Science Kits in Space and Time

Okay. The district has these science kits available for use by teachers. For instance, if you're teaching about insects, you might use the kit that contains collection jars, identification charts, things like that.

So, they have only a certain number of these kits. 80 schools. 4-10 science teachers per school.

All teachers are expected to follow a "pacing calendar," which says when you teach which concept or skill. If you teach in a different order, you're in trouble.

So, the district has devised this rotation schedule, which is dependent on split-second packup and delivery of kits from school to school.

Oh, and some of the items in the kits are consumable.

Naturally, this system breaks down -- and teachers give up trying to use them. (Imagine planning a week's lessons and finding on Monday morning you don't have the materials.)

So our principal received an email from the district detailing the many problems plaguing the whole kit process --delivery driver can't find the kits, items missing from kits, etc. "If you do not get your kits on the exact day you expect them do not be alarmed they will arrive within a day or two of the exact date." [sic] Principal forwards email to science teachers with this note:

"You are aware that we need to use the kits to support instruction. Out test results have been good in science [apparently this is not our actual objective], and I appreciate amount of required by using these kits.[sic] No question! Scientific Based Researched![sic] Effective Teaching and Learning Strategy. Let's use them."

Amount of required .... what? Failed logic? Superhuman effort? If our science scores are high, should we really be changing what we are already doing? Heaven forfend teachers might know how to teach science without a kit.

Not sure, but maybe principal's evaluation has a section labelled, "Continuous Use of Kits." I hope so. I hope so.

Backwards in Time

Wonder where all that tax money goes?

As a department chair, I receive a memo stating that the department has $1000 to spend on books or other materials. Quote: "Of course, I needed it yesterday, but I am requesting it [orders] by noon on Thursday."

This was received at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

Since it was delivered by a student in the middle of a class, and I saw it was department chair business, and all departments were required to have a meeting on the following Monday, I didn't read it until after school on Thursday.

I emailed our principal with my dilemma, asking if we could have another day to meet and decide what purchases were needed. I never received a reply.

So, if you ever wonder where your tax money goes, I don't know either.