One More Rabbit

On Wednesday I was told that I was a great candidate and that it was a very difficult decision and not everyone is told that but I would not be offered a job at the Jewish Day School I had so hoping would put an end to all the craziness in my life. I, in my always calm, clear thinking responses, decided I did not want to work with people I would not see in Heaven anyway. So there.

After getting the news I sat very still for a while but did not cry. This is usually my visceral reaction. I was unexpectedly calm, like somehow, deep down I knew that this was supposed to happen. I immediately went for the computer and got on the phone with the Los Angeles Unified School District. The second (to NYC) largest in the country. I had applied months ago and not responded to their request for an interview, certain something better would come along. I looked at Sarah and told her this was truly the last rabbit I had to pull out of my hat. If this didn't work we were looking at the not so good plan c. (trust me you don't want to know about plan c).

I spoke to a very nice recruiter who set up an interview for Thursday afternoon and assured me everything would be fine. Sarah and I made arrangements, not difficult really. Just making sure we had peanut butter sandwiches and all :-) Thursday morning I called on a hunch to ask a question and spoke to another recruiter who informed me that I was not qualified to to middle school science and should not waste the gas to drive up. I was devastated. To the fact that I hid in my closet to cry privately. Sarah lost me for a few minutes which is hard to do in our apartment when she located me and I told her the news we called my mom and went into plan c mode. It was horrible. We were going to have to repack everything and separate.

Then, the recruiter called back and said hey, what do you know - you can teach science! So come on down. Wow - many more false alarms like that and I may actually have a stroke. So off we went. The interview was fine, they shuffled you from office to office meeting very nice people. The employees on the 15th floor were very excited to meet me as I am No Child Left Behind compliant to teach science at the middle school level, this is a huge shortage for the district.

The moment I got there people started whispering that I was there for science and checking my credentials. My recruiter came looking for me, very excited that he had landed me, in reality I had called him! I got invited to a special event for science teachers next Thursday so back up we go, hopefully by then we will be able to get an apartment and get the move solidified.

Here's what I have decided. I believe in public school, I was educated in public schools all the way through college and intend to get my masters at one, soon. I know many smart people who were educated in the public system and I know it works. There are problems. There are problems with every system. I got a little lost in my search for employment. The private schools I was looking at were flashy and selective both in students and staff. All students were at grade level and above, no discipline problems as such and very involved parents.

But what happens to the kids who are below grade level, whose parents can't be involved, who act out because they don't understand or don't know any better. On this long, incredibly difficult journey Sarah and I have been on these past months I have learned something about myself. I need to teach the students that need teachers. The Los Angeles Unified School District is not well funded, it is not known for flashy buildings and up to date technology. There are gang problems and long days for staff. The pay is pretty good but not great but they need teachers because they have kids. They have thousands of kids who will start school this year not ready to learn or behave, not ready to be in the grade they have been promoted to, not ready to sit in a desk or take notes, not ready to listen to someone tell them what to do. But I will be there teacher because as it turns out, that's what I am good at. Teaching the kids that need teachers.