Not sweatin'. Not in the least.

I had my exit interview today. I provided data to show that cutting my position is ill-conceived (the district proposed letting my job disappear through attrition as one way to reduce costs for next year).

In special education, there are at least two parts to the job: teaching, and administering a caseload. They take equal time to do well and correctly, and if a teacher is in the classroom most of the day teaching, one wonders when she will do the rest of the job.

My point to the exit interviewers was that the caseload for next year represents FOUR full-time employees. In a perfect world, I said, we'd have four certificated teachers to run our special ed services in the elementary. But, since this isn't a perfect world, let's take four caseloads and give them to three teachers. That is do-able. Giving four caseloads to TWO teachers isn't.

We discussed it from the perspectives of risk management, building culture, resistance to change, fiduciary duty, and not least of all special ed law and the monetary consequences of being sued or fined for not providing necessary services. There are always the wildcat lawsuits, but let's avoid the aviodable through cogent planning and procedure.

The potential weirdness did not happen; this was a calm, comfortable conversation.

And I can leave knowing I said the most important things about my job and the kids: we need to serve.