11.03.2009
This is the ninth week I've spent in a New York public school, and needless to say, I'm completely exasperated with everything about it. Like I've said before, there are no resources available to teachers at my school, a horrible administration, and the kids are driving me nuts. Now, if it were just the kids, I could probably learn to love this job with time. But working within the constraints of a totally broken system being run by arrantly incompetent administrators makes the job impossible. How the Department of Education manages to keep teachers past their first year is beyond me. I'm desperately seeking a way out at this point, and I've been tempted to just stop showing up to work.
For one, my principal is a racist asshole. Today, he commented that bringing religion into the classroom is inappropriate. Instead of saying "teachers have been bringing their religion into the classroom," he decided it was necessary to add that "black teachers have been bringing their religion into the classroom." When teachers commented on that, the principal decided to change the subject or rudely talked over them with his microphone. Then, when the teachers refused to relent, the principal said, "Mr. So-and-So, you must calm yourself now and stop talking unless you want to get written up for insubordination."
Next up, he treats the special education students as subhumans. He came up to the middle school group, the one responsible for the selection process, and commented that we allowed some kids with fetal alcohol syndrome into the school and there's absolutely "no reason for those kids to be here." Yes, it's our fault we let them in because kids with fetal alcohol syndrome do not have a right to have the right to get their education at a good school. Yes, it's our fault we let them in because kids with fetal alcohol syndrome could really have prevented their defects. Yes, it's our fault we let them in because their conditions prevent them from being as high-achieving as other students who have had supportive parents with resources.
Not only that, he always uses intimidation tactics in an attempt to scare or torture his faculty. He should realize by this point that everybody hates him and knows that the intimidation tactics aren't going to work. He's yelled at another first-year teacher multiple times at this point for teaching those special education kids with fetal alcohol syndrome and, I quote, "wasting school resources."
At this point, I've decided that if I ever get yelled at for not meeting his expectations, I'm going to flip the fuck out, curse him out, and quit. I am not taking bullshit from a man who can hardly walk up the stairs and treat his teachers with respect.