#15 Scrambling for Voice, Choice, and Agency

Winning a Battle but Losing a War

If you missed a couple of episodes, the best way to binge-read Scrambling for Voice, Choice, and Agency is to use the Table of Contents links to previous posts.

The Dark of Winter

From: Chance
the dark of winter
To: Kerry sent - Gmail at 10:02 PM

Hi Kerry—

Getting together with you was just what I needed to give me a boost. The days are getting short, and I hate leaving in the morning when it is still dark and then getting home in the dark. It is starting to get to me.

Do you remember when I told you about Ernie, the kid who is keeping me up at night? His mother has complained about me to Stan. Of course, you know what happened next. Stan has taken her side.

Now I know he is trying to get rid of me. Why wouldn’t he come to me so we could work together to help Ernie?

Maybe it is time to trade in all of this madness for a job with Rich….and a nice new car and a down payment on a house….

I have an appointment with my principal. I doubt she is going to be able to help me. Remember, the last time I complained to her? I got my card tables, but I also got Stan……I am living inside the classic story of winning a battle but losing a war……

Chance

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From: Kerry
re: the dark of winter
To: Chance sent - Gmail 6:38 AM

Hi Chance—

Don’t give up….please don’t give up……

The world needs more 5th grade teachers who care about teaching democracy to the next generation of voters….not more tech workers who drive ugly, expensive cars and trucks that look like toasters.

Don’t forget what I told you about the dreaded mid-year teacher slump. I just Googled it to see if I could find something that would help you. I got over a million results in .48 seconds……Teacher slump at this time of year is a real thing.

I looked at a bunch of the sites, and frankly, it was depressing….I saw lots of ideas about getting more sleep, self-care, and having more fun. My least favorite: organize your desk. Mine is really old and falling apart…not enough drawers….Do I have a good place to put my computer? Nonexistent……

I did not see one single thing about surviving the tyranny of standardized tests or how to work with people like Stan…or Wanda……

Several of the lists said to ask for help, so I think you are on the right track to get your principal involved……

Things seem to be going well with the new principal search at my school…I’m keeping my fingers crossed….surely there is someone out there who wants to lead a teacher-powered school.

Kerry

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From: Chance
re: the dark of winter
To: Kerry sent - Gmail at 7:37 PM

Hi Kerry—

I’m not giving up……yet……but……I have arranged to take a day off school to go look at Rich’s company.

I told Stan and my principal that I needed the day off to go look at a 21st Century workplace to make sure I am on the right track preparing my students for the future.

Stan thought it was a great idea. He thinks it will wake me up to the reality of the world and the competition out there. He thinks that ‘winning’ in the ‘war’ of meritocracy is all about test scores. He even told me that I should ask a few of the most successful people in the company what their SAT scores were.

I wish I could have told Stan that he is out of his mind.

Winter break can’t come fast enough for me.

The last lesson in the Social Studies curriculum in the Impact of War unit is actually fun. When I saw that I was supposed to teach the causes and consequences of the Cold War in two hours, I was furious. The Cold War is such a complicated subject for adults, how was I supposed to teach it to my kids?

Then….I saw that one of the suggested activities was a game involving secret identities. I’m not sure that they will be able to connect the game to the Red Scare of the 1950s, but they are really learning about the key component that trust plays in a democracy.

The kids are really getting into the game. When the Soviet Union falls at the end of the game, it will be fascinating to find out if they learned the lessons of hot and cold wars.

How is the principal search going?

Chance

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From: Kerry
re: the dark of winter
To: Chance sent - Gmail 5:49 AM

Hi Chance—

Thinking about you going off for the day with Rich is making me suck in my breath…or faint….or both….

Don’t get any wild ideas about working at a place with free food, a gym on site, and the ability to use the restroom whenever you choose.

The principal search is going well. I think that we might actually be able to proceed with our plans for teacher-centered leadership and decision making.

It will be quite a bit more work, but it is will be the best thing for the students. I am eager to get started.

Did you know that there is serious research that says that students actually perform better on standardized tests when the teachers have more decision-making power in the school?

I wonder what Stan would say about that??

Kerry