Off with their heads!

Periodically some suits get miffed that teachers working for them are more popular with the kids than the suits are.

Or the suits feel threatened that this teacher or that has developed a program that is recognized as superlative by the state.

While most people would view that as a reflection of outstanding leadership,you know "wow - this person is such a strong leader that he/she has encouraged/allowed/led Teacher to create the best plumbing program in the state - or lead the tiddlywinks team to beat all the other tiddlywinks teams."

But some suits apparently get threatened by things like that and become very conflicted. Now, being conflicted is apparently similar to becoming constipated - it makes you just as cranky. So you lash out and destroy the strong programs that you really need to justify your very existence.

I mean, if the kids aren't rocket scientists and barely pass the various state tests but they have the state's top tiddlywinks team it helps make you look stronger.

So, if you are a constipated, I mean conflicted suit, you just can't help yourself when you fire all the tiddlywinks coaches. (How dare they kick kids off the team for failing to come to practice! Put the kids back on the team, fire the coaches, off with their heads! That will make the team stronger!)

And the plumbing program? That teacher is entirely too popular! They must be doing something illegal with the kids for the kids to like them so much. So, let's haul all the kids in the plumbing program in and question them about whether Saintly Man (who gives the plumbing program his all) has been spending too much time with the students. Does he let them do things in class that we don't like? Maybe he lets them cuss? (Understanding that you cannot walk through the halls without it sounding like Lenny Bruce is having an argument with George Carlin and Richard Pryor.)

Yep, if I can put the fear of God (righteous indignation here) into Saintly Man, maybe I can scare him into leaving and all will be right with the school. So, when you hear Saintly Man talking about retiring - or asking some of his best kids if they would be character references should these unfounded charges go to court, well, it must make you sleep better at night.

And the other teachers? Well, it will keep them off balanced. We lop money off their paycheck, push the contracts back to the summer, chip away their free time at school and then start these witch-hunts. Don't want them being complacent. Off balance will keep them in line.

That must be how constipated, er, conflicted suits think.