Politics, Politics,Politics

[David Mauldin]

   Working for a public school district is very similar to being in a subordinate position at a church. It is not enough to be a good employee. You must recognize who holds the real power and play politics.  Something I am completely incapable of doing. While I was a "minister" at Grace Bible Chapel, I was run off by an contingent of deacon's wives who took offense at my comments about "Coming late for the worship meeting".  While on the surface I had every right to preach on the subject, I led the weekly prayer meeting, the weekly outreach, taught Sunday school  for college and career group and always did anouncments and brought exercise to the worship meeting. (By the time I was run off I had had enough anyway so I didn't put up a fight) The problem was I didn't have the right tact, connections, alliances, wasn't good buddies with this deacon or that elder  etc...   Today I am in my 7th year of teaching. I have learned many things beyond just how to run a classroom. Yet I find myself unable to really get a grip on the politics game.  Example;, two and a half years ago our school received a new principal and vice-principal. Both did not seem in my estimation to fit the mold.  The principal was shy, timid emotionaly week and overwhelmed by her job. The vice was an extremely quiet soft spoken lonelyish single man in his late thirties. After about a month I began noticing some strange? behaviors by the vice -p  for example he would always have students around him in a "buddy" way.  They would tag along side him, call him by his "nick-name".  Other times I noticed a group of boys in his office.  They would play him for their fool, take his keys and run off etc,,,  This I thought would eventually come to an end however the principal did nothing.  She was too overwhelmed with her own job to recognize much less deal with it. As time went on I found myself at odds with him.  If a student felt that a teacher was "abuseing" them they quickly found a champion in the vice-p. Hence teachers such as myself were constantly being repremanded for "Yelling" at students. Teachers began finding less and less ability to control their classrooms. Some teachers were able to avoid or get around the vice-p because they were privy to power. I decided that my only recourse was to contact the parents directly whenever it came to a problem.  This I found out later did not set well with the vice-p.  He constatntly did his best to subvert my attempts to discipline students. Even when it contradicted the parents. "Parents are dealing with home issues!" "That doesn't apply here!" This power struggle came to a head when last year, on the last day of school, 8 teachers were handed new assignments.  (Ones they didn't want!) These teachers (myself included) were not given any prior notice of the moves. Half of the moves involved teachers who had been at odds with the vice-p. Nothing like this ever went on before and to say the least it really upset many people. All the while co-workers who could have stepped up and said something didn't. These people either saw their own jobs at stake and were afraid they might get the same treatment or were involved somehow in their own little political games. Yet they should have stood up and done something. I was left with a feeling of helplessness!  What could I do???  Go to the district and complain??   I remember all too well running into John Fitzpatrick at my school.  John had bucked the system at Fontana School District and through a series of political decisions he ended up without a fulltime job. First it was a problem between him and his principal, then it spilled into the district, next they offered him $ to break his contract. The stress on his life at that time- a family/children/house payment/assembly- I believe led to his early death.) so I did nothing.  Last Friday I was informed that our dear vice-p has been let go!!  And our principal is moving to another school. Thank you Jesus!!! I hope it is true. Yet today I am a much different person/teacher. instead of leading afterschool homework clubs, reading programs, astronomy night (I had 500 people attend the last one in 94) I now devote my time to union causes. This I feel is the only option I have to maintain control over my carear. What a sad waste of my time but what else can I do? 

[David Mauldin]

///What can I do???

[M2]

Hi David M,

My opinion:  I believe that only you can know what to do, because you know all the variables.

It looks like the age old story of 'kick the trouble maker out because he is disrupting our lifestyle and challenging our POV'.  John 9 recounts the story of the man born blind from birth, the Lord heals him, his parents are afraid to give Jesus the credit, the man is kicked out from the synagogue, and finally Jesus is the one who ministers to him.

Martin Luther suffered the rejection of his colleagues but the result was the reformation.
Rosa Parks made a stand against segregation and suffered the loss of her job etc., but it resulted in integration.
Brent T set up the website at great cost to himself and his family, but the result was that many of us have been delivered from Geftakys assembly bondage. PTL!!
These are all men/women of faith.  None of them 'perfect' by any means, but yet they did the right thing and it benefitted others.

Since none of us are perfect as Jesus Christ was/is, I take the criticism to heart so that I can remain objective as much as it is possible for a fallible human being, who is a sinner, to be.  So if the deacon's wife were to criticize me, I would use it as an opportunity for self examination.

Just some thoughts on the matter.

God bless,
Marcia

[moonflower2]

   Working for a public school district is very similar to being in a subordinate position at a church. It is not enough to be a good employee. You must recognize who holds the real power and play politics.  Something I am completely incapable of doing.

It's a game and even at the lower levels like county and state, everyone has to do it to some degree if you are interested in working there. Think of it as a game. You don't have to be a phony to do it, either.

(I'm not going to touch the church problem you were talking about. That isn't a game.)

