Missed Opportunities...

I'm a teacher in California and apparently the teaching system in CA is broken.  Very broken.  I'm a good teacher.  This may sound stuck up or something, but it's true.  I'm a good teacher.  My kids like me, my test scores are through the roof, and I am involved in a ton of stuff on campus.  I coach cheer, am the tutor for my department, am on the tutorial committee, go to pretty much every athletic event, attend dances, and blah blah blah.

Even though I am amazing, I get the old heave-ho every year.  Right around CAHSEE time (which just adds insult to injury) I get a fabulous little pink slip.  It's solely based on seniority, and it's always last hired, first fired.  Fair, right???   For the past 4 years, I have been called down to the principal's office between classes or during lunch, and then literally told to hurry to my next class or I would be late.  One year I was even being observed the next period, so I had to go back and be "Super Teacher".  You would think that where there are students, they would always need teachers.  That is apparently not the case in the good old CA!

The WORST part is that they're not even pink!  It's just an ugly stupid white letter.

So, here's where the missed opportunity comes into play.  A few months back, my teaching status was changed from "Temporary" (going on 4 years....real temp.) to "Probationary."  This means that they can lay me off, but most likely won't.  If I make it passed the lay offs this year, then I should officially be a "Permanent" Teacher.  Yay!  I found this out through a letter that was put into my mailbox.  I don't check it everyday, so it sat there for like a week.  I've worked my butt off for the school and they don't even tell me in person?  MISSED OPPORTUNITY for some great PR for the school, the district, the state, and, most importantly, ME!

Today is March 15, the last day they have (contractually) to lay off employees.  I have not heard anything, either good or bad.  They did a round of lay-offs last week and I was not included, so I can only assume that's good, but is clearly another MISSED OPPORTUNITY for the school, district, or the state.  At my husband's company they freaking throw a party when someone gets promoted, or they pull everyone together and explain that someone has been let go.  Apparently for a teacher you just have to sit at the edge of your seat and wait......

The waiting continues for another 31 minutes..... (then it's the end of the school day and I'm an official teacher.....I think......BOO for their missed opportunities.)

Finally??????