Covid Bullshit for EAs
This one is about a guy I wish still worked in schools — one of the best EAs I’ve ever met. Down to earth. Real. Worked with any student and took on challenges that others ran from. Someone who wasn’t afraid to speak the truth, even when it made things uncomfortable for the people in charge. He stuck up for EAs and students every chance he got and wasn’t afraid to say what most of us only think. He always talked about running for union local president, and honestly, he would’ve killed it. He didn’t back down from anyone. A bunch of the stories on this blog are his, and he’s been kind enough to let me keep sharing them.
This one takes us back to the early days of returning to school during COVID. Schools had been shut down for a few weeks, and this was our very first day back. The school board — specifically the Catholic side (shocking, I know) — wanted to make a big show for the media. They were putting on a performance for the cameras about how "safe" everything was. The news was coming. The big boss was coming. It was all about optics, not safety.
The board told parents all these rules about how kids would cohort and follow guidelines. But behind the scenes? EAs were getting totally different instructions. We were shuffled around, moved between classrooms, expected to bend the rules because, once again, we don’t count. This blog will get into more of that COVID-era garbage another time, but let’s stay on today’s story.
So, we’re all setting up. Tension is high. Cameras are rolling. Our principal is full-on in ass-kissing mode because the director is coming. This guy — the director — is rude right from the jump. I passed him at least three times, no acknowledgment at all. Not even a glance. But then he finally decides to speak… and he picks the wrong EA to talk to. My buddy.
My EA friend had his mask down around his chin. He was alone, away from students and staff, not hurting anyone. The director — who, mind you, wasn’t wearing a mask himself — marches right into his space and tells him, “Put your mask on.”
And my friend? He doesn’t miss a beat. He fires back, “I will when you do.”
That’s the kind of guy he is. I couldn’t believe the balls on him, but also — hell yes. He was right.
Then the director pulls the classic power move: “Do you know who I am?”
And without flinching, my buddy says, “Nope.”
HAHAHA. I still laugh when I think about it.
The director starts puffing up, threatening to send him home, talking about disciplinary action. And my friend just calmly says, “If you put yours on, I’ll put mine on. It’s that simple.”
But of course, that wasn’t good enough for Mr. Big Shot. He had to make a scene. That’s how it always goes — when someone challenges their authority, even with complete logic and fairness, they blow it up into something it never needed to be.
That moment stuck with me. Not just because it was hilarious, but because it showed exactly what we’re up against. If people at the top treat us like garbage, how can we expect anyone else to show us respect?
This director? Hypocrite. Liar. Weasel. And an all-around dickhead.
But my friend stood his ground. Again and again. He called out the bullshit. He pushed back against the gaslighting and double standards. And yeah, eventually it pushed him out of the job — but not before making an impact. I miss having him at work, but I’m grateful we’ve reconnected. His stories matter. What we go through matters.
And I’ll keep telling it, one story at a time.
Next week: another COVID story. Another showdown. And honestly, looking back, it was probably the beginning of the end for him in this field. But man, what a way to go.