Rollercoasters
I probably shouldn’t post this. But I will.
Anyone who’s been keeping up with my blog knows about the success of my quiz bowl team – a success, I’m quick to point out, that is about 99% student merit and dedication and 1% me coordinating team activities, competitions, and practices. We’ve been invited to the official national competition to represent Mississippi, as state champions, in Chicago, and though organizing this trip has consumed much of my free time, I’m overly excited for the opportunity to be with my favorite students, especially since I’m leaving the state in just a few short weeks.
Well, we were sincerely promised a certain amount of funding through the school/district that completely fell through. I was crushed, and yesterday afternoon I was at the breaking point, nearly ready to call it all off. We were $400 short just for hotels and registration fees all the sudden, not to mention about $700 short of gas and food money, which would have been impossible for me and my colleague to cover out of our own pockets. And all this after having raised about $1600 on our own via fundraisers.
Luckily, it was Dana Larkin, the head honcho at Parents for Public Schools, to the rescue, and she was able to raise a substantial portion of this from several community members on the spot last night at some meeting. We now need between $300 and $500 to fully fund our trip, that is, to finish saving up for gas and food money, and hopefully the PTA will come through.
I don’t think I’ll go into every detail at this point, but I’ve never been so devastated in my life. These last two days have been a complete emotional rollercoaster for me. Workplace politics and unkept promises have manifested in very ugly and personal ways, and to make a long story short, it’s very sad that I’ve had to go begging for an amount of money for my students that is a mere pittance to such a fiscally irresponsible, bureaucracy driven school district.
If I do go into more detail, the rant will never end, and fortunately, the worst is over. Happily, both the trip and my psychological state have been saved by the generosity of certain dedicated people whom I can’t thank enough. But if anyone has an extra $300-$500 laying around to donate to a good cause, you know to whom to send the check.
Anyone who’s been keeping up with my blog knows about the success of my quiz bowl team – a success, I’m quick to point out, that is about 99% student merit and dedication and 1% me coordinating team activities, competitions, and practices. We’ve been invited to the official national competition to represent Mississippi, as state champions, in Chicago, and though organizing this trip has consumed much of my free time, I’m overly excited for the opportunity to be with my favorite students, especially since I’m leaving the state in just a few short weeks.
Well, we were sincerely promised a certain amount of funding through the school/district that completely fell through. I was crushed, and yesterday afternoon I was at the breaking point, nearly ready to call it all off. We were $400 short just for hotels and registration fees all the sudden, not to mention about $700 short of gas and food money, which would have been impossible for me and my colleague to cover out of our own pockets. And all this after having raised about $1600 on our own via fundraisers.
Luckily, it was Dana Larkin, the head honcho at Parents for Public Schools, to the rescue, and she was able to raise a substantial portion of this from several community members on the spot last night at some meeting. We now need between $300 and $500 to fully fund our trip, that is, to finish saving up for gas and food money, and hopefully the PTA will come through.
I don’t think I’ll go into every detail at this point, but I’ve never been so devastated in my life. These last two days have been a complete emotional rollercoaster for me. Workplace politics and unkept promises have manifested in very ugly and personal ways, and to make a long story short, it’s very sad that I’ve had to go begging for an amount of money for my students that is a mere pittance to such a fiscally irresponsible, bureaucracy driven school district.
If I do go into more detail, the rant will never end, and fortunately, the worst is over. Happily, both the trip and my psychological state have been saved by the generosity of certain dedicated people whom I can’t thank enough. But if anyone has an extra $300-$500 laying around to donate to a good cause, you know to whom to send the check.
posted by David Jones | 18:26
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