How can one write about education when the law forbids you from speaking against your administration and board of education?  How can you let parents/guardians and students know they are being wronged when you are censored?  Why bother blogging when there is nothing you can say without being reprimanded and possibly punished?

Well, I can write about my colleagues.

I believe we should work together as one.  We support each other and do nothing that will be to another's detriment.  My colleagues do not see things the same.  In our state, we have Student Growth Objectives (SGO) that have a bearing on how we are evaluated each year.  This is in addition to the yearly evaluations we have to endure.  Students are given a pre-assessment of some sort (test, performance, etc.) and we then predict how they will grow as the year goes on.  This growth is determined by performance on quarterly based assessments/exams.  We are instructed to not give any tests during quarterly assessment weeks.  My dear colleagues (usually the men, natch) have a way around this.  They call the tests "quizzes".  They are brilliant!  So what happens?  The students have already been told they are in classes that are the most important in the building.  History and mathematics take precedence over all other disciplines.  This creates a problem for the student.  Study for the quarterly exam in the special class (art, music, etc.) or study for the male-taught most important quiz of the marking period.  What does the student do?  Study for the "quiz" and blow off your quarterly exam.  The grade on the exam is abysmal, thus messing up the teacher's SGO.  But who cares because History and Math are the only classes that count?

So here is my issue:  My colleagues' actions are screwing up my rating as an employee.  And no one is blowing the whistle.  The men doing this are all men who are ass-kissers with administration.  They cultivate an aura of hipness with the students.  They revel in being worshipped by kids they don't care about after graduation.  And there are no consequences.  And no one has made a peep about it.  My observations are good.  I am a highly rated teachers in all respects on paper.  But then when the students are pressured to study for too many exams, what do you think takes a back seat?  Photography.

I will be bringing this up to administration.  I just need to find the right way to do it so that it does not seem like I am being petty.  I have no reason to be petty at this job.  I do have a reason to not want to see my students screw up their grades by choosing what to study for and a reason to not see my colleagues have their SGOs suffer.  It is ironic that the gal who supposedly hates sports is more of a team player than the men who have been coaches.

This place is full of irony.