politics

i'm so disillusioned. you might think i'm referring to the current state of our nation, but that's not it... though not too far removed. it's the schools, and the teaching career in particular. i hate, and i mean that as forcefully as i can possibly muster the word, hate that i can apparently achieve nothing based on the merits of my work ethic or my skills as an educator. it's all based on seniority, who's been there longest, even if they've managed to be a jerk the entire time. and if you're not a member of the right clique you're screwed. it doesn't help knowing the union reps are so cliquey that you can't trust them to advise you without their buddy's interests in mind. sorry, my mistake, i thought i was equally represented. after all, my dues are taken out of my check every two weeks. whatever. anyway, i'm feeling pretty confident in my skills, so i can say with confidence that it won't be a difficult child that ever breaks me... but i'm not sure i can go through life knowing that the way i do the work i do will never grant me security in my job. all that matters is that i stick it out longer than the rest. the system is such that it encourages teachers to be catty, manipulative, and scheming against one another, always prepared to stab you in the back. i'm not joking or exaggerating. they will do anything to gain an upper hand. knowing how oppresive the system is i can't say that i blame them entirely, but i'll be damned if i stay long enough to be turned nasty and bitter like so many of them. i apologize for this negativity, but i need to vent, so thanks for letting me.