It's official I have been fired, laid off, not asked back, cut for budget reasons, cut because I do not have tenure and the Chicago Teachers Union is a load of crap. What ever you call it I will not be returning to Harper High School next year. I will not have a room a Harper, I will not be pushing the lap top cart around in the 09 10 school year. I will not need to find someone to let me in the women's bathroom next to the English department ever again. If you know me, you know I cried about it. I did. I cried. I had a beer with some other teachers that were also not invited back. I went home put on my pajamas and sat on the couch with my roommate. Cried a little, watched some Sinbad, laughed, talked about the awesome TV shows we watched as kids and went to bed.
Before you feel too bad for me know that I was fired purely for polotical/beauraucratic reasons. In Chicago a tenured teacher cannot be fired (or what ever you want to call it) it takes 5 years to become tenured. I was literally the last person hired at Harper. Harper was supposed to fire 14 teachers in September but becasue we are a "turnaround" school were allowed to keep everyone, even though some teachers suck. So me, another 08 TFA and 23 other teachers were called in to th office one at time during 7th and 8th period to hear the news. Some of us teach classes during those periods but they didn't care. Luckily I do not teach a 8th period so I did not have to return to my class after the news.
It did feel good when about 6 of my kids came looking for me...becasue the kids know everything at Harper and usually they know things before we do...it was nice when CG came in to the English work room sat down next to me apologized with tears streaming down her cheeks about ditching my class that day. Then she say next to me for about 20 minutes and cried, she didnt say any thing. I knew then that Candise really did care that I was not going to be returning. "Candise, you are graduating, you won't even be here."
"But I want you to be here for my friends, I want to com visit you."
Clyde offered to put on a mask and fill a sock with rocks and bash in the Princepal's car for me. I loved that. I really did. Don't worry I told him NO. I told him to go talk with Butler instead, stage a peaceful proteset but not end up arrested because of anything.
I love those students. Even when I hate them. I love them more when I hate them. I love them the most when they are willing to break the law for me. Truth.
