Bloodbath

If I didn't already believe that we were in a recession, today really brought it home. This morning at a staff development meeting the principal told us that she was about to leave for a budget meeting. At the meeting she would be finding out if she would have to excess 3 teachers. I sighed a little because earlier in the year we looked at our positions on the seniority list (they do things like that in New York) and I was number 5. A few hours later as we sat in yet another meeting she called for the union rep. to come to her office. In that brief exchange over the phone, she had given her enough information to cause her to leave the room in tears. We speculated that she had called her down to be present as she excessed teachers. Moments later the phone rang again one of the teachers in the room was called to the principal's office. Moments later she was seen heading to the restroom in tears. And so it began. Another call, another teacher leaves and does not return. When the principal called to talk to one of the teachers in the room without calling anyone out, I think everyone thought the slaughter had ended. Unfortunately, it continued until 10 teachers, including myself, had been informed that there was no longer a position for them.

Since receiving the bad news thoughts rush through my mind. I will be moving back to Texas to be with my family again. Although I still have a job, I'm just can't see starting over again at a new school. I will be leaving New York and the wonderful friends/family I have here. All of my friends will now be separated to other schools save one who will now face going back alone in the fall. How could the principal have been so insensitive to have handled it the way she did? How can this school continue to be a top-ranked school? How sad for me and my current and former students that I will not see them grow up or be there when they want to share their successes with me. How will I finish out this year or tomorrow for that matter? When will the feeling of sadness leave the halls of the school?

And then there are the things not related to school. I will miss the snow. What will I blog about? I will miss going to Broadway shows. What will I blog about? I will miss meeting celebrities. What WILL I blog about? Most importantly I will miss my friends. Who will my favorite gay husband go to free Tuesday movies with? Or shows in the middle of a work week? Or book signings in Jersey? Or conventions? As I spend the next couple of weeks packing up my New York life, I am sure that I will think of other things that I will miss.

It's funny when I think about it. When I first took this job and decided to make the move, I assured everyone it would only be for three years. It was just an adventure. Here it is three years later and the adventure is over.