Spring renewal

It has been awhile since I have updated my blog. I have been under so much stress that my muse has abandoned me until I get the cortisol in my system under control. As a middle school principal, I am constantly amazed by how much stress one person can endure before he/she finally falls apart. Texas schools are being put to the test by our state when it comes to funding. I have been saying for years that public education is in trouble when it comes to public perception, and now it has come to fruition. For the past 6 months, I have been to countless meetings to discuss the school budget and the impact the budget deficit is going to have on our district. It has been a roller coaster---positive news one minute, and then not so positive news the next. If the budget reductions simply affected me, then I think I could handle the stress. But as an empathic person, I have carried the stress of my staff as they worry whether or not they will even have a job next year. I have heard their personal stories, seen their tears, and watch them as they struggle to comprehend how state leaders can put so little faith into the one institution that guarantees our students' future. Public education is not perfect, and it should constantly strive to continuously improve to meet the needs of its students; however, to cut funding to the one thing that guarantees hope for our youth is not only heartbreaking, it is unethical and immoral. I am saddened everytime I watch the news, and I hear our state leaders blame others for the budgetary problems of our state. True leadership is taking responsibility for all that goes wrong, and giving the glory to others when things go right. So, as my stomach aches, my weight increases, my joints hurt, and my head spins from the unbelieavble amount of stress from dealing with impending budget cuts, upcoming state accountability tests, and trying to schedule classes with less teachers and resources, I look for my muse to return to guide me in writing my blog as a way of stress reduction. With the weather turning beautiful as we move into Texas spring time, I will find the time for renewal. There is nothing more beautiful than springtime in Texas with skies of blue that mirror fields of blue with the bluebonets. I am hoping that the beauty of Texas reminds our state leaders that to preserve this beautiful state, we need to continue to invest in its future---we need to fully fund education with the schools that our children deserve.