I lost my job. I guess I really shouldn't say I lost it, because it's not like I misplaced it. Instead, I'll say: On Friday, June 1 at 12:30 pm, two administrators came into my school to tell me I was being furloughed. My principal didn't know they were coming - in fact, she had no idea I was even being furloughed. And now I'm mad. And sad. And mad again...
So maybe I'll start at the beginning, because I really just feel like I need to get this out there. I went to school for six years (Super Super Senior), graduated with a degree in music, and went to work for a bank. Went back to school a year later, and got my music education certification. A long-term sub position opened up, and I was lucky enough to get it. I loved this job. I loved my colleagues, I loved my kids, and I just knew I was in the right profession. After speculation by staff that maybe the "real" music teacher wasn't coming back!, I learned that she was. Sadness.
Fast forward through the summer (you don't need to read about boring job applications), and I got a job at a wonderful little school teaching K-2 music. My absolute dream job. I could be goofy with the kids, I had the very important duty of instilling a love of music in them, and really, I don't know that I could have written a better job description for myself.
For the first four years or so, things were ok with the budget. Last year, the professional staff took a half-year pay freeze to save some jobs. Yay! The district got more money from the state than they thought, so the pay freeze ended up being for a shorter time than we thought it would be. Yay again! The "yay" feeling didn't last for long, though. At the start of this school year, rumors were floating around that the district was going to be in budget trouble again. We were told by our union to stay strong. After the winter break, we got letters from administration with a "seniority number" based on our years of service to the district. The number I got was 51. Not good. But we were told we'd know by March what was going to happen to us.
March - nothing.
Now:
* I took out the original middle stuff. After I got out all my nastiness of emotions this morning, I re-read what I wrote and I didn't like that it was typed by my hands. I am going to channel my energy into a place it should be going - into fighting for better public education. I appreciate all your comments on my first version - I have read all of them and have taken something away from them all.
I know that some other place is going to be happy to have me. I have wonderful references, and I am caring and loving. I am smart and creative, and I will come out on top.
7:55 AM PT: Thank you for getting this on recommended list. It gives me the sense that I'll be okay because there are people out there who are fighting for what's right.