Question: What would happen if schools were run this way? Are they run this way?
After years of putting it off, my dearest teaching widower (DTW) and I decided to refloor the upstairs. That was over 2 months ago. We got 2 estimates from Big Box home improvement stores. We went with the $500 cheaper quote, but it turned out their offer was cheaper because they didn’t order enough laminate. For over a month, people at various levels in the Box world assured us that the delivery would be made “on Monday.” My DTW called and emailed and went in person to sort this out. The laminate finally arrived, but we were still short those 11 boxes. After another month of reassurances and many more “Mondays,” we were told by a multitude of folks that indeed our order was there, waiting for us to pick it up. Seriously? We had paid for them to deliver it. My endlessly patient DTW told the last person who called, “I don’t believe you, but I’ll wait.” As a rule, DTW’s become quite patient waiting for their wives to return home.
There are even more boxes in our kitchen- but still missing 11!
This experience is not unlike having a leak fixed in my classroom. No one was ever responsible, the only person who knew how to fix it had retired, and there were multiple “fixes” that never worked. It became just about as difficult to identify and serve a student with special needs once the Box Response to Intervention model was instituted. I am 100% in support of providing modifications and accommodations to ensure that kiddos don’t get placed unnecessarily. But when you have a kid who can’t read 3 letter words in second grade, you don’t need months of new strategies. You need your 11 boxes of laminate OR specialized instruction, whichever comes first.