These people either saw their own jobs at stake and were afraid they might get the same treatment or were involved somehow in their own little political games. Yet they should have stood up and done something. I was left with a feeling of helplessness!  What could I do???  Go to the district and complain??   I remember all too well running into John Fitzpatrick at my school.  John had bucked the system at Fontana School District and through a series of political decisions he ended up without a fulltime job. First it was a problem between him and his principal, then it spilled into the district, next they offered him $ to break his contract. The stress on his life at that time- a family/children/house payment/assembly- I believe led to his early death.) so I did nothing.  Last Friday I was informed that our dear vice-p has been let go!!  And our principal is moving to another school. Thank you Jesus!!! I hope it is true.

Someone opened their mouth or the situation wouldn't have turned like that. Might even have been some parents.

Yet today I am a much different person/teacher. instead of leading afterschool homework clubs, reading programs, astronomy night (I had 500 people attend the last one in 94) I now devote my time to union causes. This I feel is the only option I have to maintain control over my carear. What a sad waste of my time but what else can I do? 

Document. (to cover yourself) It's not a waste of time if that is the kind of situation you are in. May have changed now, though.

BTW, did John Fitzpatrick have a sister named Mary?

[David Mauldin]

Moon,

       Many of us are wondering if or what has him out at the moment.  Right now it is all in the rumor stage. We may not know for certain until next September. I think it could be any of a number of reasons. 1. So many people on staff hate him that the S.D. decided it was "his" issues not ours. (A good leader should at least get 51% of the vote?) 2. The S.D. had to make legitimat cutbacks and he was low man. 3. He got on the wrong side of the new superintendent. 4. Test scores at our school are way down since he has arrived. (We use to be 16th most improved school in the state. In the year 2000 $25 grand was awarded to each teacher!)  When i first met the new vice-p I thought he was great. He actually talked to the kids!  He had time for them. yet as time went on I noticed his ego get in the way. It became HIS school.  HIS children.  If someone else seemed to take the center stage he had to step into it and take control. Kinda like George would if a brother started becoming popular.

As far as Grace Bible Chapel goes I was one of many who were run out. The Church had no intention of growing. It is the same with almost all Plymouth Bretheren Churches. They verbally agreed to outreach etc... but the history showed a continual power struggle between young people who wanted to see things happen and old people who were unwilling to move aside! example I requested use of the facility for outreach.  We were told, "O.K." "But you better clean it up after you are through with it." No problem bros!!!   So after the fellowship, we cleaned up the hall, vacuum, empty the trash, wipe the counters, clean the bathrooms etc...  Yet that following Sunday a very angry note was pinned up on the wall detailing our failures to the whole church!!!!   Apparently one of the brothers dropped a paper towel inside a trash can after we had emptyed it!!!!    Funny thing though a younger progressive group recently ran out the old guys! They now have the chapel and the geizers are meeting in a house!!!  How this happened I don't know?? It really has some friends and I amazed as the property was held by the old guys! My take on the old guys power trip is that they founded the church 30 years ago and to their dismay their cultural preferences, how they perceive worship etc.. gets slowly taken away from them by the younger people. It is only natural that they would resist it. Many people advise "Do not try to change a church that is more than 30 years old."

[moonflower2]

Moon,

       Many of us are wondering if or what has him out at the moment.  Right now it is all in the rumor stage. We may not know for certain until next September. I think it could be any of a number of reasons. 1. So many people on staff hate him that the S.D. decided it was "his" issues not ours. (A good leader should at least get 51% of the vote?) 2. The S.D. had to make legitimat cutbacks and he was low man. 3. He got on the wrong side of the new superintendent. 4. Test scores at our school are way down since he has arrived. (We use to be 16th most improved school in the state.

You're probably right on all counts.      From my limited experience, I found that school districts also have their "grapevines" and employees whose opinions they seek out. 

As far as Grace Bible Chapel goes I was one of many who were run out. The Church had no intention of growing. It is the same with almost all Plymouth Bretheren Churches. They verbally agreed to outreach etc... but the history showed a continual power struggle between young people who wanted to see things happen and old people who were unwilling to move aside! example I requested use of the facility for outreach.  We were told, "O.K." "But you better clean it up after you are through with it." No problem bros!!!   So after the fellowship, we cleaned up the hall, vacuum, empty the trash, wipe the counters, clean the bathrooms etc...  Yet that following Sunday a very angry note was pinned up on the wall detailing our failures to the whole church!!!!   Apparently one of the brothers dropped a paper towel inside a trash can after we had emptyed it!!!!    Funny thing though a younger progressive group recently ran out the old guys! They now have the chapel and the geizers are meeting in a house!!!  How this happened I don't know?? It really has some friends and I amazed as the property was held by the old guys! My take on the old guys power trip is that they founded the church 30 years ago and to their dismay their cultural preferences, how they perceive worship etc.. gets slowly taken away from them by the younger people. It is only natural that they would resist it. Many people advise "Do not try to change a church that is more than 30 years old."

Funny stuff.  

[David Mauldin]

John had a sister "in Fellowship" but left during the late 80's. I can't remember her name.

[Margaret]

Moonflower -  John Fitzpatrick had two sisters in fellowship, Mary and Patty. Mary married Ken Ludwig in Chicago, who was a leading brother at one time. Both left the group a number of years before the end.

[David Mauldin]

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!!!  HES GONE!!!!!!!!!! I'M SO HAPPY HERES THE REASON WHY!!!! JESUS TOOK MY BURDEN ALL AWAY!!!!!!!!!!