Thursday, March 5, 2009

Job, Schmob-- Who needs it, right?

So, I found out today at my school's Site Council meeting that yes, I was right-- the plan that has been in play since at least last March (if not earlier) is finally coming to fruition, and they are cutting Healthy Start. Well, to be fair, they are just not putting their share of the program costs in ($25,000); then they are leaving it up to the District to either kick down the 25 grand or let the program fade away into obscurity. Pretty sad, considering that Healthy Start has been at Mark Twain for 10 years, and has been an important part of this campus for a long time-- at least 7 years, which is how long I've been here. I knew this was coming, though; not that it makes it any easier to be discounted and discarded, but at least it wasn't a surprise. It was so stressful to even think about going to the meeting, but I did it, and got through most of it before having to leave. I did fine during the meeting when she said she'd have to cut it, and when she said "Can't *one* person do the job in Healthy Start?", and even when she said "This isn't personal, Melanie; it doesn't have your name on it" (which is a bit facetious, if you ask me); when I lost it and start crying was when one of our faculty stood up for me and stated on the record how important she thought we were to the school. I literally cried my eyes out, right in the middle of the meeting. How embarassing! Later, another teacher who was there said that she was glad I lost it, because people needed to see the face of the budget cuts... which apparently is red, blotchy, and semi-drippy.

The good thing about it is that I'm looking forward to being able to spend time with my baby. And it will be really nice to be able to take a break from being the one responsible for everything-- bills, work, job-hunting, etc.-- and instead just focus on my family, my home, my child, my relationship, and *me*.

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