Come on, let's RIF again

Bremerton School District is still trying to rework the budget and get out of RIFing people (Reduction In Force). I am one of those on the list. That is what prompted me to seek employment elsewhere. And the fact that a dozen or so schools were going to be closed in the Seattle School District (which according to the five o'clock news last night has been nixed--they aren't closing schools), I was worried that jobs would be unavailable in Western Washington. So I looked to Alaska.

Anyway, she probably shouldn't have shown me, but my mentor teacher showed me an internal email in which a counselor said that as parents are registering for next year, several parents have actually been requesting me to teach their children. Apparently, some of the students and parents I have met this year say I'm kinda good. That's word of mouth for you!

Unfortunately because of the RIFs, there will probably be only three English teachers in the ninth grade next year and not four. This will increase class size dramatically and those state scores that they have been trying so hard to bring down will be compromised. Classes of 35+ are no way to teach English. That's fine for a college classroom lecture-style, but not in the ninth grade. Counselor thinks we will need four teachers of English--so then, why the RIF?

Here is my thought--I know this is against the union thing but here goes--shouldn't the administration be able to keep teachers they think are good and get rid of others? I understand tenure but you still have to know what you're doing. There are several English teachers I know that can't hold a decent English literature or grammar discussion with me. They haven't heard about several authors and poets. They know "education" according to their degree, but they don't know English. Doesn't my English expertise count for something?

It's all good, to use the ninth grade vernacular I've picked up. I'm on my way to a greater adventure. And the school district forced me to look at other opportunities to keep my family fed. I have parents requesting ME, and I'm one of the 22 who are being RIFed.