Political Memes

Epic is the largest school district in the state.

Epic counts students logging into their computer and answering 5 questions as a day of “attendance.” As long as you do this at least once every two weeks your child remains enrolled. Teachers are supposed to meet with students for at least an hour in person once a week, but individuals make exceptions and play games with rules - often, thirty minutes over zoom are sufficient.

Epic teachers teach all subjects and grades. In the same day, I could help a high schooler with geometry and a severely disabled kindergartener with letter recognition. This is something I am qualified to do, but I don’t think I think my skill sets are common. The same teachers are grading student assignments - how effective feedback can an elementary Ed certified teacher give on an assignment over the quadratic formula or an essay over the causes of the French Revolution? (I tend to be popular with other teachers because I will sit with a physical science teacher and teach them atomic theory, or how to factor polynomials, while admin hates me because I call out stupid bullshit.)

There is an epidemic in Oklahoma of illiterate and innumerate children and young adults.

“Burns” is the correct verb. It keeps me awake at night, cost me my marriage, and has lead to multiple mental health breakdowns.

November made me suicidal, because I knew that they were going to gut DOE, and the feds were the only ones with any power to do anything. (DOJ managed to get their report out on time about how OK uses cops and jails instead of providing mental health care to people; the findings from the investigation into Owasso Public Schools prompted by Nex’s murder is also something that needs to be read and discussed more)

I’m exhausted. All I really want to do is talk about physics, math, history, how to make arguments - to teach. I fucking love it. I should be in a classroom in Tulsa or OKC right now running a lab - I know there’s a classroom right now with a long term sub that needs a crazy mad scientist to throw things or light things on fire or show off radioactive rocks. But I can’t work a job where I’m dehumanized, not recognized as a trained and knowledgeable professional, or where the fact what I have a uterus and a beard means I must be some sort of deviant who wants to be around kids to hurt them - and then also be paid so little that I have to have a second job to survive.