For the first time since I earned my teaching certificate, I find myself without a job. I have received layoff notices before, but I have always been retained before the current school year ended. While I have moved jobs in the past, I always had the next job lined up before I did so. Although I believe that everything will work out, I really don't like this feeling of not have a net to catch me should things really go wrong.
Currently, my employment (or lack thereof) is dependent on either the borough or the state finalizing their budgets for next year without cutting education (it seems that the best we can hope for is the same funding as last year, which is a cut when inflation is taken into account). The borough doesn't hold its next vote until June 6th; meanwhile the state is adding yet another emergency session (which costs the state even more money). Sound familiar? It should. It's the same script that politicians have been reading from in state after state across the nation. Despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe education is a priority, it has been under a concentrated attack since my third year of teaching (it was just under normal attack before then).
I don't think my district fully realizes what a deal I am. I bring 19 years of experience, but can only count less than half of them for payroll purposes (since they were out of state). I also have three children in the school system. Should I leave to another school district, this one will lose out on the funding that they bring. That's just from a cost standpoint. It's not even taking into account how awesome and adorable I am.
Until this gets resolved, I'm trying to walk that fine line between not worrying (as that shows a lack of faith ... and it doesn't help anything anyway) and being overly nonchalant. Thus, I am daily looking at employment sites for educational institutions within an hour drive of my house. In the meantime, I wait and pray.
Currently, my employment (or lack thereof) is dependent on either the borough or the state finalizing their budgets for next year without cutting education (it seems that the best we can hope for is the same funding as last year, which is a cut when inflation is taken into account). The borough doesn't hold its next vote until June 6th; meanwhile the state is adding yet another emergency session (which costs the state even more money). Sound familiar? It should. It's the same script that politicians have been reading from in state after state across the nation. Despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe education is a priority, it has been under a concentrated attack since my third year of teaching (it was just under normal attack before then).
I don't think my district fully realizes what a deal I am. I bring 19 years of experience, but can only count less than half of them for payroll purposes (since they were out of state). I also have three children in the school system. Should I leave to another school district, this one will lose out on the funding that they bring. That's just from a cost standpoint. It's not even taking into account how awesome and adorable I am.
Until this gets resolved, I'm trying to walk that fine line between not worrying (as that shows a lack of faith ... and it doesn't help anything anyway) and being overly nonchalant. Thus, I am daily looking at employment sites for educational institutions within an hour drive of my house. In the meantime, I wait and pray.
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