Security blanket

I requested a Leave of Absence from Minneapolis Public Schools. And it got approved today! this means if things were to majorly suck I could return to a job somewhere in MPS with my same seniority and salary. I was not really expecting that they would grant the leave, but since they are looking at laying people off this year, they might be happy to put one more position off for another year.

So now I officially don't have a job in MPS for next fall, and I am waiting on board approval of my hiring in Richfield.

This is the earliest I have ever been hired for a teaching job. It feels really weird, but so exciting. I spent some time today going through curriculum materials that Richfield used for writing.

I'm doing it.

They made me an offer I couldn't refuse.
Seriously. Better pay, way better benefits. Over all, it will be almost a 9% raise.
That is crazy. Plus it is 4 blocks form my house.

Now I get to move to a new building, new district and a classroom in a grade I haven't taught since year one.

I signed the paperwork today. I told my Principal.

I am totally stoked! AND totally freaked out. It has been a million years since I have filled out paperwork for a teaching job. All the stuff I have spent years learning for MPS, I now have to learn for RPS.

It is gonna be hard. But I love hard. I love teaching 2nd grade math.
Fingers crossed that I will love teaching second grade everything else.

New job?

My friend and former supervisor has been working to woo me into moving to Richfield schools. At his urging, I put in an application. Now I've had an interview for an elementary classroom position. Next up is an interview with the Superintendent (small school district is very different form my large one). If that goes well, I might get a job offer.

Then what. I will be surprised if they can pay me what I am making right now, but the benefits are supposed to be really good, so maybe that will be worth it?

The school is 4 blocks from our house, and I think really good things are brewing in RPS math. Hopefully I can be a part of that beautiful change.

But wow it would be scary to leave the district I have been with for 18 years.

Love yourself

I practiced self love last week by making time to visit the doctor for a check up. Waiting for test results sucks, but waiting for test results knowing you waited too long to get tests would suck even more. 

Project-ing

After spending last spring frantically getting the old house ready to sell, I have not been interested in starting new projects for the last several months. But it is spring break and the kids have school, so I finally dove in and tackled the room in which I most needed a change: FP & my bedroom. 

Just to refresh your memory, here is what it looked like before with the old owner's furniture.