These last few days have been loaded with emotion. Yesterday it all came to a head. Sue’s last day at GHS is complete. The only job she’s had as an adult, teaching at GHS, (with the notable exception of a one year hiccup at Weston High, talk about an error in judgement). She leaves very much like Jim Brown, at the very top of her game, I could not be more proud of her for all that she has done, for all the lives that she’s touched and will continue to touch by proxy.

I can honestly say that as a detached mainstream teacher I had no clue what she did until we were together. I was that asshole who simply ignored the paperwork that was sent my way, seeing it as an imposition. I sure got schooled as the years went on.

The job went from a caseload that included a full time para professional to now, a caseload that is 25% increased from what it was (at least) with NO para professional in the room. Regulations requiring paperwork more paperwork to cover rules set down by legislators who have no clue what they are putting in place, none of them with any experience in the classroom, all of this taking time away from the actual work with the kids themselves. I am a “specialist” I work curriculum that I’ve had years (ok, decades) to streamline, focus and tweak, in a subject that, other than the delivery method has not changed in a few thousand years. She was tasked with working across every single subject in both the approach and the facts, how to write, how to organize, how to interpret, algebra, geometry, physics, chemistry, drama, poetry, world history, american history, biology, statistics, trig, spanish, latin, chinese, french, and on and on…

When I retired in 2012, prior to going back to part time teaching (still in one subject) in 2013, I actually had the opportunity, after 30 odd years, to spend a full day in the “resource room” (now, of course, called “Academic Lab”….perish the thought that the powers that be not elevate the name). I lasted about 30 minutes before I said “I’ll meet you back for lunch” and when off to visit with former colleagues. Plate spinners on the old Ed Sullivan show have NOTHING on what it takes to deal with they daily events in the Resource Room (it will always be that in my mind). Anything I thought I knew about it back when I was there was quickly dispelled by simply being there. I would invite any well meaning legislator or administrator to spend one full day trying to keep up. I liken it to the story about Jim Thorpe, the most celebrated athlete of his day, who decided to spend a day mimicking every movement of a recently born child. The story goes that after an hour he was so tired he gave up. Having raised two kids myself, I can relate to THAT and would invite anyone reading this to give it a try, though I never did go that far.

Ms. Sloan (she still gives me the evil eye about having legally changed her name to Mrs. Fitzpatrick), did it with a sense of humor, and open heart, and a tireless concern for the well being and growth of each of the many young (and many now not so young) folks who were entrusted to her care, some having parents who simply thought that she would be able to “give them another kid”.

Over the past 24 hours, and, I suspect for a long, long time to come, she has received notes, calls, comments, from colleagues, but more from those former charges, comments filled with love, appreciation, and respect. Comments that all of us in the profession for a very long time live for, comments that remind us that what we do each and every day, regardless of how it is undervalued by the general population or how they think it’s a walk in the park and they could suggest ways to “improve” from afar, carries positive motion ahead for many lives.

Sue (Sloan) Fitzpatrick also had the opportunity to play for the same team and wear the same “jersey” for her entire career [we will simply disregard that one year blip in time ]. She was able to end where she started, for you older folks like me, she was Mickey Mantle, for the youngsters, Derek Jeter, playing her entire career for one team, through a slew of different managers, with a bunch of different teammates, and unlike both Mickey and Derek, exited the game like the aforementioned Jim Brown, at the very top of her game. How lucky is she?

How lucky am I to be married to her? How much better a teacher did I become by simply being around her?…..Here’s to the next of many exciting chapters in this more than semi charmed kind of life 🙂

I love you Ms. Sloan.