Parking problems

Found a note on my car asking me not to park in spaces 107-110 as they were assigned to Office of Education employees. But I am one! Alas, no one knows who I am. When you travel about from one school to another, there is no continuity.

I remember meeting “I’m with COE,” she said, delighted with herself. All bright-penny new she was. She was an initiate in some experimental position as a teacher’s aide for the special kids who needed individual attention and she got an assigned parking spot. Woo hoo.

If you called COE (County Office of Education) they would not know who I was. And yet, they send me my paychecks!

Since the last time I worked at that school, the parking rules had changed. Subs used to park in the high numbered spaces. But now the school has assigned those to COE employees. But nobody told the subs! Subs are in some black hole. One might reach in there and pull one of us out whenever needed.

The Lean Times

It is very quiet in the house – waiting for the phone to ring. The sound of a phone not ringing results in lost wages for a substitute teacher. First there was no work because of Spring Break. Now there is no work because of STAR testing. How does the Office of Education expect people to survive?

I feel very rejected and unwanted. And that I am! But starting out at Macy’s or some other retail job, I will earn the same as what I get as a substitute teacher, but I will have to work more hours to get it. Also, both salaries are below the poverty line. The poverty line in my county is $30,000. I make $14,000.

The days drag by. No money. I walk everywhere to save gas. Gas has gone up $.55 a gallon in one month. From $2.73 on April 4 to $3.19 when I last purchased on April 27, it is now $3.28 a gallon. There is no money coming in for another week. After I pay my bills I will have $14 left for food.

I have been getting free food from a food bank. Basically I am standing in a bread line once a week. I am out of eggs, but they don’t give away much protein at the food bank. I can have Slim Jims for breakfast with some very old, very dry toast. And then peanut butter on old bread for lunch. They did distribute apples last week and red peppers. So I’ll get some vitamins there.

It’s difficult not being able to invite your family over for dinner. All the good times are gone now. The best way to get them back would be to work two jobs, 7 days a week. Alas, you would have no time to entertain!

I feel confident. Like I might get a call to sub tomorrow. The fact is I have become extremely psychic about when I am going to work.
I did get a call!

Now it has become a challenge to make it to payday. I will use newspapers for toilet paper and have beans for breakfast. This morning I had two pieces of toast. I noticed that the bread was moldy and I had to cut off the ends. But what do you want for free?

President Bush says the economy is fine. New jobs were added. And investment is high. But what kind of jobs? WalMart? And investors, well, those are the rich people at the top who always seem to have money.

It’s about willpower for me. To get by with less. How can this be a good economy? I can’t go anywhere this weekend because I have only enough gas to last until payday. I would like to rent the next episode of “Lost” and get some wine and biscotti. Maybe some microwave popcorn! But instead I will watch TV. and eat nothing.

Today I am going to walk over to McDonald’s and steal some napkins! I just used my last paper towel. I notice they don’t leave many accoutrements out anymore, like butter. I could use some butter.

Finally payday arrives. But it is only enough to pay rent and buy some food. A lot of money was taken out for retirement. I never signed up for retirement. I can’t pay my phone or car insurance. I am now a criminal because I don’t have enough money. If I drive my car without insurance I am breaking the law. How will I get to work? If I don’t get to work I will become even poorer.

Poverty is a crime! And there’s a war on poverty! Huh?

Jail or Class

I was asked to help out in a high school classroom with a regular Algebra teacher. The kids talked across the room to one another while the teacher was trying to conduct the class. The teacher had to call security to remove two students. Three or four students slept. One girl yelled at the teacher. There were about five students who actually followed teacher’s explanations and worked out problems on the board and at their desks.

I was shocked! I thought this kind of disrespect only happened to substitute teachers.

I saw some of these kids later in a special education class for which I subbed. I found out that some kids were in trouble with the law and would go to jail if they didn’t go to school. That is why they were so concerned about being marked present on the roll sheet.

During study hall the students were supposed to be working on lessons from other classes. When I gave a pass to one student so he could get his work from another class, I was told by other students that I shouldn’t have done that. They said the errant student would not return to class.

I didn’t know the student’s name! I had really messed up this time. So I asked some of the other students his name. No one knew it! So I decided to take roll again to figure out who was missing. Well, you could have heard a pin drop when I said, “I am calling roll again.”

I called names until I got to the missing one. His name was Patrick. Other students became alarmed when I stopped calling names. “Hey, Sub! You didn’t call my name,” was heard en chorus.
“I found the person I was looking for. The one who is missing,” I replied.

In less than a minute I heard someone say, “Patrick.” Then I heard some barely audible talking and pretty soon Patrick came bursting into the room. “You marked me absent?” he inquired. I couldn’t figure out what was happening right away. Then it dawned on me. Someone had called Patrick on a cell and told him to get back to class!

So much for not knowing the name of the student who left class.