Career Choices

Sisterhood,

Ok.. I need some input from friends on making some career choices. My current position is coming to an end, and I've got some choices in the form of interviews coming up.

This current position was short and quick, but an eye-opening experience on the realities of virtual schools which has been my topic for researching on my dissertation. This company is an up and coming company making decisions on the fly on a daily basis. And once more, the job I signed up to do disappeared (as in a previous institution that you are both aware of), and the job I'm now doing is not what I want to do for the remaining 10 years until retirement. I don't feel I'll be able to grow in this position. There's a possibility (but I won't believe it until I have a contract saying so) that I can do some freelance course designing for them after I leave, which would be a great source of extra income. It might conflict with my research time, but I think I'm at a crossroads on that topic as well.

As for the prospects........... I have several choices of interviews coming up, and my career could take several paths. Since I've now been involved in 2 different virtual schools, and can see their limitations and benefits from the inside, I'm positive that they'll make an impact during the paradigm shift that education is about to make in the very near future (with NCLB being on the chopping block and being changed). From being on the inside, I can see that virtual curriculums are starting to take shape, and even the virtual schools are making sure that they increase contact with parents, and try to include some kind of virtual real time, interface with students. The teacher/student interface is becoming one of the focuses that they are working on improving. The technology is still struggling to keep up with the needs, because band width issues still get in the way. In my research, (which has been minimal these last six months, and I've just started to increase my participation), "hybrid" schools are starting to be utilized. These involve brick and mortar schools that use the online curriculum to teach students basic skills (like facts or reading), but then have the kids interacting in face to face groups for manipulative activities, and higher order thinking skills activities. These are still experimental, and have different formats, (and I'm going to watch this trend closely). So, with these changes coming, I foresee that the next greatest change will be in teacher education.

How will we train teachers to be ready for the mixture of brick and mortar and online learning? Where can I have the most impact, and more importantly grow the most professionally, and be a part of this historical change? I have several possibilities:

1. In a higher education institution as their NCATE coordinator. As part of this position, I feel I will need to keep up with teacher education requirements, thus being aware of where changes need to occur. Also will be able to impact that change at an institution level. So, when NCATE decides that teachers need to be trained to use online curriculum, I’ll be in a place that I can give it a try, and see the impacts. In this position, I’ll also have contacts with local schools, giving me input there as well, but not sure of this one. That’s a question for the interview (On the personal side, this job's pay is less than I'm making now, and involves another 1.5 hour commute, or living in the area during the week until we can afford to move again).

2. I have two possibilities with 2 other institutions writing curriculum for them. Both would be slight professional growth, as 1 is in the medical field writing their curriculum with their profs, and the other is a corporate higher ed institution, so would blend the corporate world with education. (from a personal view, these are both within easy driving distance from home, and pay is equal to #1).
3. Running a computer lab and training faculty to utilize technology and online learning (the same combo that I did in P and the college here before CO). But this time, it would also be overseeing several labs as well, thus keeping up with the nuts and bolts of technology. (again, easy driving distance and equal pay to #1)
4. There are two more possibilities out there but not at the interview stage yet, so nothing definite at all on these, but I’d love to grab them if they come up. But do I let go of definite possibilities for ones that are dreams in the wings? These are:
a. Dean of a Community College Virtual Program. This one would be a real growth for me, as it would involve budgeting, course planning, hiring virtual adjuncts, etc. (which is a reason I may not qualify as I don’t have budgeting experience at an institutional level).
b. A job at the state level working as an Education Program Specialist on teacher certification issues with local school districts. (Personally, these two are in easy driving distance, and pay should be good, but they are just starting the search process, so will be behind the others, and I’m not sure how qualified I’ll look to the state or the institution).
So, sisters, please give me your feedback on all these choices. It’s nice to have the choices, and probably decisions will be made by others, but if I can go into interviews with my thinking clear, it could make a difference.

Thanks for your help,

CybrScrybe

More on Family vs. Friends vs. Career

Just letting you know that I'm finally employed! I got a position at a Virtual School in Maryland as their Manager of Profesional Development. This means we are moving back to our home state as well.

