Letter: Being the director

Tue, 9 Sep 2003 01:19:18 

Eric, my child (and Emma, to whom I will copy this):

I have two moments before I will go back to bed to try to get more rest before facing the day.

Being the director is... indescribable. I've been working 12-15 hours a day or more since Aug 25th trying to work out irreconcilable schedules (teachers, students, classes), finding answers to questions I would never have thought to ask, and dealing with the completely, totally inflexible administration. No wonder Mrs L burned out.

Speaking of Mrs L, no, no “lip” thus far, but she (a) doesn’t seem to think she needs to formally prepare for her classes (I am going to ask her students what they think of her after a little more time), (b) hasn’t been particularly helpful in bringing me up to speed on administrative items (Marianne has been far more useful), and (c) gets tears in her eyes every time she talks to me. I can’t tell if it’s self-pity or envy. If it’s the latter, she ought to be institutionalized.

Speaking of Marianne, she has thus far been great to work with. It helps that we like each other (as opposed to the Cold War that existed between her and Mrs L even before the move to Bellecombette, and which escalated significantly last year). It also helps that one of my First Acts at my First Board Meeting was to insist that Marianne get a hefty raise (which theoretically should happen sometime hopefully early next month). Poor creature has been living on a pittance, and I mean a pittance, and this after working for L2M for 5 years. (Yes, there are certain legal/contractual considerations, but the issues should have been dealt with long ago.)

My fundamental problem so far as the job goes is that I am ignorant. I often don’t even know what questions to ask. And while I get along fine with the LCI administration so far (I especially like Mme Laverte), all parties seem to assume that I will know what I’m doing without a helluva lot of input from their end. Oh, you mean I was supposed to have the parents fill out this form that I have now seen myself for the very first time? Oh, you mean that kids in FLE II can’t go to French math without the teachers’ permission? Oh, oh, oh.

Next year will be easier, assuming I survive this one. I am trying to write down the Events of the Day for my novel, Un An dans l’Éducation Nationale.

Such is my life. Your input and commiseration are welcome.

xxoo mom