If you ever watched the movie Eragon, based on the popular novel, you remember there was a scene when Brom, the hidden dragon-rider of old, recognized that Eragon had hatched a dragon and was a new rider. He knew Eragon was his son and so muttered the question, “Is this tragedy or is it farce?”

Any classroom teacher can tell you one of the most frustrating moments is when the students ask the same, simple, repetitive question over and over:

Chantel: What page are we on?

Teacher: Page 56.

Billy: What page are we on?

Teacher: Page 56.

Quan: What page did you say?

Teacher: It’s written on the board. Page 56.

Indira: You mean in the book?

Teacher: Page 56 in the book. Weren’t you paying attention? I just answered the question literally three times before you asked.

Indira to another student: What’s wrong with her?

If there’s one good thing that can come out of the imbroglio between the City Council and the Duval County School Board regarding the half-cent sales tax referendum, it’s that teachers will know that board members will fully empathize with this recurring experience in the classroom.

The latest from the Times-Union: The frustration of school board members who have answered Council questions over and over; the same answers to the same questions and yet the Council members ask the question yet again.

These Council members say that is the fault of the school board.

Again, school board members and teachers can empathize together what they go through.

Teacher: Why are you coloring on your paper?

Consuela: You never told me what to do.

Teacher: I did over and over. Weren’t you listening?

Consuela: No, you’re boring.

We can excuse students to a degree as they are still children even if they are high school students. We know from our studies that adolescence ranges from the time of puberty to about the mid-20s.

It’s harder to fathom why Council members insist their questions have not been answered when the answers have been provided repeatedly and then claim that it’s not their fault. Blame the school board.

With adults, the posturing covers something else–a hidden agenda.

Or in the case of several City Council members of Jacksonville, Florida, a not-so-hidden agenda as they outright express their love of charter schools and their disgust of traditional schools.

The frustrated School Board now seeks to hire outside counsel to pursue their options to find a way out of the impasse. In teacher terms, they are writing a referral.

But GOT teacher has another suggestion to try first. Let’s call their parents. 😀

Because we may think this is a tragedy, but maybe it is only a farce.

And now, because you want a song, GOT will oblige. The legal memorandum said that the City Council makes the ultimate decision because sometimes ‘shall’ means ‘may’. The Councilpersons took it from there.