The last 3 weeks have been really hectic. In one week, I drove across country (3 day trip) to go back to CO (thought I didn't have the job, and needed to get winter clothes, anyway). During that week, I found out that I had another interview with one more person the following week, and Ken had a tentative job interivew in the Denver area (which got cancelled). Then the next weekend, Ken and I drove back to Maryland in my little Toyota (packed to the hilt with poor Gracie balancing herself on top of it all). I had the interview on Tuesday, and Wednesday they called with a definite offer. Money is a little better than I had in Castle Rock, but not as good as I need to live in Baltimore. So Ken and I spent the next four days house hunting, and the next week settling on one, and putting in a contract. He flew back to Denver last weekend and is in the process of trying to get our stuff moved here by December 31st, as well as getting the financing through.

Side Note -- Poor Gracie, when she got out a rest stop, she just gazed in amazement at all the trees! Then poor thing had to face her two cousins (one orange cat who is very lovable and patiently coaching her out of hiding to play with him, the other a beautiful older tabby who is defiinitely the top female cat). After being here 3 weeks, Gracie's finally feeling at ease enough not to hide under the bed, and has actually made her way out to the laundry room.

In the meantime, I've started work and have worked my first two weeks. This position is a perfect next step for me, as I'm in a Virtual School, and in a position to train teachers on how to teach virtually. Hopefully I'll be able to find a dissertation topic in here as well, that will finally convince a professor that this field is a viable one.

Mom is holding her own for now. We've managed to get a caretaker in for her several times a week. I also stop by and check on her on a regular basis. I'm close enough for hospital runs in the middle of the night, and to juggle her meds if necessary. She's counting on moving in with us when we get the house. Ken and I have mixed feelings about it, as we both know the work it takes, but also know that it's a good thing to be there to ease her through the aging process. We will probably keep the caretaker on a part-time basis, as Mom gets along well with her.

The family thing has been interesting as well. I've gotten closer to my siblings due to the stress of dealing with Mom, but sometimes it can be overwhelming dealing with all their idiosynchrasies..... while in the meantime, my own kids have seemed to get further away from me (but that's another blog).....

It will be interesting to see how old friends react to my husband's identity crisis. He seems to be going through his midlife crisis, and is wearing earrings! I'm not sure if it's his way of taking the Wild West with him back to Maryland, or if he's coming out of his shell, or ????? I think he's doing it more because he's trying to compete with young folks with earrings who seem to get jobs before he does. Anyway, at least he's seeing a counselor to guide him through dealing with this issue which is understandable considering how long he has been unemployed. Hopefully there will be more opportunities for him in Md as well. Part of it is him realizing that he can't get those high paying corporate jobs anymore, and realizing the fact that he really doesn't want to either ... but then where does that leave him? That's for he and the counselor to figure out...

So here's to starting another new chapter in life.... I've really enjoyed my time in Colorado, and appreciate the role you two have played in that... I'd really like to continue our friendship, and make an effort to meet once a year somewhere, somehow..... any ideas?

Cybrscrybe

On Family vs. Friends

As I toss and turn on the eve of leaving my familial duties in Md, to enjoy the familial joys of visiting my grandbabies, I wonder about the connections of families vs. friends.

It seems that at this moment our lives are in two totally different directions, ‘cause while the two of you are playing “keep away” from family, I seem to be entrenched in mine. I get to be the sibling trying to coerce other siblings, just like you two, to do their familial duty. Do I want to be the one here caring for my aging parent? No… do I want to be the one doing the coercing? No. Do I want to be 3 months away from my spouse? No…. then why am I here? Do I have an overdeveloped sense of loyalty to a parent? I don’t think so…. I have just as many issues with that parent as my siblings do. Is it because I’m the oldest, and thus have received more brainwashing about the fact that family is everything, and that they’re what you can count on, and that you should be doing your part? Possibly….

Is it because I think of my husband, sitting in Denver, with NO family connections at all any more? When I think of the family gatherings I’ve been to here (and I’m the only sibling that seems to take mom to those gatherings), and then I think of him all alone there, I wonder which one really counts more in the long run… family (whom I’ve known all my life – even though I may not be close to them - the cousins who have the same colored eyes, and stubborn Pollock attitude, the siblings who first run the other way, then try to take over everything,)… or do friends count more in the long run. Ken can’t take his support group with him to Denver, but he’s quickly creating another one of his own. But would that new support group know how to notify me if something happened to him while I’m back east? On the other hand, would the family here know how to notify him if something happened to me here?

For me right now, the question comes down to… who will I be able to go to when I’m homeless after December, and the unemployment checks run out? Will I be able to count on friends? Would family put me up? For how long?

