Job News

Very few people know this, but back in December I interviewed for a teaching job at Heritage High School, a school about five minutes from my house. My friend Britt works there, and she told me an English teacher quit mid-semester. They were interviewing to fill his position, starting in January. It also held the potential to be a permanent teaching position, which means I would be guaranteed a job next year and the year after and the year after that.

Britt told me I HAD to interview for it, even if it meant leaving Chatfield mid-semester. My initial reaction was, "No, I made a commitment to Chatfield for the year. I won't leave mid-semester to take another job."

But then I started talking to people, and every single person (all teachers at Chatfield) told me I had to interview.

(As a refresher, I am currently in a temporary teaching position, which means at the end of this year, I will be cut. I've faced this for the last three years, but every year I have been blessed with a job at the last possible moment. Also this year, my school district was facing $70 million in cuts over the next two years. All temp teachers were going to be cut at the end of this school year.)

So, knowing that information, my mentors all advised me that if I didn't interview for a permanent position, even if it started mid-year, then I was out of my mind. I set up a meeting with my principal, and through tears I told her that I had a job opportunity at Heritage, and while I did not want to leave Chatfield, I felt like I needed to at least interview for the job at Heritage and potentially secure a teaching job for next year. I had her full support (she's wonderful), and she told me that I would be foolish not to apply for the job. With sadness in her voice, she told me that she would not be able to hire me back next year. She told me that Jeffco had 600 temporary teachers; all 600 would be cut, along with potentially 400 other tenured teachers (known as RIFTs in the teaching profession).

I left her office heartbroken about leaving Chatfield but full of hope for securing a job for next year.

I interviewed.
Got called back for a second interview.
I did not get the job.

I was relieved and sad at the same time. Relieved I would get to finish my year at Chatfield (I had been dreading a very hard conversation with my students about why I was leaving mid-semester) but sad that I was going to be jobless next year. It came down to another guy and me, and while they really liked me, they chose the guy. Perhaps it was easier for them to hire a teacher who didn't already have a job than to bring me over when I was still finishing up finals and grades at another school. Nonetheless, I didn't get the job, and I was able to focus my attention back to Chatfield.

Over Christmas break, Senate Bill 191 passed, which changed EVERYTHING.

Praise God!

I mean, everything changed.

I won't bore you with the details of that bill, but if you're interested, please ask. It basically brings "fairness" back into the teaching world again. In-district transfers now have to interview for a job; they won't just be randomly placed in a school. Teachers on a temporary contract (me) can now be offered a permanent position (for the past three years, Jeffco has not offered any permanent contracts). It also changed our cuts from $35 million down to only $20 million. They are keeping all cuts out of the classroom for next year. Not a single teacher will be cut, nor will we have to take another pay cut!!!!

Not only could I be offered a permanent contract, but I would officially be tenured because I've already served three years in my district. I could be offered a non-probationary contract!

That's only if, however, my school has a position to offer me.

And it DOES! Chatfield has TWO positions to fill, which means my friend Liz (who is also temporary) can be offered a job, and even better, we won't have to interview against one another.

I was informed on Friday that my job will be posted today (they have to post all permanent positions). The job is open for a week. I have to apply (for my own job). I have to interview. But in no less words, my principal and department head have told me the job is mine. I just have to go through the ropes to secure it. They are interviewing next Tuesday, and I will know by Wednesday or Thursday that the job is mine.

And I will be non-probationary.

After the past three years of worry, stress, and hard work, I have finally secured a permanent position at Chatfield! Unless I blow the interview, I have a job next year, and the year after, and the year after that.

Praise God.

He obviously knew what He was doing when I didn't get the job at Heritage. God knew I'd have a job at Chatfield. :)

All things worked out, despite the disappointment of getting turned down for a job.