17 Years

October 1993,

Maria Teresa called me:

A Mission school needed a part-time, math-science

Teacher.

It fit my schedule.

They liked me so much (and I liked the school),

They hired me for the following year

For Flynn was a CSIP school.

A school adorned with Murals.

Between Bernal Heights and the Mission,

Between Bernal Dwellings and Precita Park.

Bernal Dwellings, a lost truck driver was accosted by residents.

Precita Park was littered with condoms and needles.

It was near St. Anthony’s and Immaculate Conception

Close to Corine’s Deli which later became Charlie’s.

Franklin was the principal.

He drove in from Escalon.

Martha was the secretary.

He tossed the football to the boys before school started

The computer lab was a Mac lab.

Half day Kindergarten went full time.

We had literature-based reading

And paraprofessionals in every classroom,

And two full yards,

And Carnaval.

And Bill Rojas asked me to go back to the classroom: fourth grade.

It was the last time I had purple fingers from running the ditto machine.

I left to NYC.

Gladys became principal.

I came back as second grade teacher

We had a full time librarian and four Reading Recovery teachers

A focus on literacy.

Class size reduction to 20,

Result: Bungalows in the yards.

Rule: “No running in the yard”

The computer lab became PC.

Wrote a Family Literacy grant

Families with photos came in to write family stories.

Johnnie became our principal

“Who’s number one?”

And the “Earth Pledge.”

And we sang “Leonard R. Flynn won’t you let me come in,”

I became Board Certified.

Sandy became our principal.

She knew how to get services for students in need.

Flynn became a STAR school.

Nancy, an effervescent artist, became our principal.

A painting explosion happened in our rooms.

Sing alongs began.

Jennifer, our health start coordinator, brought us:

Soul Shoppe, Ready to Learn Training, conflict managers,

And Xavi, our charming, handsome Catalan PE coach.

I became IRF.

A balanced-literacy approach became Reading First.

We got drumming, music and art.

We became an immersion school.

Charles became principal, organized and spartan.

Arrived at 5:30 am to get the day started.

Weekly communicators.

Honor Roll

Primary Years Programe

Lisa became our librarian.

The computer lab became Mac.

We got a playstructure, a garden, trees and astro turf.

I went on sabbatical

Sylvia became principal.

Smart and Latina

Healing was needed at Flynn.

But our students needed it more.

Discipline issues.

Stress.

Offered the IRF position at Marshall,

June 2010.

Martha was still the secretary.

Seventeen years is nearly a generation.

It is leaving a family,

The good and the bad, but still a family.

I open myself to a welcoming Marshall family,

To its staff, students and families.