D.A.R.E.

It's circa 1991 in the library of Purple Sage Elementary. The teachers are gathered for a faculty meeting about an upcoming 'field trip' of sorts. The entire school {or maybe just fifth grade...my memory isn't the best} is going to march down El Salido Parkway and meet the students from Anderson Mill Elementary for D.A.R.E. rally. We all needed a pep rally to stay off drugs. Obviously.

There are a lot of logistical concerns and the teachers are glad to have some answers. They receive lots of paperwork {permission slips, itinerary, rules/guidelines, parent help names/phone numbers} and they listen intently to 'the plan.'

The teachers go back to their rooms {without telephones, without computers} and pack up to go home. The are content that they have more answers and feel that they know what's going on now.

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It's August 2010 {in an unnamed school, in an unnamed district, in an unnamed city....I'll give you Texas though}. The teachers receive an email stating that there will be a faculty meeting in May. Glad we plan ahead.

It's May. The teachers receive the same email from August in a forwarded format {don't dare say you weren't warned} along with the agenda and attachments of information being disseminated at the upcoming meeting.

The {dreaded} Faculty Meeting beings. You sign in. If you don't, you'll have it marked in your...file.

It begins. You listen to the information.

As stated in the email you received today, bullying is a big deal...

You leave.

Mrs. Rebellious who skipped out on the meeting probably receives an email {albeit a doubly forwarded email} inquiring about her whereabouts at the meeting.

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The moral: Faculty Meetings should have died when email was born.