Basic Math

Summer School begins next month, and last week I had the opportunity to meet the principal for the summer school program where I will be teaching. Because I lack anything at all resembling a backbone, I was talked into agreeing to her throwing the entire preschool program into one room, one windowless room with a steel door and a pile of crap at one end belonging to the regular teacher who has the unfortunate experience of being held hostage in that classroom all school year long. Now I may not have been a math major, but I know that by adding up the following numbers we reach a disturbing conclusion:

Total number of preschool children: 17 and rising
Total number of adults: 5 (2 teachers, 2 assistants, 1 high school student)
Total number of children using wheelchairs: 4
Total number of children who are medically fragile: 3 for sure
Total number of children who are known to run/escape: 5 for sure
Size of classroom: 10' X 20' absolute maximum (I am so bad at visual spatial tasks)
Total number of nonverbal children: 6 and rising
Distance to Cafeteria: 50+ yards down a hallway with a fire alarm
Distance to playground: well over 200 yards along a paved trail and as of now it is forbidden

Grand Total: We are so screwed!!

Is it really worth the extra money? The summer school principal seems to think this is a great idea to throw us all in one room together and me, Little Miss Keep Everyone Happy, had no backbone to tell her that such a plan would work as well as the Hindenberg. I can't wait to talk to the other preschool teacher on Thursday - Lord, I pray she has a backbone and a good strong voice!! Just call me chicken little!