanding bunch. Truth in journalism and all that bullshit.

Where was I? I should take this opportunity to let you know that stress seems to exacerbate my ADD symptoms ( see previous post).

Back to the Princess. This past Monday, she gets an e-mail from the school's HR person to say that the director, J, wants to meet with her. She had heard through the grapevine that J was interviewing others for the lead teacher's position. It was only natural that she would assume she was to be interviewed as well.

She dressed nicely. She talked to me about what she might answer when asked specific questions. She was very excited even though she tried to steel herself against the fact that she probably would not get the job. She was convinced that she did not, despite the dual Master's, have enough experience. But my Princess, ever the fearless go-getter, forged ahead.

I told her to call me as soon as she was done. She did.

Near tears.

She would not be a lead teacher. There is a very strong candidate, well known to the current director who is the top contender for the job.

The Princess was disappointed, but that was not actually the reason the Director had called her in. He went on to tell her that not only was she not getting the lead teacher's job, she was basically being pushed out of her current job at the end of her contract in July. It seems that the school has an " informal policy" to allow the lead teachers to choose their own associates. He told her that there have been 3 separate instances in the past where a new lead had joined the staff with a returning associate, and the integration had NOT worked. The kids were too attached to the returning associate and did not bond with the lead. The returning associates had sometimes been resentful of the new lead teacher. The associates had tried to tell the lead how to do things.

Blah de blah de fucking blah.

He called this kid into his office knowing FULL WELL that she was expecting to be interviewed for the lead teachers job..........and then he basically asks her to leave at the end of the school year!

He did, however, make it a point to tell her OVER AND OVER that this had NOTHING to do with her performance or abilities. He just thought that, with the precedent already being set, it was better for the associates to leave when their lead left. He asked her to think about what he had said and get back to him with her decision after the weekend.

She was blindsided. Devastated. She called me a few minutes after the meeting, barely able to keep composed.

He has her over a barrel. Because she works by an annual contract, if she tells him that she has decided to stay, he will simply refuse to renew her contract and probably make certain to refuse a reference letter to a potential new employer. She has to leave. She was given no choice.

The first year teacher who worked extra hours to meet their staffing needs, who stayed late and came in early, who served for days at a time as the lead teacher when R. was out again and yet again............. and he's shoving her out the door without regard.

The school scuttlebutt is that he has already promised the lead teacher job to the top contender, and likely promised her that she could bring her own associate with her.

So the Princess has to suck up, be nice and tell him that she will leave for the good of the kids........so she can get a decent reference letter clearly stating that she was not fired, nor was she asked to leave because of incompetence. Her current lead teacher has already agreed to write a glowing reference on the Princess' teaching abilities.

The job search begins anew, with less vigor than last year. The Princess is disillusioned. She is angry that hard work, honesty and diligence is NOT a guarantee of success. She has been demeaned and embarrassed, and now she has to play the game with the director until the end of the school year.

I, for one, would like to go to the school and have a friendly chat with this guy. Refresh his memory a bit. About how he used my kid for the past 7 months and never offered her a bone for her efforts. About how he is dismissing such incredible potential. About how he, as an educator, should know better than to crush the dreams of anyone so eager to learn.


About how angry it makes me when some prick in a suit fucks with my kid.


However, I think that might limit her future employment opportunities.




Unless I hide the body really well.