A well turned heel

I’m going to go open the front door and let a little cold air in so that I can read the DNT. Someone else can Google the City’s population to figure out if the child cohorts have really evaporated. As for me, I’m satisfied that our children are hiding under a Mountain.

Tawnyea’s figures absolve Dr. Dixon of much of the student loss. This could make his last six month’s a little less rancorous. He didn’t lose the kids. They simply don’t exist. I suppose that was why Tawnyea’s story was pinging around in my head before I crawled out of bed. Not the attendance figures but rather her hiring a few years ago.

Before Tawynea was hired the job was held by an acquaintance of mine. Tawnyea’s predecessor had just been hired back to the District after a few year’s absence from Duluth. Before her departure she was doing very similar statistical work for the District. She was a low key, straight shooter, however, being in her late fifties she was a little past the “well turned heel” stage of life.

After her hiring she was informed that the job she had interviewed for had been changed at Dr. Dixon’s behest. This switch and bait tactic was icky if not illegal (and it may have been illegal). She would work at a lower rank, be paid less and given additional duties. Being low key; knowing that a fight over principle would likely be a lost cause in the long run and needing a job she acquiesced to the demotion. A couple of administrators that I made inquiries of after the fact told me bluntly that she had been “screwed.” (Is it necessary for me to explain that this is a literal not figurative expression?)

It happened that another applicant for the job who had not been chosen by the interview committee was Tawnyea, a favorite of Dr. Dixon’s. Tawnyea has been described as “statuesque”. As I recall the story Tawnyea did not have the necessary qualifications to take on the position when it was first advertised but this turned out to be but a slight bump in the road.

My fiftyish acquaintance read the writing on the wall. She got another job outside of the school district which she much prefers. Her old job analyzing student achievement data was promptly altered and reclassified at a higher salary giving Tawnyea the leg up she needed to become part of Dr. Dixon’s team

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