Changes

After a pretty slow and normal start to the school year the changes have begun. I will start off by saying that this could happen at any school, no matter where it is located, and that management did a fantastic job ensuring that no one will lose their job despite the many changes taking place.

This all started due to lower than expected enrollment. No one knows for sure what caused the decline; it could be that Brighton College (a prestigious UK private boarding school) opened, it could be because parents just don't want to pay the extremely high school fees, or it could simply be because parents are dissatisfied with the education their children are receiving. Whatever the cause, enrollment has dropped and when that happens there are small (in management's eyes) class sizes and things need to be done. So with lower than expected enrollment in Al Ain and higher than expected enrollment in Abu Dhabi City (ADC) and Madinet Bin Zayed (MBZ; on the way to Abu Dhabi) something needed to be done. So here is a list of all the changes that will take effect on Sunday.

1. Two kindergarten classes have been lost. These teachers will not be replaced and the students were moved to other classes. This is because they had 18 students, which in my mind is perfect for KG, but according to management that's too small. So now the classes have about 23 students. The two teachers are now becoming system wide subs. Fortunately they will get the same pay. One of them is taking the library position because she is out on maternity leave while the other is helping with 3rd grade.
2. A first grade teacher is being moved to third grade and the students in her class are being moved to the other classes.
3. A second grade teacher was promoted to PYP coordinator and her position is not being replaced so her students are being moved to the other classes.
4. Two third grade teachers have been lost. One due to a medical emergency (she fell and is still in ICU at Al Ain Hospital) and the other to cover an eleventh grade English position at the Boys School in MBZ. She was chosen because she had expressed interest in moving at the end of the year. She no longer wants to make the move and is very upset about this decision. Her class will be replaced by the first grade teacher and the other students have already been moved to other classes. The thing is the teacher coming to third grade is black and these people are very racist. They do not want their children taught by a black person. They think Sudanese and for some reason they don't like Sudanese. So once they find out she's black, it doesn't matter that she's American, they will probably want their child taken out of her class and more changes will need to be made to the other classes.
5. Vemal is leaving fourth grade and going to fifth grade. His position will not be filled his students are being divided amongst the remaining 5 of us. According to the list that Pete generated on Thursday I should only be getting 3 more students, which would put me at 25, not too bad. Then there's the case of Kevin's problem child who is most likely going to be moved to my class. If that happens I'll be at 26 with one of the most challenging students in the grade. Needless to say that my current class dynamics will change.
6. A fifth grade teacher is going to be the new counselor at the Boys' School. Vemal is taking his place so there aren't really any major changes there.
7. An Arabic teacher is going to ADC to teach at the Boys' School. His position will not be filled so all the other Arabic teachers will have to take extra sections to cover his classes.
8. The IT teacher is going to MBZ to teach at the Boys' School. His position will not be filled so now we all have to teach our own IT. Yeah, like that is going to happen! Just being honest here. I'll most likely use that time to teach reading or math or catch up on the little UOI that I currently teach. The only IT that I'll be teaching is using the Internet to find information.

So that is what is happening at ENS Al Ain City Campus. I certainly hope that all the changes are done, but I highly doubt that. There will most likely be scheduling changes now. Can't wait to see what Sunday brings! With all that being said, I will close with the fact that I am very grateful that I have a job, at the same school, at the same campus, and in the same grade level. I thank God for that! And I thank God that all of the teachers are still employed!

93 degrees at 11:30 am. It is getting cooler as it's only supposed to get to a high of 100 today!!