Job Update

After Rex got hired at Brazos, 3 schools called in 2 weeks. Rex had me turn down the one at Judson (San Antonio) and Spring (north Houston), but he allowed me to accept the one at Alamo Heights (San Antonio) if they were willing to interview him on a Saturday. Last weekend, he interviewed with them, but he came home deflated and discouraged. Mostly, the interview brought back all the discouragement and despair he lived through during the previous 16 months, as if he was right back in the desperate search for a job. While he said he definitely wanted that job, he didn't sound very convincing when he described how the interview went with the principal. We were impressed that she actually called him the next week to tell him they went with another candidate, but I don't think either of us were that sad that he didn't get it. He said he felt like he was interviewing with his last principal at Northside. That wasn't a good sign, even if the pay was good and the school was top-notch and the grade and subject was exactly what he wanted. Besides, who knows what kind of political minefield would have awaited him there.

Meanwhile, at Brazos, Rex is no longer the newest teacher on campus. Due to unknown circumstances (Rex heard it had to do with certification issues), two men are now gone. The new 7th/8th grade math/science teacher now asks Rex for help, as if Rex has some sort of idea about what is going on. Two of the kids that were in Rex's class either dropped out or transferred to another alternative school. Without warning and without any idea why. His class would be topped at 10 students, but right now he only has 6 (with the prospect of 1 on his way). Even at 6 kids, his class is seriously hard to handle. One student apparently has ADHD, Bipolar, Schizophrenia, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. While it is 6th grade, they all struggle with 3rd or 4th grade material. In addition to all the core subjects, Rex also teaches them art and computers. Until now when they finally obtained a mobile lap-top computer lab, he was marching them down the street to the community center to use the computers there. He has few supplies, and those that he does have are destroyed or swiped by the students. He has virtually no prep period, and oftentimes, he must spontaneously supervise the 7th/8th graders along with his own students (the same 7th/8th graders that "pretended" to jump him). He is supposed to prepare lesson plans for a few weeks in advance, but his plans change according to the way the day plays out. Without any real curriculum or reliable technology, and very sketchy expectations and communication, Rex is exhausted after his 7am-4pm workout with these kids. For the most part, it sounds as if there is so much chaos that it is all they can do just to get their feet under them. Their main concern is getting the students to listen, pay attention, and behave, and hopefully learn something in the process; the all-important state tests are so far down the priority list they really aren't concerned about that right now. Whatever the case, if anyone could do this job, it's Rex. He's always been great at winging it, and flying by the seat of his pants is exactly what is required here. Furthermore, his tales of handling the kids are amazing, and I expect he will get stronger and better at it as the Lord blesses him to meet the needs of the job.

As a side note, Rex also took the EC-8 Special Ed Supplement Certification test the previous weekend. He got the results back this weekend: he passed. So for $200, he is now qualified to teach special ed up to 8th grade. Mostly, this is to increase his marketability, but I am fully confident he'd do a great job as a spec ed teacher, particularly doing something like the Behavioral Specialist that James works with at school.