One of my favorite gigs happened on an April Fools Day in Allentown today as I arrived in a wet snow storm. (So much for Punxatawny Phil’s prediction..) I did three sets for the school, post testing, to loosen up the kids and teachers. I really appreciate the opportunity to sit down with the 5th grade in a much more relaxed atmosphere and I get to take questions from the kids. Very interesting. I was asked why I was skinnier than last year. (Yo!) Answer: I stopped going to McDonalds cause I couldn’t afford it.
Something came up that took me by surprise. I jested in the second of three assemblies that we (the teachers and myself) still had jobs. I found out from the principal after the set that the Allentown School Board had eliminated 247 teaching jobs the night before. Amazing foot-in-mouth.
But it brings into context the confluence of “the Shock Doctrine” and local politics. I was talking to a teacher after my gig that the ASB, with $100,000 salaries, hit the teachers (without parental notification) a massive blow. By pressing the fiscal shortfall in the school district, the School Board takes it out on the teachers. Drat.