budget blues

Yep, so it's crazy around here these days! Brian's marking period is ending, which means tests galore for him, and emails from teachers, and worries of failures (and failures to worry about), not to mention my job, which absolutely wears me out! Also since I have been working in this school I have been sick! First I had a cough, and then it turned into a stuffy nose with sneezing. At least I am coughing less, but enough is enough! And Megan is starting to sniffle and cough again, too! I feel like she can't win - twice on antibiotics is the limit. She can't go on them again, so she is going to have to fight this one off on her own. She's taking Claritin-D, which usually helps. She is OK, just stuffy, but I've been wondering if I should try Zyrtec and see if that might work better.

I think she will improve once she doesn't have to swim in that indoor pool anymore!

So today I went to see a play for a huge array of kindergarteners at a local community theater. It was cute, but of course, too long for my charge, who announced he had to go to the bathroom at about an hour into it, and then just finally stood up when I had stalled him too long for his liking. I was practically shaking after the trip, worrying what he would do out on the street and in the theater, and then pushing ahead of others in line, and worrying about how the rest of the day would go. I think I have this job for next week and then two days the week after, which is when our spring break begins. After that, I have to find out what they want me to do since I'll be away the following week. If they want me to get a sub for myself, or if they just want to put someone else in there until the end of the assignment. I'll ask the principal either tomorrow or next week. She's always very busy, and I feel very menial and hate to trouble her.

As far as this job turning into anything permanent, I am not optimistic at all after the news that came out today on the state funding cuts to the district. Apparently they are way worse than feared and the district is going to have to resort to drastic measures. So this means teachers cut, classes cut, programs cut, and of course, classroom aides cut. They plan to cut 18 of these. Also, they're slashing the sub teacher pay by $10 and the sub aide pay by $1 per hour, which will make the substitute aides higher paid than the sub teachers, if you calculate the teacher rate on an hourly basis. But it also looks like there won't be any new jobs opening up for quite a while to those of us on the sub list!

I also worry about the high school swim team. It makes me wonder if this is why Megan and her friend got the awards that usually go to seniors. Was this some kind of foreshadowing, or simply giving credit where it's always been due? I guess we'll find out. Also, Megan is worried because she heard they'd cut AP classes. And AP classes which she needs to be in when she's applying to colleges next year! It's pretty bad, to be kind.

Anyway, in other news, I have some food in the oven that isn't cooperating and I must go and see if it is ready to come out. Seems like we eat later and later these days. I am looking forward to Florida and the end of the winter swim season!