The Wizards Are Off To See Us, Well Not Really

This morning and early afternoon we're hosting something called a "District Relations Committee Meeting" at my school. Outside of an email from my principal, I know pretty much nothing about this event, and I can't find any real news about it online.

As I understand it, the main order of business is that Superintendent Brooks and several "Very Important People" (Feudal Prince Marty Chávez, Lieutenant Governor Denish, the State Public Education Department head Veronica Garcia, the APS School Board) will be eating breakfast and lunch in our somewhat grim-looking Library. One hopes Lt. Gov. Denish won't be stuck eating beneath the flood-damaged ceiling tiles in the Library.

One also wonders if those ceiling tiles were finally replaced in anticipation of the event. This would be pretty humorous, as these brown, ravaged, drooping tiles have loomed over students and staff for what must be going on three years now.

But I'm sure that this meeting is about more than butt-ugly ceiling tiles. I just don't know what that something more is. Outside of eating in our grim Library, I believe the idea is for the VIP entourage to get on a school bus and go to just about every school in APS Board Member Marty Esquivel's District Four. Since they are going to about 12 schools in three hours, they will perhaps just have to drive-by and take pictures of the smaller schools.

And here comes the fun part when it comes to my school (outside of the Library eating thing):

• It is possible that, on the way to what must be a very fast schoolbus, the VIPs will "drop in" on a classroom or two. This slight possibility (threat?) most certainly has had every staffmember of my school in a state of ironing clothes, bulletin board straightening kerfuffle. I expect to see some very, very peculiarly acting colleagues this morning when I get to work. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" kind of peculiar. As in one will want to wave a flattened hand very close to the "Snatched Body" colleague's face and say "Earth to Colleague...Earth to Colleague" repeatedly.
• The staff at my school has been informed that we cannot eat with the VIPs, or join in their "round table discussion" in the grim-looking Library. We're supposed to just have a "regular" school day (well except for the fact we can't use the grim-looking Library and will have all these VIPs with media accompaniment straggling around the place). I understand the need to have the teachers do their job instead of asking pesky questions and acting boorishly in "public", but it is a wee bit of a morale bummer having these decision-makers so close to us, yet so very, very far away in practice.

I would have more about this event, but I know nothing more about it. I also have to break out the iron I haven't used in weeks and find my hair brush. And where's my beard trimmer? And my nice shoes...the ones without the horse manure smell?