Don't Taylor's teachers know who I am?

I had to go to Taylor's open house last night at Cascade Middle School in lovely Sedro-Woolley. For those of you who may not know, Sedro-Woolley is the "Gateway to the Cascades". This isn't saying much since the Cascades are full of crazy animals, pissed that we've overrun their habitat and crazy mountain people, pissed that we're still using electricity.

The format for the open house is that you go to each period of your child's day, staying approximately 10 minutes when an obnoxious bell goes off signaling the next class. You then have the same time to get to the next period as your child does. Screw that!! I did not come to run around campus. In fact I do not run anywear unless it is around Target the day after Thanksgiving ripping sale items out of slower people's hands. Taylor has a couple wonderful teachers this year. Her English teacher is named Mr. Dohrman. Mr. Dohrman is graying prematurely but it's that sexy silvery gray and he looks like a cross between Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart. Mr. Dohrman is HOT!! I volunteered to be a helper in his class. ( If I'm a cougar with young guys what am I called with guys my age? Just desperate? Boy, Eric needs to come home and grow out his hair. ) Taylor's Algebra teacher, Mr. Braun, is the typical dorky math teacher. Do they come in any other flavor? He has spent 32 years teaching math. I believe his pocket protector is permanent and his dick has shriveled and fallen off. What disappointed me most was was the amount of teachers teaching to the WASL. When I tried to talk about this I was politely ignored. I had even raised my hand and everything!! Well I am not used to being ignored. It just doesn't sit well with me. The PE teachers have to bring reading and math into PE now. Seriously? You're shitting me right? It's PE for gods sake. I was so stunned I couldn't even say anything at the time. At the end I tried to voice my concerns, in a calm, reasonable manner, only to be told that the school's hands were tied. This is coming down from the state. Well the state can kiss my big, fat, white ASS. Don't they know who I am? No Child Left Behind my ass. Bush was left behind and he became president. I am not having Taylor take the 8th grade WASL this year. As a parent I can not have her take it. Since we are transferring, what is the point? My biggest concern right now is wondering whether she will get enough of a competive 8th grade curriculum. I am worried that wherever we end up transferring to she will be stuggling in 9th grade.

I remember junior high school being a time of wonder where I discovered what would become lifetime passions for me in learning: history and english. I remember standardized testing only as an annoying time that was a necessary evil. My teachers, some young and old, some good and bad all shared one common denominator that I remember. They had a real passion for the teaching. They enjoyed bringing the knowledge they had to us. Maybe it was just me. I loved school and still do. I love learning new things. I demand that somebody in a teaching role love what they do; otherwise why do it?

I know this is rambling. I experienced so many conflicting thoughts last night. I left with one overriding goal. I will give my daughter and son the best education I possibly can whether that be in a public or private classroom or it be in one in my own home, after the school day is over. After all, my children deserve the best I can give them.