Dear suzy:

My answers to your  questions:

1. “Am I supposed to be o.k with my sister who changes our plans without involving me?”- no, you are not, except when she changes plans following a real emergency. You should communicate this to her, assert yourself with her and re-evaluate the relationship if she continues to cancel mutual plans without your input.

2. “Am I supposed to be o.k with a district spending 1000 more per child for 1/4 of the campus?” -no, you are not supposed to feel o.k when you do not feel ok, but unlike #1, you have no control over what the district does, do you? If there is a little  something you can do about a problem, do it and let it go. If there is nothing you can do, let it go. Part of the Serenity Prayer applies here: “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change“.

3. “Am I supposed to be o.k with my peers who believe what is happening is not good for the kids but are unwilling to stand up for the kids?”- no, you are not supposed to feel o.k about anything you don’t feel o.k about. You are not supposed to feel any different than what you feel about anything.

Is there something you can change in the situation, is the question. You can try and motivate your peers, but if you don’t succeed, there is nothing more you can do. So let it go. You don’t choose your peers but you choose your friends. If you don’t like certain peers, don’t befriend them.

4. “Am I supposed to keep on communicating with others even if they rarely respond?” – no, except if these others are your children, and then communicate with them differently. And your husband, for as long as you live together. And students, best you can (although you can’t reach all students, especially in higher grades, correct?)

Other than your children, your husband, as many students as possible… no, you are not supposed to keep on communicating with those who do not respond.

5. “Am I supposed to be o.k with a 2 hour meeting that could have been resolved in 5 minutes?” If you do not have control over the length of the meeting and you want to keep your job without the trouble of write ups and the like, then attend the two hour meeting.

6. “Am I supposed to be o.k with the teacher who lets my child read in class and sends all of the writing home with no rough draft?”- I didn’t understand but if you disagree with the teacher’s work, contact him or her and ask about the practice you are concerned about, get all the information first and then give your input.

Regarding the rest of your post, reads to me that you are overwhelmed with too much to do. Seems to me that you need calm times in your day and the practice of achieving the following:

The serenity to Accept the things you cannot change,

The courage to Change the things you can,

And the wisdom to know the Difference.

anita