5. Finally, A Job Opening!

Finally, A Job Opening!

The bad economy continued to flatten our local large school district and it had a $50 million short-fall the next year (and yet another $20 million the following year).  They eliminated teachers in a massive lay-off, so there was a “reduction-in-force” (RIF) by seniority. 

They “RIF’d” a teacher endorsed in Chemistry and Physics, who promptly left for greener pastures.  They froze hiring.  They added no new teachers to their Guest Teacher Pool (substitutes), except those who had been laid-off.  Another Chem teacher retired in June.  

In August there was a job opening, more than four years after I had first inquired with the district about the Foods job.  In spite of the hiring freeze, the district advertised for a full-time high school teacher endorsed in both Chem and higher Math (such as Calculus).  I applied, even though I don’t have the Math endorsement.   

No one with both endorsements applied, so they split the job into two positions, a Chemistry job and a Math job.  They were re-posted as new listings, each now a part-time job. The Principal called and asked me to reapply for the new job.  He wanted to make sure I didn’t miss the posting. 

The students started the year with a sub.  A sub without a Chem. endorsement could only stay three days at a time.  An excellent retired Chem. teacher took it for a couple of weeks.  A retired teacher had a strict limit on the number of days of subbing, due to limits written into their retirement system.  I could not be a sub, because the hiring freeze and RIF lay-off prevented them from adding me to the Guest Teacher Pool.  Therefore, the students had a number of substitutes as the year progressed. 

I applied as soon as it listed, around Labor Day.  I was called for an interview in late September. The interview was with the Vice Principal and another person.  They needed a teacher for Environmental Chemistry, which includes big units on Food Science and Nutrition.  Woohoo!  It seemed like the perfect fit.  I let them know that I was already working as a writer, with a few projects still going.  Fine with them.  We were all smiling and encouraged at the end of our chat.  They sent my file to Human Resources at the district office.

The Vice Principal specifically told me to NOT call district HR to check on the progress of this application.  I was told that even the Principal couldn't call to see how things were going.  We all just had to wait as the interview and hiring process continued.   They had my complete and current job application, support materials, references and fingerprints.  

I wanted to teach these students, and was already forming lesson plans in my head.  I wanted to get my hands on one of their textbooks.  I would need to organize both the students’ curriculum and their attitudes, since they'd been with only subs thus far.  Ideas were coming together.  

I heard nothing.  Week after week, I heard nothing.

Over 2.5 months after the initial job posting and 1 month after my interview, having heard nothing from HR and being told NOT to inquire, not even the Principal could inquire, I asked another chemistry faculty member if those students were still with a sub.  Yes, but they had found someone who would begin soon.  I had thought my interview had gone well, but it had been a long time ago by now and I couldn't inquire.  Since I’d heard nothing from HR, and someone was going to begin soon, I figured it was someone else they had hired. 

Meanwhile, I had continued working and writing.  Now, since they had found someone else who would start soon, I went ahead and committed to a big writing gig and business travel in May.