She didn't think herself a racist. She'd had black school friends, worked with black women at the restaurant, and watched Oprah daily.But when her seven-year-old, white daughter brought home a ... [+]
Dave is a retired teacher who taught language arts to special needs students in Arizona for 39 years. He now resides in California, writing poems and short stories for children and grown-ups. "A Teachable Moment That Became a Disaster Movie" is in Short Circuit #15, Short Édition's quarterly review.
There is a large box in the custodian's office in the elementary school where I work. It is labeled "for lizards only." It has never been used to catch a lizard. Or anything else, for that matter. But if a lizard ever makes its way into the school, I'll be ready.
Unlike the last time.
I am a noon-duty aide at the elementary school which is three blocks from my house in Upland, California. I was retired from teaching for two years when I started missing the kids, teachers, and the general school vibe. So, I applied for the noon-duty aide position a