boots of spanish leather

so, it's coming to an end my friends. my days of teaching at audubon middle are over.

it was mutual really, and truly their loss (it always is), but they've let me go.

alright, i'm being intentionally overly dramatic about this. but basically, since i'm taking the week off next week and then i'm taking TWO weeks off after that, they implied today that they don't want me to be there anymore if i miss so much time. even though they have work to do when i'm gone, and through the end of november through mid december, they don't want me to be back and forth. so when come back from new york i will resign.

as inhuman as this sounds, i'm not really that sad. because i am a heartless warrior, with the grit of a lion, ruthless, strident, self-indulgent. but also because i won't be sorry to say goodbye to all the injustices and apathetic bullshit that parades at audubon and of LAUSD in general, i won't be sorry to not to IEPs, i won't be sorry to be called a devil worshipper or a white bitch (yes these both did happen). however, there are some kids i will miss, the ones i "turned around" and somehow convinced them school wasn't pure punishment, who confide and trust me. and actually do real craft projects (i went to the art class today-- nothing short of a disgrace). and i will miss a lot of the other amazing teachers i work with (there are few), and my brilliantly inspiring mood-boosting TA. but unfortunately, my loyalties lie elsewhere.

this is bizarrely tragic.