In the Know

Have you ever watched a tv program or video where you know the writer has little knowledge or experience about an industry or work environment because you work in said environment and know it doesn't operate that way? You then feel smug because you know better. Or maybe you're angry because your vocation is misportrayed. Or maybe you just laugh because it's so ridiculous.

This doesn't happen to me often, probably because I've only worked in so many types of jobs and they aren't often mischaracterized. But the other day there was a glaring error on Law and Order. Yes, I'm afraid I've become a little bit of an addict to this crime detecting show while working this summer. Anyway, on the show there was a substitute teacher who was suspected of a horrible crime involving a student. The principal calls him in and is like "I've already initiated the process with the school board to have you fired," or words to that effect. That's ridiculous! To my knowledge there is no such hoop that needs to be jumped through to get a sub fired! They have fewer rights than a non-tenured teacher. The principal just says go home and don't come back and it's done. (There may be a more involved process for getting you off a school district's substitute list.) It was kind of ridiculous to think about a school board having to take time during their meeting to approve the firing of a substitute. In fact, it was almost laughable, at the same time it was apparent that at least one writer probably didn't do their homework on the intricacies of hiring and firing substitute teachers.

Ok. My rant (though it's not really a rant, as I'm not particularly bothered, only intrigued by the apparent ignorance out there) for the day is over. Consider yourselves educated on the lack of rights of substitute teachers. You are now in the know.