I have mentioned several times throughout the history of this blog a certain unhappiness with the school at which I am currently teaching. Back in the spring, I had a big decision to make, as I got a job offer at an after school program, where I would have been working with a similar population of students, but in a much different capacity. I turned that job down because I felt I wasn't ready to leave teaching just yet. And as much as I was beginning to dislike the climate at my school, I decided to stick it out for a third year - mostly because I didn't have the time or energy to search for another school, which could easily be just as bad or worse than my current one.
Then everything changed.
The end of the year was a series of negative events for me. The school hired a new AP who was rude and literally badmouthed me to other teachers, even though the parents and students of the school voted me Outstanding Teacher of the Year. I felt that my ideas were consistently ignored and that the school was taking a turn for the worst. Next year, the school will have its first graduation ceremony and it seems about 15 students will walk the stage unless something drastic is done. But the administration seems stalled.
At the same time as all this was happening, I got a message about a job opening for an Earth Science teacher at a fairly well-known charter school. I looked into the school and it seemed like a dream job. Not only has the school been around for almost twice as long as most charter schools, it takes its mission of college for all students very seriously, requiring every student to be admitted to at least one college before they can graduate from high school! The school has music, art and drama - classes I had found sorely lacking at my current school - and the classes are capped at 24 students.
I couldn't resist applying, but though it unlikely that I would get the job. I was wrong. After an intense interview process, I was offered the position. The previous Earth Science teacher was leaving to become the head of the science department at another charter school and the other science teachers I met were high-energy and dedicated.
There were some negatives. The work day and year are both longer than a typical public school (which is a positive for the students). The commute is slightly longer, the pay slightly lower and I would no longer be part of the union - but I had grown tired of the union's antics at my school anyway. Overall, the positives far outweighed the negatives.
I accepted the job.
I'm excited and nervous to be moving on. I will be the 'new' teacher again, despite having two years under my belt. At the same time, I think this school is going to be a great place for me to grow as a teacher and experience success. The community feel is great and parents are involved on every level of the school. The students I have met so far are polite and studious, though I'm sure they won't all be like that. Still, I am hopeful that a new, happier page in my teaching career is starting.