Merit Based Pay Looking Better and Better

Yesterday my son came home and told me that a teacher's aide would not help him get onto a computer system that the entire class was working on.  He said he raised his hand, asked for help and she told him, "I help you every Tuesday and I am not helping you - keep trying"  Well, he tried and tried. He tried for 1/2 an hour and then it was time for his class to leave.   He never got to work on his reading comprehension module, he never got to work on vocabulary building skills and he never got to learn new skills.

Angry doesn't begin to describe how I am feeling.  Irate, appalled, dismayed and discouraged are better adjectives to describe the steam building up inside of this tea kettle.  Before I blew up, I had to ask some very important questions.  What did you do while the rest of the class worked  - answer - nothing?  Did you keep asking for help - yes? Did she help other students - yes? Did she give you your new password and username - yes?  Did you tell your teacher - no? What program were you working on - Study Island?  How long is the class-1/2 and hour.  The questions went on for about 20 minutes until I had enough information to call/email the school with.

His teacher got back to me right away and I am waiting for the aide and the principal to respond.  I want to know why she has a job that she is not willing to take the time to help EVERY student no matter how many times the password doesn't work.  There are too many teachers  and aides out of work who would love to have her job.  These are 3rd grade kids we are talking about.  Ask them what they typed, and then demonstrate for them how to get into the system.  Stand there long enough to watch those who need help, enter their personal information.

It's people like this particular aide who make teachers look bad.  She was the perfect argument for merit based pay vs tenure pay.  It wasn't until I looked further, that I discovered she was an aide and not a teacher.  This has caused quite the debate in my house.  Education is one of those areas that I am going to become a pit bull and fight until ALL children are getting the best that the Board of Ed can offer.  I am not looking for special treatment for my children - I am looking for schools to treat them equally.  My son has enough educational development issues to deal with and then he is sitting at dinner last night with his head down because he is confused and upset because he couldn't get the help he needed.  Not good - time to meet the staff and talk about this.  I will keep my cool and I will not blow up. I know that many of the kids there know me as the Room Dad, Cub Master, Sunday School Teacher, etc., etc. - they need to see how adults are supposed to act instead of how I might want to act.

Yes, I am angry and will not sin in that anger.  Thank God the Bible doesn't say "don't get angry"  Afterall, Jesus was angry when he overturned the tables of the money changers in His Father's House for ripping off the people who were there to buy dove and lambs for the sacrifice.  I don't plan on going Jersey Housewives table turning on them, but I do plan to turn the tables and ask her how she could treat a student this way.

I just hope she doesn't question him without a parent present - that wouldn't be good.  The CT school system knows me all too well to know that I will go to the next level before they can blink an eye.  I just hope they don't make me go there.  If I don't get the answers from the local, I am going to the county.  If they can't answer me, I am going to the state.  Somebody is going to resolve whatever issues I see.  Again, it's not just for my kids - it's for all kids. 

Do your job with excellence, or find a new one!!!!!!!!