So I am back from Europe and I have been home for almost a week. I like being home because I tend to miss my fuzzies, my bed, and my best friend.
Since I have been back a lot has happened: I am still unemployed and have recieved the official letter now (and it is not even pink!), I have been trying to increase my hours at job 2 to try and figure something out while applying at a million real jobs and hearing nothing, my computer is currently broken so I have to go elsewhere to do anything, I have been given the opportunity to golf a few times already, my debit card information got stolen and then maxed out, I washed and vaccumed my car, my best friend/ex is going on a date with a member of the skank squad (I am just hoping he doesn't get sucked in and become one of their spawns), OH YEAH and I am now homeless....fantastic day.
Today I leave for Europe for 10 days. I am super super excited! I cannot wait to have a fabulous time. I know you are all jealous but I have only seen Europe on a Map so I REALLY want to go. I promise to bring back pictures and post many. Have a good week and a half in the states without me!
Okay so because I freaked out about the last one I told myself I at least had to go on the next one...so I did. I had a blind date tonight. Now when I first walk in there are a few things I notice:
A. He doesn't understand the whole "Marco" "polo" thing...you know when you are looking for someone and you say "Marco" and they are supposed to reply with "polo"... well when I texted with the "Marco" I got nothing...seriously lame!
2. He was not completely unfortunate looking but seriously not attractive either. I am honestly not trying to be mean but seriously folks...check out the picture (I know he is looking down but you get the idea)
D. He was an awful conversationalist! I mean he went on for over 20 minutes about various linguistic things...I don't care! Boring...talk about something more interesting maybe!
LASTLY: Here is the real catcher! He asked if my parents were still together (yes) and proceeded to say "wow that is really strange" (ok divorce is a growing epidemic that is fine) "Divorce is a growing wave in my country all because woman have more choices now and can make more decisions." (wait...WHAT?!? Are you seriously blaming divorce on women?) "It is always going to happen because people grow differently." (yes that is why you want to wait and find somebody that grows with you so you can grow together) "That is not possible because everybody is different. You will never find anybody that will grow with you."
So in the nutshell that was my date. It sucked...badly. I walked out of there yawning from boredom (and because he didn't want to meet til really late) and offended by his views of women and marriage...ugh. dating sucks.
Today is the last day of the school year. In exactly 14 minutes I will be free from work for an entire 3 months...or longer depending on how the pink slip notes go. This week has been absolutely hectic. I have been trying to get everything done and get some sleep on the basis that I was so tired I thought I was going to die...let me start at the beginning.
Sunday night I went to WICKED! I loved it! Of course I have seen it before but it was still wonderful. I had dinner down the street at a fabulous steak house grill. It was wonderful. I went with my mom and her best friend Diane. The only down side were the extremely gay two young boys sitting next to me that were talking and singing through the entire thing. They were very annoying. However the show itself it just wonderful and they did an awesome job!
This week has been finals. At the beginning of the week I thought I was going to die because there was SO much work to be done. I was behind on my grading and I still needed to get everything organized for finals. It was crazy. Although it was insane, I was able to make it through. Now I just have to do graduation tonight and I am done.
Monday night (after WICKED on Sunday) I went to a private concert by Gloriana. This is a brand new country group and they are actually pretty good. I won the opportunity to go see them on the radio and I got to take one guest and we ate amazing food from Morton's steak house in Sacramento and then watched them perform a few songs. They were really good...here are some photos of our seats.
I didn't go. I backed out, stayed home and drank...A LOT. I don't remember what happened last night. I feel awful right now. I feel like I am going to hurl...and yet I am at work.
So I have a friend that has a endless supply of flowers and cute stuffed animals on her car at work. I asked her why she gets so many dates and lovin'...she told me Match.com. She said that it is an awesome place and that everyone should try it. After a particularly intense conversation with Jt I decided that I would try it...in my skeptical state I decided that I would give it one month and see what happens. Within a few hours I had people looking at my profile and asking me out. I am really nervous becuase I now have a blind date with some random guy. We are going to coffee tonight at 7.
I have planted a couple friends to conviently show up in the same place around the same time so that incase it is awful beyond all reason I can get out...I know that is pretty childish of me but honestly I don't particularly want to go. I would much rather stay home with my puppy dog and kitty dogs...with the potential of seeing the guy that I still love...the one I am not allowed to love, the one I am trying to get over by doing this...
There is very little chance of teachers coming back from initial layoffs in March
Vanden will be cutting 6 FTE.Mathematically it works out to 6.6 FTE
English will lose over one FTE.Math will lose over one FTE.Science will lose over one FTE.Social Science will lose about one FTE.I’m not sure where the other cuts will come.
Visual Arts will go to 34-1
Career Tech will go to 30-1
English 38-1(This translates into over 1 FTE layoff.Keep in mind Golden West is slated to lose 4-5 FTE total)
Foreign Language will go to 38-1
Math will go to 38-1
Physical Ed will go to 50-1
Science will go to 32-1
Social Science will go to 38-1
Health will go to 38-1
The district is planning to purchase furniture
Golden West will be forced to eliminate 4-5 FTE
Tech is not scheduled for reductions
Questions that were not answered:
Can the district support 4 levels of language at Vanden?
What else will be cut?
It is unclear who will lose their job since bumping rights come into play.Teachers with more time in Travis may move from other school sites into jobs at Vanden.Senior members of our department understand this process more than I do.
A response from a co-worker:
Here are some ideas being contemplated around the nation in order to preserve core programs and class sizes.These are not my recommendations, but they are things I’ve read about when mammoth budget cuts hit.They aren’t pretty, but I can see how other districts are trying to keep cuts as far away from the classroom as possible.That might not be too bad of an idea.I’m certain our trusty leadership is looking into alternate ways to avert such a catastrophic degradation of learning conditions.
(1) Axe sports. The kids can play in a city league. Or they can fundraise to make their sports happen.
(2) Eliminate district office clerical staff. If teachers have no secretaries, why do administrators get so many of them?
(3) Eliminate standardized testing. It costs the state a ton of money. It's a luxury for when we have money.
(4) On the days there would've been testing, furlough everyone in the district and reduce their pay by that amount.
(5) Charge students and parents for things not required by ed-code (lab fees, art fees, bus fees, parking fees).
(6) Add minutes to each school day in order to eliminate a day or two from the calendar. Those days will save on electricity, busses, etc.
(7) Get rid of career/college counselors. Kids can research on their own online.
(8) Eliminate libraries. Make the kids go to the county and city libraries.
(9) Increase class sizes to 25 per teacher in K-3, an in-between number.
(10) Sell ad space (on student handouts, lockers, desktops) to local and national businesses.
(11) Merge districts. Companies merge to save on overhead and corporate office expenses. It's streamlining.
(12) Eliminate campus monitors, yard duty supervisors. Call 911 when there's a fight or an injury.
(13) Do not hire consultants or lawyers for the district. Delay these expenses until there is money.
(14) Rent land and facilities. Schools sit empty at night, on weekends, and during the summer. Rent the space out to another group. The gyms can become health clubs when not being used.
It doesn't look good for me. I wont know anything definite for a while but it honestly doesn't look good.
