When Do I Get to See the Ninjas?

It's been almost exactly a year since I've last written, and a couple of really random people have asked me why I never write anymore so I thought I'd give it a shot.

I'm in a totally different universe from the last time I posted... I've been living in D.C. since January after finishing up my Education Policy MA and now I'm a Legislative Aide working on Education, Labor, Housing and Environmental issues (Lord knows how they decided I was qualified for the latter end of that portfolio, but I'm learning fast).

This could not possibly be more different than teaching (duh) -- and it definitely is not as rewarding -- but it is possible that I might actually "like my job." You know, in an everyday kind of way where you wake up in the morning and don't have that pit-of-your-stomach dread. It is bizarre. This is not to say that I didn't like teaching, or that my new job doesn't come with its own set of crap (still working far too many hours for far too little pay), but there is something to be said for not getting spit on, cursed at, or having a chair thrown at you during a typical work day.

While I don't spend my days in schools anymore, but I did however have the opportunity to visit a seriously impressive charter school with my boss in his District last week. The facilities were damn near sparkly, the teachers (2 per classroom) were seriously on-point, and during Community Circle, a class of third graders put on a poetry performance and a short play that were excellent. My boss spoke to a kindergarten class on what it's like to be an elected official and the kids asked precious things like:

"What kind of clothes do you wear to work?"
and
"Have you ever met Martin Luther King?"
and
"Who is your favorite wrestler?"

That last one cracked him up and then some kids started calling out their favorite wrestlers and the other kids would go "Ohhhhhhhhh!" when they heard one of their favorites. All very cute and I really forgot how tiny 5-year-olds are. This group was particularly impressive, sitting still on the carpet for almost 45 minutes -- I don't know how they did it.

One of the things that sort of lingers in the back of my head at my new job, where instead of working with kids, I meet with people who work with kids and get jealous of the cool things they are doing, is wondering at what level people can really be effective in improving schools. Teaching is the obvious answer and I guess I've realized that even though I wasn't half-bad at it, I just am not cut out for a lifetime in the classroom. Being a principal is something I could see doing when I stop getting carded at bars (I don't care how many people tell me I'm "old enough" -- I just can't imagine parents taking me seriously until I have some gray hair or don't wear Chuck Taylors on the weekends).

When I meet with non-profits from my boss' District, or children's advocacy organizations or people from the City or State D.O.E., they say that it's great having someone working in Education Policy that has experience on the ground in schools and how that provides invaluable insight, yada yada yada. And I don't argue that, but what is policy at the Federal level really "doing?"

Other than the disaster that is No Child Left Behind and the annual appropriations funding show-down that I worked on in March, the things that happen at this level of government feel very removed and abstract to me -- numbers and dollars and formulas and legalese.

I hate to end abruptly, but How I Met Your Mother is about to start, and I'm not sure how much I can write on here without somehow getting in trouble at work and/or fired. I may need to come up with something else to ruminate on... perhaps by April of 2009.