Teachers attend a crap load of workshops!
Gotta love the workshop!
Seriously, what I really love about workshops is that there is this chance to meet other people. Quite honestly, as teachers our daily social exchange is limited to within the classroom. On days when my co-teacher is out, there is a strong chance that I will not see or talk to another adult. So, at least for me, the benefit of the workshop is twofold: I don't have to be in class for the day, AND I get to talk to grown-ups. The latter is pretty cool.
If you have read past posts you are aware that I work at an 'urban, innercity' school (if you have not read past post do so now...I'll wait) and you know how much I hate that term. However, for the purpose of today's post, it truly describes the disparity of what is going on.
Teachers are given laptops each year. My laptop is a refurbished (let's call it what it is, OLD) HP ThinkCentre. I don't even think they make these anymore, but it works so I am OK. Truth be told I really did not want these folks laptop in the first place, but you are kinda forced to take it. It is thick and cumbersome, but I drag it to workshops like a good little teacher. Because I am in an 'urban' school, many of our workshops are geared toward schools in the same demographic (you know what I mean...) so usually everyone has this antiquated laptop.
Anyway this last workshop was different because there were a mixture of teachers from across the city. All with their school supplied laptops.
Then I noticed something.
Everyone did not have the same laptop! As folk began pulling out their laptops and logging on I noticed that a lot of teachers had these new, thin, Macs. Then I started listening as the cursory introductions were done and noticed that the folks with the Mac were from schools like Chimney Lakes and Alamacany. And, no, neither of those school were 'urban' or 'inner city', hell a couple of schools were in places I had never heard of.
WHAT THE HELL!!
I have been lugging around what amounts to six bricks and a small child on my back and these folk have a Mac? I got questions. And since were were having this training in the building that housed the IT department...well, you know what happened:
Me: Good Morning.
IT Guy: Good Morning. May I help you.
Me: Well, I am interested in turning in my computer and upgrading to one of the Macs that the teachers are being given.
IT: I'm sorry?
Me: Sorry for what? I would just like to give you this ThinkCentre and get a Mac please.
IT: I am sorry it does not work that way.
Me: OK, well what way does it work?
IT: Those computers were limited and unfortunately were distributed to newer schools and new teachers.
Me: No.
IT: No?
Me: No, they were not. I need a new response from you because that is not a true statement.
IT: What do you mean?
Me: Well, a good friend of mine is a new teacher this year and she was told that she could not have a computer because there are none. And several teachers in training right now are at schools that are not new. Namely Chimney Lakes and Alamacany. And the women in there are definitely NOT new teachers (I'm sorry ladies if either of you are reading this, but um....y'all have each been teachers for some time. Yeah. That's the right way to put it.).
IT:Well, um...there are just no more to give out.
Me: But you have NEW teachers and schools that have them and got them this year.
You see I did a small survey of the room before I left. It seems that the teachers with the newer computers are either at really well to do schools or schools that are newly built. Those of us that teach in the hood are given what they have turned in. God forbid that Nook-Nook and 'Dem see a Mac at our school and take it home with them as a parting gift since little Le'Monjello did not pass kindergarten.
IT: Let me see your laptop.
So I took it out of the case and sat it on the counter with a thud. The look on his face told me that I must have one of the FIRST laptops the school system has ever given out.
IT: Wow.
Me: Yep. Wow.
He then went on to give me the scoop (I have failed to mention that he was a Black man, and I guess after seeing this decided to give me to low down on why he could not help a sister out and give her the hook up.
(My Caucasian friends, talk to your African American friends about the 'hook up' if you don't understand, it is too much to go into here and would get me off topic.)
It seems that those nice newer computers were given to just what schools and new teachers they wanted to give them to. The rest of us will have to make due with leftovers. And get this, even if my laptop breaks there is no new laptop for me to have. At least not at my urban school. (So there goes my plan for my laptop to mysteriously get some kinda virus and become completely useless!)
Ain't this some madness? Now, I am required to teach with the same fidelity as any other school in my district but I get whatever is leftover to do that. Most of the computers in our computer lab have another school's name crossed out. When we did receive newer models for the classrooms this year, yep, they were from other schools. Some don't even work. And we were only allowed three per room where we used to have four and no, we could not keep our old ones and have a full computer center in our rooms. I bet those Chimney Lake chicks have a damn IT department at their schools (no, I am not jealous...well, maybe a little...).
I am saddened to think that there is some other school out there in a worse predicament than mine that got OUR old computers! I can't imagine where that might be though. Maybe somewhere on the side of a mountain in the woods and over the river. Poor teachers there are probably sending email by carrier pigeon!
It's OK (not) still love my job!
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