OFF WITH THE KID GLOVES

Incredibly, the situation at my school site continues. I have posted about this previously here, here, here and here. We still do not have any chemicals, which were incorrectly confiscated from our site by non-science people during Christmas break. The district has still failed to replace these chemicals, which they pledged that they would do back on January 14th. It is now February, and my students are still getting a curriculum that is not college prep, and which will not satisfy the UC's laboratory science requirement.

So what's the latest word? One bureaucrat (the previously-mentioned JV) claimed on the phone (he never responds to our emails or otherwise puts anything in writing) that it had been difficult to get a purchase order from the district, but that an order was put in around the end of January. Attempts to confirm this with other people in the district went nowhere: they either aren't able or are unwilling to tell us when purchase orders were first filed, giving any potentially negligent district employees a certain amount of cover. The entire thing is Orwellian.

However, here's a fact to ponder: my colleague Mr. Fisher saw the handwriting on the wall weeks ago and ordered a few chemicals from our preferred vendor (Flinn) at the end of January, and he had his order in less than a week. Why is it taking my district four times as long (and counting) to do the same thing?

I'm done playing patty-cake with these people. I don't care if I have to go it alone, I am going to release the hounds. My parents and students are going to be formally urged to complain.