There, but for the grace of God....

When I was first accepted to The Alternative School, I wasn't sure what to expect. My confidence was eroded by the fact that, whenever I told anyone which school I was going to work at, they made The Face. You know, The Face that tries simultaneously to say "You're doing what?" "Do you know what that place is like?" and "I'm sure it can't be as bad as they say."

Although I've heard horror stories about what it was like last year, so far (and I say this with 29 days of school left) the lid has stayed on. Yes, there have been fights, yes, sometimes I'm scared when I tell the students who are two feet taller than me what to do. But overall, the system works.

That being said, I can imagine what it would be like if the principal and assistant principal weren't willing to back up the rules with consequences. Sure, they'll give the kids a second chance (and often a third, fourth, fifth, etc.) but there are some lines that cannot be crossed, and they will, often regretfully, expell a student if the situation calls for it.

I cannot imagine working in a school (or a district) where stuff like this can happen. And it seems that this has been going on for a long time. I feel for the teachers who filed the class-action suit. No one should have to work in conditions like that. I know many do, and for that, I applaud them. Me, if I get beaten up by one of these kids, either the kid goes, or I do. That's it, that's all she wrote. I will not come back to a workplace where someone who assaulted me will be. And yet, they were asking these teachers to do so.

I know we're America's figurative punching bags for a lot of things; let's not make it literal, huh?