So, yesterday I went by the school late. Like 5 p.m. I was supposed to be there much earlier, but I got stuck waiting for the carpet cleaners to come detox my apartment. I needed to get to my mailbox because I was expecting a package, and didn't want to wait until monday (I'm impatient like that.) Pulling into the front lot, I could see that there were only two vehicles parked, and one of them was the school van. I wasn't expecting to be able to get into the admin building.
I parked and walked to the front door. Yup... locked up like a safe... but the lights were on, which meant there was a chance that some workaholic might still be inside. Just so happens I was right - MS Principal Gus saw me pull up from his office window and came out to open the door for me. We were a little surprised to see each other.
But Gus wasn't just being nice, he actually wanted to talk to me. Apparently I have, one again, been given a roster that is 30 bodies over the union limit of 180. That means that before the school years starts I have to either sign a waver that legitimizes my student count, or they have to lighten my load by moving kids out of my classes. Gus just wanted to know whether or not I'd sign the waiver.
Now friends, let me tell you that the same issue came up last year. My problem wasn't that I had too many students... my problem was that Principal Palpatine had instructed the counselors to cram 40+ rank beginners into a band class, mixed with intermediate and advanced players. She didn't bother to check whether or not I had enough instruments to distribute. I didn't.
A year ago I had a choice to refuse the waiver. I didn't take it because I knew that while I would have put the administration in a position of having to lighten my roster, they were under no obligation to move the students out of particular classes. I knew well that the last thing Palpatine would have done was take kids out of band... she was more likely to kill my AP Theory or Orchestra class first. So I just tolerated it, and made it work. Barely.
Flash forward to this year. Before Summer, I had worked out a plan with Palpatine to drop the theory class and reinstate a beginning instruments class. I liked teaching theory, but the truth was that I knew the enrollment was never big... not to mention the fact that as long a Palpatine insisted on drafting middle schoolers into band, I'd need a separate class for the beginners. Besides, theory is labor intensive, and this year I need to simplify my life as much as possible.
The problem is that even though Palpatine is gone, she still managed to convince the counselors that band has no upper enrollment limit. So where last years single band class had over seventy kids enrolled, this years combined classes have over a hundred. Once again, I am put in the predicament of having too many bodies, not enough instruments.
So the dilemma facing me is this: My easy way out is to decline the waiver. Now that Palpatine has been replaced by an arts-friendly principal, my chances of being able to manage the exodus favorably. *However* By declining the waiver I will be forcing, rather than negotiating a change favorable to my position. That kind of thing has a way of rubbing people the wrong way. Besides, it may very well be that even without the extra bodies - I'll still have a need to exceed the enrollment cap. By insisting that they hold to the contract, I may be forced to deny a talented student from joining our ranks somewhere in the middle of the year.
I am inclined to sign the waiver, and trust that the new administration will work with me, rather than work me over. The only thing that makes me nervous is the fact that the counselors are already facing the problem of overcrowded classes in other areas, and an elective class is probably the bottom of their priorities. While I am not anywhere near as distrusting of them as I was Palpatine, I'm not entirely confident that they will be able to do much.
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4 comments:
Oh man. I don't know. Have you thought about talking to Leto about it Monday? Just to tell him where you've been, and what last year was like (and you REALLY need to remember how tense you were most of the year)?
Really, though, it comes down to not enough instruments in any given class. You already teach split classes, zero period, beginning instruments...how much more adjusting can you do?
How are your compatriots at other schools handling it?
More questions than answers. I'll see you on campus. I'm thinking of you.
Yeah, well here's what I know: I sent an e-mail to the counselors explaining the situation. Since then, my Beg Band count went from 65 down to 52 - so that's a start.
Just the fact that I have two levels of band is going to make my life a LOT easier, so a lot of last year's stress is nixed by that alone.
I already have a game plan on how I'm going to handle it - the advanced group will get the priority on instruments. If I don't have enough for the beginners - it will have to be a "general music" class (all theory, no practical)
Leto already told me that he may have some resources to help me, so well see where that goes.
Finally, my compatriots at other schools don't quite have this issue: Dramatic increase in numbers through forced enrollment isn't something that happens in a lot of schools, so this is a little unusual.
I sorta expected (as I'm sure you did as well) a bit of residual Palpatine behavior. Remember that Gus hasn't seen it work any other way at your school, but Leto has.
It may take more than a month for the school to adjust to her departure in all areas.
I wouldn't, however, sign the waiver unless Leto weighs in on it.
Heh, reminds me of another line from Dune (Sci-Fi Channel Mini-Series)
Leto Atreides: "Now does anyone here think that the Harkonnen just packed up and left?"
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