Administrator Y promised to write Billy a college recommendation. Billy went to the college office to hand in his applications and found out that he was one recommendation short. Administrator Y had not written one.
Billy went to see Administrator Y. He was sure that it was an oversight because such a fine administrator would never renege on a promise to a boy. Administrator Y said "I am a busy administrator. I have lots of work. I have no time to write your recommendation." Billy was crushed. He needed the recommendation as the college office would not send out his college applications without it. Billy finally convinced a teacher to fill one out for him in a hurry.
Administrator Y:
Administrator Y, your job has many obligations. Writing this boy's recommendation is one of those obligations. Do what you expect others to do. Or, are you one of those that say Do as I say, not what I do?
Billy went to see Administrator Y. He was sure that it was an oversight because such a fine administrator would never renege on a promise to a boy. Administrator Y said "I am a busy administrator. I have lots of work. I have no time to write your recommendation." Billy was crushed. He needed the recommendation as the college office would not send out his college applications without it. Billy finally convinced a teacher to fill one out for him in a hurry.
Administrator Y:
Would you accept Billy telling you he couldn't do his homework because he was busy? I'm guessing the answer to that is no!
Would you accept an excuse like that from a teacher who was not prepared for his class? I'm guessing the answer to that is no also.
So, why do you think it is alright for you to be busy? Are you the only one busy? Is your time more valuable than every other person's time?
Administrator Y, you took a job that required lots of work. You had to know that before you took the job. Did you want the perks without the responsibility? Were you just tired of being in the classroom? Do you like the prestige of having an office and a title?
Administrator Y, your job has many obligations. Writing this boy's recommendation is one of those obligations. Do what you expect others to do. Or, are you one of those that say Do as I say, not what I do?
8 comments:
Reading this just broke my heart. What a jerk! And what a fine example to set for a young man about how to uphold your obligations. Or just keep your word, for that matter! JERK!
I think most of your arguments miss the point. Your arguments would apply if Y had just refused up front to write a recommendation for a deserving student because s/he is too busy. Because I do think that it's part of the job, and not one that it's ok to just shrug off if you're busy.
But to AGREE to do it and then just not do it, and not even give the student warning that it is not going to get done, is so over the top it is disgusting. I would have been beside myself if I were that student, let down by someone I was relying on for something so important to me, and put on the spot like that at the last moment to come up with another recommendation.
So many of these administrators are really useless--they are over-paid windbags who think their sh-t doesn't stink. Many of them became APs or Principals because they wanted to get out of the classroom, and didn't want to become scapegoats of their administration. Now they harrass teachers and screw up students' lives because they have no backbone, and only know how to kiss ass and follow orders of their "superiors". I wonder how they live with themselves?
I'm just wondering what Y's reaction would have been if the same thing happened to his son or daughter. I bet he would have called the school and loudly complained.
That is soooo wrong of Admin Y. This person is screwing with a child's FUTURE...
What if that child missed the deadline to apply to certain colleges b/c of Admin Y's missing recommendation????
If Admin Y was too busy, then he/she should have stated that up front. Period. Don't make a promise you can't keep.
Admin Y should be ashamed of him (her)self. But since they're an "admin" they probably aren't...well let's just say that I'm embarrassed for Admin Y...whoever you are!!!
Miss S
Well Billy is just getting a taste of what it is to be in real world as it functions today. Admin Y is teaching him a valuable lesson! You see they are not useless after all.
The AdminJerk was obligated ONLY due to having promised to write the letter, NOT because it is part of his/her job.
Same for teachers.
I have had many a student who I woundn't recommend for septic tank cleaning demand a LOR from me, with hands on hips, telling me that it was part of my job to write THEM a LOR. I've even had AdminJerks tell me the same thing. Most of the time I have refused except once that stopped the AdminJerks from ever asking me again.
This one particular AdminJerks got in my face and told me he would go after my certification for refusing to write a very special scum of a student a LOR. I decided to call him on his point by filing a grevance (won hands down btw due to a U.S. Supreme Court decision from way back). I wrote a letter alright! Every stupid thing the kid sis was in it. My deep opinion that this kid was worthless and not fit to be around good people. How badthe kid did in class and the fact that two AdminJerks had useds their authority to change teacher grades for this pile of garbage was in the letter as well.
I submitted the lette to the Guidance Department in the kid's folder. Shit hit the fan! Grevance went to the BOE with lawyers on the BOE side telling the BOE and the AdminJerks that they could not require any teacher or government employee to give a good opinion on anything to tell teacher what to write in a letter that was the teacher's recommendation.
Now my school system sends around checkoff lists to teachers to see who to send the kids to for LORs. I get to pick the students *I* would recommend.
Miller--I agree with you 100%. If the guy did not plan on writing it, he should have said no.
The kid in question is a good kid who could have gotten other people to fill out the form and fill it out well.
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