the Principal's Academy, whose mottos are "We don't need no stinking experience," and "Treat every employee like they are your worst employee."

try to defend the principal, but he/she probably was doing what he/she was told to do. Those types of orders usually come from the front office, whether it was the Supt. or board, they usually determine what is to be done.
I had to supervise the daughter of a school board member - she was rated #14 of the 16 people interviewed. Guess who got hired?
After 2 unsatisfactory observations from me (3 would have her dismissed) she was transferred to another building - and got permanent certification.

I've seen people in Congress who started out running for School Board.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

It is NOT a "blame-Obama" post. If you don't know what Arne Duncan and his ilk have done to public education in America, you haven't been paying attention.

Obama hired Duncan and stands by him, despite the objections of real educators. The account in the OP is all too typical of the "punish teachers" mentality that is pervasive in schools today.

The problem began long before Obama became President and many factors are out of his and Duncan's control.

Obama had the chance to select a well-qualified Sec. of Education and chose his buddy, Duncan instead. Duncan then implemented RTTT which Obama supports and seems quite proud of.

If the president had wanted to reverse the course that bush took, he could have done so in 2009. Instead he took this "reformist" path which continues high-stakes testing and has morphed into increasingly punitive measures against teachers.

from another school coming and staying 2 days staring at me, several unannounced meetings with the prick who ran the district's personnel department and the like. Two entire years. You have no idea what its like to be fucked over like that. Its like being skinned alive and electrocuted at the same time.

Try and have the energy to teach after that.

Have your emails and papers, desk and cabinets pawed over by morons all the time. Have people come in and take pictures of your room.

I remember crying just before each Friday meeting and a flash of a vision would come over me. it was a line of my family winding out into the distance, my great grandma in her long black dress with her sweet face staring at me in the front. My entire family came to me at that moment with resolve to keep going.

I can't explain it better than that. In the end, the prick got a heart condition, my principal is now battling and losing alzheimers and I am out of the game. The only one left intact is me. I also owe my life to my family. Teachers are more heroic than the public will ever, ever know.

PS. The part that gags every teacher I ever talk to about this is that my pea brained half witted dimwit principal used to push books and out dated teaching videos across the table at me (Madeleine Hunter anyone) and say over and over, "Cathy, I just want to make you a better teacher." That heifer couldn't touch me in a class room. It is surprising how furious I still get. I did forgive them for myself but it rages now and again.

Semper fi, teacher. You are not alone.

I feel this person's pain.

>>>from another school coming and staying 2 days staring at me, several unannounced meetings with the prick who ran the district's personnel department and the like. Two entire years. You have no idea what its like to be fucked over like that. Its like being skinned alive and electrocuted at the same time.

Try and have the energy to teach after that. >>>>>