It doesn't add up...

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Ok, let's forget that it is affecting me. Putting that aside, it still doesn't add up. As some of you know my position in my school has been cut. I might or not have a job in September and I will be put in the surplus list. My position as program facilitator is just that. Facilitate the program. Help instructors with paper work including payroll and student registers, help them with class management and discipline, research and bring to them new programs, methods and ideas, be the link between them and the principal/vice principal/parents, visit their classes and find ways to help and improve the problems created by a new language learning that students might not be too interested in, make the big pitch at the beginning of each year to get parent support etc. etc. etc. I often need to bring some students to my room and supplement both learning and behavior, or sometimes just to relieve the instructor. In case of absent instructors I cover the classes if a supply can't be found on time. In case of behavior problems, I take care of the students and call parents if needed while the instructor is able to continue her class without any more problems. Now, the Board decided that it is all a matter of numbers - wait.. they had decided that already, that's why schools are in the mess they are in :) - if a school has 3 or more language instructors, it will need the help of a program facilitator. If it has less, then the position is not needed, and it's cut. It makes sense at first. But it's then that the math gets complicated. There are schools with 3 or more instructors, that have only 1 class each per day. That means that each of those instructors have to deal with only 20 to 25 students per day, and in a class that can go from 40 minutes to 2 hours. These instructors, as per the new criteria. Need a program facilitator. However, other schools - like mine - have only two instructors. No need for program facilitator... but wait, each of my instructors has 11 classes! that makes it over 200 students per day, in classes of 50 minutes each. ANd they are saying that these instructors don't need the help of a program facilitator because they are only two? How does their math work? 20 create more problems than 200? But.. I am rambling as usual :) In any case have you noticed how education by numbers ( money, attending students, classroom numbers, etc ) is affecting the school system? Did you see how schools shifted from mostly teaching to ... fund raisings and zillions of other things that are nice but not exactly the ones a teacher should be using her/his time for? Have you ever heard of a new decision from your board of education and think to yourself.... wait a minute... this doesn't make sense?