Perhaps he just lost his heart for the battle.

AWOL

–adjective, adverb
1. away from military duties without permission, but without the intention of deserting.
–noun
2. a soldier or other military person who is absent from duty without leave.
—Idiom
3. go AWOL,
a. to depart from military duty without leave.
b. to absent oneself without explanation.

AWOL is one of those expression that comes with a bit of baggage. It always seems to conjure up images of military service, shaved heads, basic training and following direction without thought or rationalization. It almost seems to suggest that people using the term are in a position of earned status or acquired rank through exceptional service to a military organization.

Normally, school districts don't use the draft to expand their ranks. They don't issue salad suits or send their recruits to basic training to do push-ups all day in the hot sun. They don't issue rifles or belittle rookies with oppressive and offensive language from perpetually irate drill Sergeants. They don't allow staff to kill strangers that might threaten the security of the Superintendent.

But somehow, the term AWOL finds it's way into the District through lesser minds fixated on structure and the chain of command. If you are given the rank of staff Sergeant, you quickly learn to make demands of staff - as if they cannot think or develop an opinion. As if the new recruits are just warm bodies with trigger fingers. It is very unfortunate to possess such a narrow view of public service. At the District, everyone enlisted and everyone has something to contribute.

Here is a rather comical depiction of my last few days through the eyes of a man that chooses to view staff like drafted Privates.

Attendance regarding M
March 1: emergency or vacation, (furnace trouble at home)
May 7: medical appointments
May 21: sick
May 29: AWOL
May 31: AWOL
June 4: sick
June 5: AWOL
June 6: AWOL in the afternoon
June 7: AWOL. May have been here for a short time between 7 and 8 AM
June 8: AWOL

To this day, I still find it amusing that my former supervisor actually spent time trying to track where I spent my final days with the District. He apparently has absolutely no comprehension as to the nature of the work that I was performing for the District and therefore can have no expectations of my replacement.

When faced with fewer than two weeks to wrap up projects and meet with parent groups and developers, a departing member of staff may not have much time to sit around and drink tea and eat crumpets with co-workers. If that was management's expectation, I am sorry because I don't work that way.

Equally amusing is the suggestion that all other days I somehow checked in or requested permission to do my job. I knew what I was paid a salary to accomplish and I did what I was expected to do. It was what I had been doing for the last six-and-a-half years. When I met with the Facilities Director, it was to provide him with an update on what I determined was important. He just stared with vacant eyes and suggested that I "develop a policy for that". Apparently, he must have heard a lot of managers use that expression in the past.

One thing is absolutely certain. Someone has actively decided to change the dynamic of our District. Clearly, Nick Brossoit meant business when he said he wanted to change things. I just wish he would have tried to change them for the better. It must be better for him, because it isn't better for the rest of us.

Fun Factoid: I was in a British comedy called "Soldier, Soldier". They were filming scenes in Mutare, Zimbabwe.