Then There is the Bussing Metaphor of What @WritingProject Directors Do to Make Literacy Opportunities Possible

Being a National Writing Project site director is a business, as well as a job with scholarly intentions. Writing grants make opportunities possible, but getting kids to locations costs money and introduces conundrums the every day scholar tends not to know. What is a district's policy? Who do they contract with? How do they get paid? How do arrangements get made? It's something, and every district has its own policies. We teach, we research, we plan, we offer ourselves to service, we do professional development, and we figure out ways to make things happen.

I spent yesterday arranging buses for eight schools to have students transported to the University for an author day, where they can come to Fairfield University for writing and scholastic opportunity. I was thinking of my older sister who works with busing companies all the time and I had to wonder, does she know how drastically different every school district is? I'm not sure if she has to pay the drivers, but I do, and there's never a single, easy way to accomplish this! The layers of each school meets the layers of my own. Thick...thick payers.

Ah, but if it is good for kids, I'll figure it out. I've already learned it's best to have a go-to person to work with....it will be difficult, but a good contact makes it easier.

This is the unseen work of doing good for young people. I imagine any K-12 teacher trying to arrange this (and I'm thinking about senior trips to St. Augustine and summer visits to Roskilde, Denmark, on this). It would be much, much easier to say, "Forget about it. The kids won't get the opportunity," but that isn't the way good teaching occurs. You strive so they can thrive. 

I am definitely more gray after yesterday, but we have transportation mostly arranged. Now I have to deal with the University systems to make sure all the bus drivers get paid. Who knew grant-writing and having success would be this monstrous? Wait. I do, because I've been doing it for over 13 years. Trust me...it's not easy and it is unpaid work that makes you think you're going mad. 

And it is only one of the i's crossed and one t's dotted. But for 100+ kids, it is worth it. I'm looking forward to every second.