While I Am Trying to Survive

the next few weeks until the school year starts again in Oregon, the test-taking machines, once known as students, once again jump on the treadmill at Washoe County School District. This year could be the watershed year where teachers and administrators are kicked to the curb if they don't meet the impossibly high standards set forth by not just the district, but by the idiotic national "common core" bullshit peddled by Duncan and Gates.

Nobody dares to come forward and call b.s. on the whole charade. Certainly don't count on the fake "unions" to say anything against it; after all, they work for the district while taking money from its members.

Superintendent Pedro Martinez was making the rounds yesterday welcoming the test takers back to another year of pain and suffering. He even wrote a "welcome back" letter to "colleagues" (also known as "lambs to the slaughter") and signed it "Pedro."

Here it is:

With our school doors opening for the 2013-2014 school year this morning, I wanted to officially welcome you back! I know how much work goes into preparing for today and the excitement involved in the first day of school. Thank you for all that you have done already to make today successful and so welcoming for our students and families.

Staff from the central office will be at schools across the District today to support you and the opening of school. We will be there to help troubleshoot any problems that may arise and provide any assistance you may need. We are excited to get this school year going!

I also wanted to share with you some of the exciting plans we have for this year (watch this video with a short welcome back message). This is the fourth year under our strategic plan, Envision WCSD 2015 – Investing In Our Future. We will be updating the plan this year and will want to hear from you in the process. What do you see as the next steps for us to continue to progress as a school district? What is working or needs to be changed? This update will not be a new plan, but a reflection of what has been accomplished and what still needs to be done. Like any effective plan, we need to make sure ours is reaching its intended goals. We want to continue to become a better school district, and we will be using this opportunity to reflect and continue to forge a path for our future. Be on the lookout for ways to get involved in this conversation in the upcoming months.

In the next few weeks, you also will be hearing about how students across WCSD are doing academically. Our latest proficiency scores and graduation rates highlight the growth we have made as a school district and also show where we must continue to work to ensure that every child graduates high school ready for college and highly-skilled careers. I am proud of what we have accomplished so far and am excited to share the latest news.

New beginnings are always exciting and the 2013-2014 school year is no exception. It is a great time to be a part of the WCSD community. I am very excited to be doing this work with you and am eager to see what we can achieve together.

Thank you for your continued commitment and dedication to our students,

If he can shitcan that asshole who illegally fired me five years ago, I can die happy. I may die penniless because of her, but I will die happy.

I am going to closely watch the administrator comings and goings this year. I note that the person who used to be the Lemmon Valley E.S. principal before she was yanked out is no longer in the staff directory. Either she was demoted all the way to teacher or else she resigned.