$8 Million & 41 Pink Slips

So this is how I started my day two-odd weeks ago:

41 pink slips issued

Teachers notified: No job next year

"Forty-one teachers have been notified they will lose their jobs when their contract expires June 10 as part of the Monroe County School District's proposed $8 million in budget cuts ... it's a very trying time for teachers."

Article from The Citizen: 

www.keysnews.com/node/31641 

Uhm.  Wow.  Wowwww.  I'm simply not sure there's a way to choke down this news gracefully.  Other than the job postings at Sigsbee Charter, I have not seen the remotest of hints suggesting any other openings in the Lower Keys schools to date.  Apparently this is a nationwide epidemic, and I am certainly paddling against the proverbial tide when it comes to my job search.  Not to mention that I'm swimming with 41 other very hungry fish!  The reality is that Chop and I may very well be moving to Key West without my teacher's nameplate.  Talk about popping the air out of my shiny red balloon!

Yet, do you ever wonder if there's a reason behind the madness?  Was this a test of sorts?  Despite the fact that I've spent the last year preparing to resume my place in the classroom, perhaps it wasn't really meant to be after all.  Perhaps there's something else waiting for me and I needed the year to discipline myself accordingly?  Not to worry ... I'm certainly not tossing in the towel quite yet.  I have a solid application in the system and consider myself a highly competent and qualified candidate.  Yet news of the budget cuts and pink slips have given me much to consider. 

So, you might be thinking .... why is she not freaking out right now??  Here's the thing, five years ago I was blindsided with my own pink slip and lost a job that I loved with a company I admired.  I learned in the years since that within my own heart and soul, I have the gusto it takes to survive and thrive.  The very day that Citizen article posted, Chop received an offer from his commanding officer that will allow us to continue pursing our goals regardless of my status.  Though the proposal was joined at the hip with his long-anticipated orders to Afghanistan, we now have a little bit of fortuitous (and much appreciated!) wiggle room that will buy us the extra time needed to secure my own professional fate -  not to mention that this assignment will have a direct and very positive impact in his unit's overall readiness level for mobility.  To say I am so very proud of my husband is an understatement, and I feel particularly grateful in so many ways.  Yet my heart goes out to the teachers on the receiving end of those pink slips right now.  Those classrooms belong to them.  Those kids are theirs.  For me to sweep in from afar and snag a slot seems selfish.

Then again ... I'm grateful, yes.  But I'm a hungry fish too!

After note:  I barely finished editing my post when I had the opportunity to speak with the Personnel department in the School Board's office.  Though I had called for clarification on something much more specific, I ended up in a very pleasant and informative conversation with one of the specialists.  Low and behold, the State is holding iron fists around the education budget and has not yet released its figures to the individual counties, including Monroe County.  While principals may know for certain that they have teaching positions open for the coming school year, they are not permitted to post announcements (thus interview!) for said positions until the budgets are approved and released.  Charter schools like Sigsbee are exceptions.  Though they follow state mandates, they are not funded by their counties' corresponding budgets.  This explains why Sigsbee postings are available now while the rest of the county is on hold.  It is estimated to be several more weeks before the budgets are released.  Weeks.

Wine, anyone?