[innercityteacher]

Great to see your voice Patrick!

...this morning I had four students I did not recognize jump in my room during 2nd period pretending to have guns trying to intimidate me. I do not know who they were and Mrs. S... was helping someone else on the other side of the floor. I called the office but there was no answer. I have no walkie.

This afternoon after 7th period, a student crawled into the ceiling and stood or knelt in the ceiling disturbing and resetting the tiles. The student left when I called the office on my cell phone to report it (I also picked up a wooden dowel and moved away from the tiles in case the student fell or jumped through them).

During advisory, a student assaulted me.

Four weeks ago, a fire was started and staged in room 320 across the hallway complete with accelerants (Pine Sol and boxes of wood and paper). With the help of the two janitors, we put the starter in a plastic bucket avoiding a fire which would've damaged the building possibly injuring or killing people.

Every day, Hallway # 2 reeks of pot.

Mrs. S... has partnered with me to move students along as soon as they try to congregate. She is a great lady and sometimes we have officer B....help us.

Why are all the school police on the first and second floor where we have cameras? Should we file a grievance with the union for the sake of the safety of the school and our fellow union members and student safety? The third floor is unsafe and unwatched.

Please advise.


So have things gotten better?

Hi. While talking with Mrs. S.... today and trading information, I was informed that she encounters several kids during the week who come from the third floor commons inner circle into the third floor hallways. She also mentioned smelling pot in several locations where no student or person seemed to be standing.

Our guess is students ride the ceiling like people ride the bus. They hide there, steal laptops, get high and jump into other rooms. That would explain why lights are on with all the doors locked when no one uses the rooms and other incidents we have had.

10 minutes ago I chased a student out of the hall who had put a pair of beige slacks in a locker. They are still there. he didn't think I knew which locker he used. It was the middle of the sixth period. I called several people to inform them.

I know the principal mentioned zip-lining the lockers on Friday after the ceiling incident. I think that is a good idea. I'm sure there are others. I would like a walkie to keep people informed of what is happening up here. I think a memo should be sent to all staff to give people a heads up. I will be happy to give service during a prep to help Mrs. Stevens on a daily basis.

I am worried about a ceiling fire, or a student falling through the ceiling and breaking their neck, or falling on staff or taking working laptops over a weekend. Mrs. S.... mentioned a series of robberies in the new townhouses built near 45th and Market using the same M.O. as th e houses were connected by a common duct-work system.

Thanks.


When I say that this is the hardest teaching post I have ever had, I am not kidding. How I long for Lynn and Cuscowilla and Green Haven and Gerrry's fine family and Kevin's great encouragements!

I am not getting married either! LOL!

ICT