Fighting bird flu

[proud2BlibKansan]

BREAKING NEWS:

In an attempt to thwart the spread of bird flu, President George W.
Bush has bombed the Canary Islands.
Turkey is next.

[lonestarnot]

1. And then it's onward to defrock Parakeet Park,

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. oooooh

we needed a little levity this morning!

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Yes we did Grannie

How are you? School out?

[TallahasseeGrannie]

5. Doing well

School has been out a week today. Life is good in the summer. Are you teaching summer school?

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Yes I am

I can't afford to take a summer off.

Yesterday was my last day and I am supposed to be sitting in a workshop right now. But I decided I didn't feel good this morning. Besides, the workshop is supposed to make me a better Math teacher and I think I do a fairly good job already. :)

Next week I score state tests and the week after that summer school starts. So I don't really get any time off until August.

What about you? Are you independently wealthy enough to take the summer off?

[TallahasseeGrannie]

9. I finally got smart and spread my check

over twelve months. I also got national board certification and FL gives you about 8K a year for that.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. WOW you have even more of my respect now

I was all set to go for Natl Board Cert until my district decided I should pay for it upfront and they would "look into" reimbursing me. The odd thing is that they came to ME, asking if I would do it. I still find it odd that my employer asked me to spend $2500 of my own money to do something that would make them look good (and not increase my pay by one dime), and maybe they would reimburse me. Ah, only in the field of public education, eh?

There was also a proposal at the state level for a $3000 annual bonus to Natl Board cert teachers, but believe it or not, it was defeated when the state teachers assn lobbied hard against it. I know - that's a great big :wtf:.

So I obviously didn't go for the natl cert.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

11. I wouldn't pay for it, either!

FL has something called the Dale Hickman Act that pays for the process and then you get 10% of the state teacher salary average for 10 years and also the opportunity to mentor 90 hours for the same amoun.

Our union was up in arms against an earlier state master teacher plan, but they have backed this. Probably because the Legislature came up with this great deal for us.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. There are 3 unions in MO

NEA and AFT and MSTA. MSTA also represents administrators. (I know, I have never quite figured that one out either) MSTA opposed the bonus because they wanted that money spread out to all districts so all teachers could get raises.

Yes, that is a great deal. Remind us of that the next time someone here bashes Florida. :)

[Skink]

4. The famous NYC Jazz club Birdland is now under quarantine.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

6. As have the famous

"Fightin' Blue Hens" of the University of Delaware, my alma mater!

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. There is a memorial here in KC to Charlie Bird Parker

but let's hope the prez doesn't know that . . .