Parenthetical Stuff

Wednesday, May 24, 1995

Guillermo, the senior behemoth, was dropped from period two. When I went up to the office to check, his counselor said that he wasn't attending his other classes so he was dropped from all. When I told her he was attending and earning a B, she was stunned. I told her to reinstate him into class as soon as possible. Done.

Pain in the ass Eric was dropped from second period over a week ago. Life as been very pleasant without him (now if I can only get rid of Elaine... and Michelle... and John... and...). Today, I learned that he was dropped from school and shipped off to Arizona to live with his father. Word has it he became belligerent (and supposedly violent) at home with his mother, and the police had to be called. So she booted him. I almost feel sorry for him.

Today, second period had a meltdown. Nine tardies, eight absences. So I had to lay into them. New tardy policy beginning tomorrow: for each minute late, five minutes after school. That got their attention.

I also discussed the fact that last term, I hated the class. This term, I told them, I felt differently. I saw more of them making more of an effort to pass. This changed my viewpoint on the class as a whole. I told them, however, that this morning, things were beginning to make a change for the worse, toward the emotions of last term.

We did a quiet two scenes of R&J. Then a very productive session of Writer's Workshop. Overall, not a bad period (though a very bad start). We'll see how Academic Detention goes today and how tomorrow goes. Then we'll be able to see if today made a difference. It's not off to a sterling start, though; half of the tardy detentionees failed to show today at lunch. A bad sign.

News flash: We may not be appealing our WASC three-year accreditation after all. The district has to pay some fifteen-hundred dollars to finance such an appeal (I suppose for the hard time and labor that the State or WASC people would have to put in--and let me tell you about the hard time I'd like to see Tortalini doing...). Aimee tells me that the D.O. has not decided if they are going to pursue the matter.

Why should they? If it's overturned, then their decision to pull the block schedule looks really stoopid. And if they wait long enough, then they have what basically amounts to a pocket veto... the term will stand.

Does anyone else know this? Would anyone care?