This week I achieved and important personal and professional milestone. My principal came to me with an offer of a permanent contract, a procedural step that for all practical purposes assures me of a teaching job until I retire. It's not tenure, but it is security. In Florida beginning teachers must serve three successive one year contracts before being offered a Professional Services Contract. At the end of each of those three years the principal may, without explanation, renew or decline to renew the contract so it's a big deal in Florida. Needless to say, I was grateful and ecstatic. The offer was the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice.
Mostly I kept it to myself, sharing it with just two friends and colleagues. My enthusiasm was tempered by the realities of the economic downturn. My county has decided to deal with its funding shortage by not offering contracts to any first or second year teachers affecting nineteen of my colleagures, over 500 county wide. It's one of many sad scenarios being played out all over the country. As I also serve as department chair and am the union rep for my school I find myself in daily connection with every one of the nineteen. Some have been personal friends for years. Under the circumstances flaunting my personal success would have been inappropriate, of course, but it also threw me into a bit of a funk. Call it survivors guilt perhaps. I was wondering if anyone else was going through the same thing.
Just a little background: teaching is my second career after 30 years in the printing trade; I teach 7th grade Geography in a diverse, working class school. Since moving to teaching I have been obsessive about my professional credentials. I'm certified in Social Studies (I have a BA, majoring in History), Middle School Science, and Middle School Integrated Curriculum. The last one certifies me to also teach Science, Math and Language Arts in Middle School. As reading is essential and problematic for a lot of my kids I've done a lot of professional development in reading as well. I've been at my school for five years first as a "certified substitute" teaching math and Science and then as a Social Studies teacher. Although Social Studies is my true love, versatility has been my professional trademark. I work hard on my knowledge and my craft and I guess it shows.
What's good for me and those like me, however, is costly for some of my colleagues. My county, as well as the whole state has a budget shortage and is cutting services and jobs as I noted above. Cuts are everywhere, including Administration, Transportation, Janitorial, etc. And, yes, even Sports, as coaching stipends are being cuts and sports departments are now required to be self-sufficient by donations and ticket sales. It's a gloomy Spring in Education here in Florida as I know it is across the country.
So I'm keeping my pride and elation under wraps, trying to be empathetic with my suffering colleagues, and hoping for a better future.