I’ve been a little bit bugged lately.

Sure, the regulars are always a little annoying…stuff like how my kids can’t put dirty socks in the hamper to save their souls and how cell phone answering machines STILL give detailed instructions on how to leave a message. I mean, seriously, I don’t think there’s a single person in the United States of America who doesn’t know that you should leave a message after the beep and then hang up. Also, did you know that it costs $536.91 to go sit in an doctor’s office with an Endocrinologist for 15 minutes. Yeah, very annoying.

Oh, and there’s the ultimate annoyance that my computer sometimes feels like it needs to freeze like every five minutes. Seriously. Yes, I’m very thankful to have a computer, but I spent a lot on this thing and when you pay that much you do expect that it will at least work. Macs are totally overrated in my book these days.

But lately, more than anything else, I’m so annoyed at budget cuts. Although they did reinstate early intervention therapy across the state (after they ruled that it was illegal to take it away), they are still making a ton of cuts in education funds. To me that just simply doesn’t make sense. They’re letting some of my very favorite teachers go next year and they’re keeping some of the teachers all us parents try to avoid like the plague. How can they get away with this? Makes me so mad. We should keep teachers based on how well they teach our children, not on who’s been there the longest.

So next year they will have huge class sizes (since they have to cut so many teachers) which will be taught by many teachers who simply can’t handle bigger sizes. Why not keep teachers who will have the capacity to handle that?

But here’s the real kicker: they just installed a new electronic marque sign in front of the school. Is that to rub it in our faces that they want to spend our tax dollars on frivolous things rather than on real people who will change the education of our children?

I’ve written letters, gone around and had a bunch of parents sign them, talked to the “big wigs” in the district office and realized that you know what? They don’t really care what parents think. We have to go to the legislature to have a “voice.”

And I’m bugged that I don’t have the time or the energy to open that ball of wax right now.

So, I’m just bugged.

There. Just had to get that off my chest.

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25 Comments

  1. I just got your book for my birthday yesterday! My husband got it without any prompting from me because he thought it looked great and thought the little girl on the front was adorable! I am only a few pages into it, but you are speaking to my soul!

  2. We’re in that same boat, here in North Carolina…and I’m bugged too. Knowing next the class sizes for my sons kindergarten class will be about 30 kids to one teacher (no teacher assistant, either…they’re all being let go because of budget cuts!), we had to do something. And fortunately our kids’ names got chosen in the lottery for a charter school. Two certified teachers and a max of 18 students. What a blessing!

    Keep fighting for those kids (and those teachers who deserve to be teaching)! You’re doing great!

  3. I feel so blessed to be working at a school that is hiring teachers instead of cutting back and decides who comes and goes completely based on merit and not tenure. That’s crazy they don’t listen to parents. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t survive. They’re our customers! I can’t believe that in a state like Arizona where there are so many choices, districts would do things that make them look so bad.

  4. Oh Shawni, that is horrible. I had a bad teacher that made my schooling miserable for years. Literally, she affected the way I saw myself for YEARS. (She asked me daily if I was dumb.) I also had a teacher, a first year teacher, who changed how I saw myself and turned me into a student. My whole education changed and I still get letters from her. I know what a difference a good teacher makes, and it has nothing to do with seniority.

    I’m sure you don’t want to dive into another time consuming fight, but maybe you could delegate it to some other moms in the area.

    Good luck.

  5. My sister is a Speech Pathologist for the Mesa schools…I know she has worried about her job being cut as well! It just really stinks. Future generations is where the biggest part of our investment should go!! And BTW, I have a son with Type 1 Diabetes, so I know about those expensive trips to Endocrinologists: my son goes every 3 months. Thank goodness for insurance!

  6. THIS is one of the big reason that i am taking my kids out of public school AGAIN and putting them back where josh is. not loving this either…so sorry!

  7. I’m totally with Josh on this one. I get so frustrated with the way the districts manage money. Stupid decisions, forgetting who their client is. I believe that it really does come down to poor management at the district level. (I’d love to see superintendents get cut and give more “authority” to principals (like charter schools)… but that’s a long post for another day..)

    You should check out the video I did for a class project (When you have nothing to do for 20 minutes or so). http://www.studiosb3.com/2009/04/29/i-shot-my-senator/

    My goal was to get some answers from the appropriation chairs for the house and senate so I did… I went and interviewed them. It was an amazing experience.

    Good thing school isn’t getting in the way of your kids education and that YOU and DAVE are their #1 teachers…

  8. Don’t even get me started! It is such a helpless situation! What really bugs is that they have the money to buy these new high tec computers and smartboards and this is because it comes from a different part of the budget. Lets look at what we are really trying to do with our children. I would much rather not have a smartboard in the classroom than have some lame teacher with 30+ kids in the class that they can’t manage. Lets realign the budged people! So frustrating!

  9. Thank you! You are truly inspiring and you HAVE taken the time to put up a fight-I am proof of that! No matter what happened, just knowing you and so many others truly care means so much! You are amazing and I am lucky to have you and your children in my life!

  10. We are bugged over here in California too! We moved from Pasadena to Orange County, in part, because the formerly great public schools had been ruined decades early by poor legislation. Now, I find myself in your situation….fabulously talented teachers being cut and wonder if my community will also one day be known as a place that “used to” have great schools. It is so much harder to fix a broken school than it is to support a strong one. I don’t get it. may i suggest egging the fancy marquis? 🙂

  11. I am feeling it first hand too. I hate the way the school system is set up. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do about next year.

  12. Shawni-

    My mom is a reading specialist and she’d say the same thing. The district is completely disconnected from the real needs of the teachers or kids. It’s frustrating. And, the only way to get changes is to go to the legislature.

  13. School issues are some of the most overwhelming and haunting. It is such a big part of our kids future and we feel like we have so little control! Good luck with everything

  14. It is good to be bugged and to get it off your chest! I am bugged about the class size thing to even though our school does not have to allow any new students into it. I am just hoping that all day kindergarten stays even though I have two more years before that reality smacks me in the face!

    It is good to vent and get out the frustrations!

  15. I am so appreciative of all your support and efforts. As you know I’m pretty darn bugged myself… and filled with many emotions knowing that today may be my last day as a second grade teacher. What a blessing it has been to have 19 little bright stars in our class this year. Thanks again Shawni…you’re one amazing lady!

  16. I love it! The school thing….I hear ya,, and when you have a chance I’ll have to let you call Ben’s office, his voice mail is the most annoying message in the world, he not only leaves you instructions twice, he gives you a list of reasons where or what he could be doing, it drives me nuts, and he wont change it! We love you, thank you so much for the book, you and your mom are amazing life changing examples to mothers everywhere……..hope to see you this summer!

  17. Some things are worth fighting for. And this whole education/budget cuts IS. I’m sick of this.
    Last year, I went head to head with our Superintendent. As of last December, she’s GONE. It was a tough battle to fight, but completely worth it.
    The thing that makes me so mad is that there is nothing the school districts can do about the cuts. Everytime I approach the subject, they point to the Legislature. And NOONE there is listening to the people that voted them in to their position. I have a friend who has gotten herself completely involved on that side – I’ll forward you her emails if you want.
    I agree with Nichole. The Governing Boards need to look at the district budget and figure out how they can (legally) change where the money is spent. Smartboards or smaller class sizes. It’s a no brainer.
    Ugh…I could go on and on…

  18. Just want you to know how much I <3 this post!!!! LOVE! By the way, your blog is phenomenal! You're all over the place, I don't mean physically, I mean emotionally and to me, THAT makes you someone who every Mom can connect with! You ROCK! 🙂

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