I Got a Flyer in the Mail Today

I got a flyer in the mail today. 

It was from a local public school trying to recruit my two student-athletes to their corporation.

I got one the other day, too, and the month before that also.

Two were from public schools/corporations, one was from a private school.

These schools were trying to recruit my student-athletes.

By the way, I live right next to my kids schools. I mean, you walk around a fence and I am on Silver Creek school property.

Yet, I got flyers in the mail about attending other schools.

I didn't have to move, the flyers read.

There would be a bus to pick them up, the flyers read.

They had great academics, the flyers read. 

Oh...and their athletics teams/facilities were top notch, the flyers read.

Yet, my kids who live next to their school (literally) are getting flyers in the mail to attend other schools and I see the shiny pictures of their great facilities on the flyers. Heck, some nights I can even drive by a couple of schools with their lights on showcasing their athletic facilities.  

You could almost argue that my kids are being recruited for sports because they're both pretty good athletes, or maybe not. Maybe it's Indiana is a school choice state and all schools are trying to get students from all over the area to attend their school/s.

I realize that everyone in my neighborhood got the flyers, many without children, but still....

You can't have it both ways.

You can't.

You cannot have rosters filled with student-athletes that do not live in your school district and complain that others do the same...or I guess you can. It's a free country.

I had a coach here say a great line and it is so true from what I know, what I've seen, and what I've seen done..."a lot of dirty hands around here throwing dirt on our name."

I Just Want...

I just want to do good and not be criticized for it. Especially when I have done nothing wrong.

I just want to help other people and laugh/tease them without their feelings getting hurt, and my misreading the situation and saying the wrong thing.

I just want to make people feel better, help people and not have others think there is an ulterior motive.

I just want to help and have people recognize it and reinforce it, not drag me down for it.

I just want to not let things said or done hurt so much.

I just want to fight the good fight, but not have to.

I just want to be in a good mood, keep proper perspective no matter the arrows that come my way.

I just want to look to God when the lions are milling about.

I just want for my family not to hurt because of health issues.

I just want for my family not to hurt because of mental health.

I just want for my family to appreciate more and criticize less.

I just want to not feel mentally fatigued when wrongly attacked.

I just want to be bold enough to apologize first when rightfully criticized and not feel the need to attack.

I just want to feel wanted, needed, and appreciated.

I just want to know that I don't need to feel wanted, needed, and appreciated to do good stuff.

I just want to not take things so personally when attacked.

I just want to go and live in the middle of nowhere North Dakota with no Internet, cell phone or social media.

I just want my kids to be happy, healthy, and great at what they want to do.

I just want to not think so much, so often and so detailed and deep as it is exhausting.

I just want to be rich to help those less fortunate.

I just want to be famous to bring joy to people's lives.

I just don't want to be rich and famous and be joyful in what I am.

I just want to enjoy life and not let all of the negativity to enter my life, but more importantly to not enter my mind.

Brave New World in Indiana

I live in Indiana.

Indiana has school choice for K-12 schools.

That means that you can attend any school you want to attend, but you may (may) have to provide your own transportation.

Those students who attend your school and do not live within that school's district are called transfers.

In Indiana, the money follows the student and where they attend school. So each student is actually worth around $10,000 for the school.

Which means the more transfers the more money coming from outside of your district to better your schools.

Many schools have benefitted from transfers and many of these students play sports, participate in co-curricular programs and often benefit the school which they attend.

When these students enroll and attend our school, they are now Silver Creek students. 

They are not "false" students, they are Dragons. No more and no less than someone who transferred in while attending elementary school, 7th grade, or high school.

They are not students taking away opportunities from other students, they are raising the stakes for the current students are steering them into something else here at school.

Many schools in this area have benefitted from transfers, some who ended up being pretty good athletes, but no recruiting has occurred. If there has been, it's been the school or the sports program recruiting for itself. It's parents after being asked about the school and the community selling the school that their children attend and they want to share that experience with others.

In fact, our school board has approved sending school buses into other districts to make it easier for students in other school districts to attend our schools which is a great idea.

It's a brave new world and not many like it...I get it.

I've worked at schools who struggled to get out of district transfers and I work at a school who doesn't struggle with it.

But perception is reality, and you're going to hear negative thoughts from outside of your school, but when it happens within the school it is very disappointing. And when your name is slandered...makes it even worse.

I am thankful for the out of district transfers because they've helped me make more money as a teacher. I am thankful because I have met a lot of really cool kids from the surrounding areas. And I have enjoyed watching my school and others benefit from recognition by its students who are both from inside and outside of their "school" community.

You don't have to like how the system works, but it is the system and what is your school doing to market itself?

Again, you may not like it, but it's important in today's world

Or....

They don't have to do these things and that is ok, too.