This incident has been popping up for the last couple of days. I first read about it in the Star-Tribune, but just couldn't bring myself to actually make a post about it. I mean, it just can't be that our country is that fucking stupid. Accuse someone of being a Wizard? What next? Drowning of Witches? Unbelievable.
Yet, here it gets traction. But what really makes the whole thing ridiculous is the feeble attempt by the school district to cover its ass:
See? Now, that was simple.
Obviously, though, it was not even that he was not doing his job. There was no mention of prior warnings, or efforts to redirect this man's performance. He was accused of being a wizard and than suddenly, there is a performance issues.
Now, I could try to down play the whole stupidity of this situation by noting it is Florida, but it still is a part of the United States. Besides, I've got some great blogger friends from Florida, so it can't be as bad down there as this incident implies.
Personal disclosure: I did spend 6 months in Florida when I was in the service, mostly in a drug induced fog. I was stationed in Orlando, taking classes for nuclear power. Amazingly, I passed. I really couldn't tell you about Florida thought, because if I was not studying, I was smoking lots of pot.
To be honest, I smoked so much of it I use to hallucinate. In fact, some days I wonder if I ever really came out of the hallucinations. I mean, George W. Bush as president? Yeah, I am still hallucinating.
Yet, here it gets traction. But what really makes the whole thing ridiculous is the feeble attempt by the school district to cover its ass:
Tampa Bay's 10 talked to the assistant superintendent with the Pasco County School District who said it wasn't just the wizardry and that Picular had other performance issues, including "not following lesson plans" and allowing students to play on unapproved computers."So, it wasn't just wizardry? The thing is, it shouldn't have even been mentioned at all. If he was having a problem with actually doing his job, than you say; "Hey, dumb substitute teacher, you ain't doing your damn job. Follow the lesson plans or we will not call you back for other assignments."
See? Now, that was simple.
Obviously, though, it was not even that he was not doing his job. There was no mention of prior warnings, or efforts to redirect this man's performance. He was accused of being a wizard and than suddenly, there is a performance issues.
Now, I could try to down play the whole stupidity of this situation by noting it is Florida, but it still is a part of the United States. Besides, I've got some great blogger friends from Florida, so it can't be as bad down there as this incident implies.
Personal disclosure: I did spend 6 months in Florida when I was in the service, mostly in a drug induced fog. I was stationed in Orlando, taking classes for nuclear power. Amazingly, I passed. I really couldn't tell you about Florida thought, because if I was not studying, I was smoking lots of pot.
To be honest, I smoked so much of it I use to hallucinate. In fact, some days I wonder if I ever really came out of the hallucinations. I mean, George W. Bush as president? Yeah, I am still hallucinating.
A minor correction - witches weren't drowned, as a matter of fact, not drowning was "proof" you were a witch. It's logical - everything has weight, so a soul has weight. People with souls sink to the bottom, but people without souls weigh less, so they float. If you drown you had a soul and weren't a witch. If you didn't drown, you didn't have a soul, so you must be a witch and were hanged.
The burning was after you died. Those who drowned were given proper Christian funerals before their soggy, innocent bodies were dumped in a hole.