the fair

ok...so life isn't all tragic and doom and gloom.

we have been to the state fair of texas twice now in two weeks. daddy and i went all alone on friday, and then the next thursday we took the kids (even the boy) with us in the evening. we had a really good time. and both of the kids were sooooo much better behaved than i could have guessed. it was a great evening, with the execption of the boy's fit about getting his own corny dog (which , really, i can understand...just not afford!)

and yes....we tried some of the new and exciting fair food. we had the standard corny dogs, pizza, lemonade and fried pickles. BUT we also tried the fried grilled cheese sandwhich (it was so good), a fried praline (husband loved it), and waffle balls (strawberries, dipped in chocolate, coated in funnel cake batter and fried, served covered in powedered sugar...on a stick) and they were wonderful. we stayed away from the chicken-fried bacon....but we heard from some who loved it. and others who hated it. certianly not worth five bucks or so to find out!

and yes, that is husband on a mini-nascar ride with the boy can't ride, and he hates to ride alone or with little mama! isn't he a great daddy!!!!

no news yet

hey

i know there are a lot of people out there pulling for me. pulling for me to keep my job. pulling for me to stay at my school. and just sending good thoughts and prayers my way. i really appreciate it. it helps to know that people care about you, and how you are doing.

there has been no news yet. we went for our sonogram the last time my boss called a meeting. the gist of the meeting is that we won't know anything before oct. 15th, and everything will be said by the 17th. so it stretches on.

BUT the good news is that baby # 3 is a girl...or a boy...hahaha....and it is perfectly healthy, and has everything where it should...so thank God for that. Children are truly a miracle and husband and I are very blessed. i will post when i learn something new, but if i am "quiet" on the blog...its mostly because i am doing everything anyone can think of to keep myself busy, my mind occupied, and my negative thoughts to myself. cause they don't help anyone or anything.

so if i am not back for a week or so, i hope you will forgive me

RIF

(cue the scary music!!!)

Yes, its true. DISD has (within the last few hours) approved a large RIF (reduction in force) of teachers and other school-based, contract staff.

So what does this mean? I am not really sure, still. I mean, since this budget shortfall story broke, teachers have been having fits. First it was 64 million short, and it looked like campuses would have to cut budgets by 10%. Then, the shortfall (whoops) was actually 84 million dollars....and the sup. decided one sure way to save was to cut teachers back to "staffing formulas" (in elementary 1:24 and middle/high school 1:125) levels. But the board postponed...twice...and so life contiuned for two weeks, teachers taught, students learned, and of course, people gave credence to EVERY rumor that passed via blog, email, or word-of-mouth! And the teachers (all teachers) were stressed.

So today, it looks likt 650 teachers/counselors, etc. will lose their jobs. And they won't begin to find out who it is until NEXT FRIDAY at the earliest, and THE FRIDAY AFTER at the latest. So we are back in turmoil. I am on the block. I don't know to what degree, because the "plan" that will be followed is vague, and no one has really come forward with it. So I don't know how worried to be. But, then neither does anyone else. And it really dosen't matter.

I am not callous when I say this. I know that every campus in the district WILL be impacted by this decision. I know that some (maybe even me) will lose their jobs, due to another persons incompetence. I know that for those left standing when the dust begins to settle, they have a long road ahead of them. We will have to shift children, re-make classrooms, teach additional subjects, and say goodbye. The children have now had six weeks with us, and they will need to begin their school year again....getting used to new, different teachers....or just getting over saying goodbye.

So really, in the end, I might lose my job, and that is sad. But my students (even if I get to stay) are the real losers in this situation, because it will affect them the most!