I had a teacher-colleague that offered a 1st-gen Mexican-American a "towel" if she needed it (he was a 2nd-gen Mexican-American). An AP organized a single-race/exclude-all-others "cultural" assembly and defended it--only backing down when it was in the media because a parent said it harkened back to "separate but equal." Guess who was fired.
Another teacher-colleague was suspended for two months (and lost ancillary pay--night school, that sort of thing) for tapping a coed's shoulder to get her to wake up when the bell rang and she slept through the class's departure. Another district principal had a "get your picture taken in bed with me" opportunity during a fundraising carnival, with him in his PJs, the girl laying next to him (his arms around her) in bed. Sometimes nuzzling her neck. Guess who's now an assistant superintendent and who's on a couple of years' probation.
Current superintendent pushed strongly for a reduction in the local school tax rate while pushing for a construction/equipment "refresh" bond. Got both. She also insisted, like most other superintendents, in using ESSR funding for on-going needs. Like classroom teachers and pay increases for the overworked staff, and a new DEI department. Next year every campus is RIFing teachers because we've hit a budgetary wall. We're losing staff, we're losing teaching materials, but we'll have a nice new addition for the "inclusive" 18+ school, the dedicated mini-campus that serves the disadvantaged, and and for the new admin spaces in a half-dozen schools (elementary through high). And, in exchange for "making the teachers' jobs easier" and "encouraging academic freedom," we have not only a state but a district-mandated regime of standardized tests to ensure that we follow the district's "recommended" scope and pacing. IB, AP, dual credit, and on-level kids all have the same pacing. (Hey, where does chemical kinetics fit into that? Oh, wait, it's require for AP and IB chem but missing entirely from dual credit and on-level.)
We especially loved the new program where central office high-ranking staffers would just randomly come to campuses and visit a classroom. "You have an extra conference period today! Go, relax" as the district superintendent would take over your class. I looked at the person "offering" to take over my class and said, "Sure, it's Astronomy and they're doing a RR Lyrae lab. Tell me what a RR Lyrae star is and what it's used for in understanding our galaxy, and the class is yours. Otherwise, you're just increasing my stress because I'll have to do tomorrow's lesson plan tomorrow and make sure they get today's content--and that's more stress." fill in for substitute teachers. That sub would be kicked to the curb, unpaid. And without warning a random teacher would have an asst. superintendent in her classroom all day without any warning.
The superintendent is beloved by all. At least that's what she's told when she visits campus for her twice-annual mandatory staff meetings. "Mandatory" is no joke. Football practice and D-hall are cancelled to accommodate her schedule, and when that happens you know it's crucial and your absence will be noted.
Boss privilege.
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