"though much is taken, much abides"

This was the subject line in a email from Friday. Really, could the week ended on a worst note? It started with a 6:45 am Monday emergency faculty meeting to announce the suicide of a student over the weekend. Throughout the week it seemed making it to Friday or even Saturday would never happen.. and then to find out that my 2 year NCCAT seminar was ending with our August session (going fly fishing, so a nice send off).

While I totally understand that in an era of cutting back teaching positions, that paying for a teacher retreat doesn't make economic sense, but ending this opportunity and possibly NCCAT all together breaks my heart. All day Friday our cohort of 25 members emailed each other, state reps to beg for it to be spared. I saw frequently misdirected anger-filled emails to the incredible staff of NCCAT who had made the decision to cut the program (as well as others).

So after some thought I drafted a letter to all and cc the facilitators as well as the executive director of NCCAT. I felt that someone should voice that, "this decision was not made lightly, and that while disappointed I understood". Here's a small piece of that email that unwittingly set off even more discussion.

I cannot express how much being part of this group has meant to me professionally and personally. I know that the relationships we have made will continue on even without the physical meetings. If given the choice of ending Heart of Teaching or allowing the 21 teachers that are loosing their jobs at my school, I would choose to keep quality teachers where they can do the most good... especially after a week where many of us have played mothers and counselors to our kids. I know this decision was not made in haste as NCCAT keeps us in these roles.

I start this week with hopes of a less stressful and angst filled week. I am leaving for Destin, FL to visit family as of 2:30 on Friday. If I have ever needed a few days away from my daily reality, it's now. Here's to the 120 hour countdown 'till I can roll our of town with preschooler in tow.