I am an elementary school teacher.
We have illness just running RAMPANT through our school and grade. More than a QUARTER of the entire grade is out sick right now with flu and strep and who knows what else. 28 kids out of 78.
And do we have functioning heat? Nope.
So what are we told to do? Open the windows. But it is FREEZING outside, and where my classroom is, the wind comes HAMMERING through like a damn cyclone, so now my classroom is FREEZING cold, and my kids are wearing jackets, and my hands ACHE and I'm literally sitting at my damn job SHIVERING, trying to fucking teach, and kids are begging to learn in the hallway because at least the hall is a LITTLE warm?
So I ended up CLOSING the windows, and now all we have is the univents, which are blowing in COLD AIR because it is SPRING and they won't turn on the boilers in the spring.
So here I am, with 7 of my 19 kids out sick, with the classroom next door missing more than HALF of their kids out sick, and of course the school won't reach out and say to parents “Hey, we might wanna wear masks this week because, you know, RAMPANT ILLNESS?” bc, you know, masks destroy America and freedom or something.
And this, of course, makes me EXTRA happy bc my wife was diagnosed with leukemia four weeks ago and the doctor is all like “Try to keep her from getting sick.”
Sure, doc. I'm right on that.
And all of this, for my shit teacher pay.
*sigh*
Anyway… my 30 minute lunch is almost over and I really have to pee, so I have to go because I won't have another chance to go to the bathroom until 3:30.