Greene just doesn't get it.

 Greene just doesn't get it, and please don't take my word for it. Take hers.

Greene penned yet another letter to the staff, and in it, she points out how completely tone-deaf she is. 

Bold is my commentary.

Team Duval,

As we begin this new year, I am once again calling on you to be the voice of calm and the hand of stability during uncertain times.  Our students are certain to be affected by the events in Washington, D.C. earlier today.  Um, what about the pandemic every day? What about the learning environment set up by the district that isn't super conducive to learning? What about the risks everyday staff and students are required to endure? Yesterday was stressful, but so has every day since the election. This smacks of she saw something on-line and said, hmm I will send out a note.

 

I know that much has been asked of you already this year.  You think? Since you know, that is the case why learning arcs, why double downing on testing? Why, when many of us are just trying to survive, are you adding to our plates? I also understand that many of you are deeply troubled by the political turbulence throughout this election process, even before the violence we witnessed today.  My first message is to take care of yourself.  Nothing about veteran teachers getting screwed over? Teaching during a pandemic, your doom and gloom budget cuts? There is a lot to be troubled about, and with some of the issues, your silence is the same thing as complicity.

You could practice those breathing and mindfulness activities we have been teaching our students through our Wellness Wednesdays, or take a walk on your planning period with a trusted colleague.  There are times when we all need support, and I urge you to do whatever works best for you. Walk on our planning period??? Gulp, what about the teachers who had to go to common planning today or who didn't have a planning period because their school doesn't guaranty them one every day. Or you know what if we are just swamped by all the extra work? This was laughable and shows me that teachers are nothing more than ants to a giant.

 

The authors of our Calm Classroom curriculum have provided several techniques we can use to calm our minds and emotions during particularly stressful times:

1.       Limit our input of news and media exposure. We can stay effectively informed with just very occasional input from TV, social media and reading the news.  Stay ignorant.

2.       Eat and sleep well. Exercise, drink enough water and eat foods that you believe to be nourishing for your body. Practice mindful calming techniques. Yeah, maybe if you aren't exhausted at the end of the day or don't have to take home work.

3.       Make a personal decision to allow yourself to take a break from the world and recharge. We have the ability to make this positive choice for our own self-care.  Take a personal day, but don't expect a sub.

4.       Cultivate peace for yourself and others. Please, on the one hand, don't ask me to risk my health and safety and ignore my needs, and on the other, don't tell me to cultivate peace for myself and others.

 

As a reminder, Employee Assistance is available to all employees and their families.  These are trained professionals that can assist with issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, and anger.  They can also refer you for additional support, as needed.  

 

In the next days, our students may be experiencing similar anxiety and uncertainty.  Your everyday normal interactions with students will go a long way in reassuring them that they are in a safe space.  The best thing you can do is be present and watchful, particularly during unstructured times such as class changes and lunch periods.  You know your students best and can usually tell when something doesn’t feel quite right.  If a student seems to be exhibiting especially volatile behavior or signs of a deeper issue, please refer him or her to your school counselor or school administrator.  They have access to additional resources to provide support.  Our district website has outlined a crisis response protocol that includes warning signs at https://dcps.duvalschools.org/Page/19843. I just can't.

I don't know about you, but I don't find her notes calming or reassuring anymore. Not since last spring, when she said teachers were heroes for distance learning, but then by the end of summer, that they were zeroes. Getting a 41 dollar raise while school board members are about to take home 7 grand and giving up a fifth of my planning doesn't help either.

Being super is a tough job, I get it, but maybe she could lighten her own load by giving up these notes.