Yeah, JR… I’m sure future employers smell family entanglements on me in my interviews, thus decreasing my chances of success in obtaining that elusive employment. Although I’ve managed to continue the job search while entangled (I truly don’t know how, and I’m not sure of the quality of resumes/letters I’ve sent out), I know that I lost out on at least one or two interviews due to being “in transition”. And the couple I have received phone interviews for, haven’t gone any further… I’m not sure if there’s something in my voice giving away the fact that I wouldn’t be truly able to put my heart and soul into a job at this moment, …

So should the answer be to run away from family commitments, and let my mother stew in her own inadequacies? Will I be happy if my kids do that to me in my old age? If they are too busy with their lives to make sure that I am not overdosing my self with the wrong medicines due to dementia? Have I raised my kids to have compassion for the elderly? Time will tell… (too soon)..

But then… should my whole life be on hold while I tend to my aging parent?

Wherein lies the right answer? It just makes me appreciate the fact that we were able to have my in-laws next door to us, and able to pay a caretaker for them, AND I had a job that I was familiar at, and able to do in my sleep… but how I’ll survive this year…. I truly wonder….

On Family vs. Career.....

Hi Pueblo Hood (what do we call it now that it's not just a Sisterhood?),

Since Jenny is ready to share some new things, thought I'd start this one as it's what I'm dealing with on a daily basis at this point in my life. I know at least one other member of our group is dealing with similar issues but from afar.

I'm in Maryland right now taking care of my mother and deciding what the next step for her is. At this current point, she is still competent of making her own decisions, but very needy about the help she needs. She needs someone to check on her on a daily basis, doing things like putting on special stockings, making sure she's taking the right meds, taking her dog outside, taking her to numerous doctor appointments. Nothing earth shattering, but necessary little things. When my in-laws got to this stage, we moved them into a mobile home next to us, and while that time was very trying, it was much easier having them next door to be able to do the little things for them. Haven't been able to get Mom to agree to that arrangement, and while I'm currently staying in my sister's trailer, which is only 7 minutes away from Mom, it's what she needs. However, I can't stay here forever, and with my brother as sick as my mom, and my sister burned out from dealing (poorly) with this for the last two years, and another brother in Indiana who is indifferent to the situation, it seems to be falling on my shoulders to make a decision.

To add to the situation, I could be called anywhere in the US for a job interview, and hopefully subsequent job offer. Mom and all her friends, and probably my sister and brother as well, have their prayers going that I get a job in the MD area, while my husband sits in CR praying that I get one there.

So the dilemma becomes.... do I move mom with me whereever I go, tearing her from her family and friends here (we just lost one of her siblings this week, and 3 others are up there in age and frail in health) just to be sure she's safe and comfortable? Or do I move here temporarily to make life easier for her? It's one of those life altering decisions, but what should come first, family or career? Should my life be put on hold until she passes away?

The job situation isn't helping, as I had a 5th interview for a position I really wanted here in Md (I liked the company, and it would be a natural step for me career wise), and had phone interviews in NC, UNC Greely, and one this week in AZ. The position here in MD eventually went to someone else because they needed someone to start right away. But they liked my website and skills so well that they talked about creating a position for me with the company, but said since they've never done something like this before, it would take time for them to write a job description, and find the salary for me. So I sit in limbo with them (or is it their polite way of saying sorry - no deal?). I also lost the one in Greely because they needed someone to be able to start by 9/15 and they needed a face to face interview before that, and I'm here and it would take me 3 days to get there (I drove out here this time). So I need some good answers to tell the folks in AZ, so that I can get there in time for interviews, and to start work. (Mom seems more willing to go to AZ with me because she and my father dreamed of retiring there before he passed away 30 years ago - it will still be hard for her to leave my siblings as well as hers). But at least then I'd still be able to stay in the west where I feel healthier ( I've had a hard time with the humidity here in Md).

So weigh in friends.... what should come first... family or career?

What's a Sister To Do? aka Depressed and Confused in CR

Hmmmm.... where do I start? How does one explain the politics in K-12 administration? A job that I thought was going great suddenly turned ugly. I knew when I started this position that things were not quite kosher here because seven people in this same position last year were sent back to the classroom, or asked to retire and they hired 3 of us instead. Of course, I didn't find this out until after I was hired.

At the start of the job, our team met with our immediate boss (just hired a month before us and replacing two other people), and his boss ( the CIO of the district). In that meeting we were told that this job was brand new, that they wanted it to look different than it did last year, and that we were to "think out of the box" in figuring out what this job should look like. In retrospect, I realize that these directives came from the CIO who is a visionary that expects others to implement his vision (sound familiar??). The challenge is, though, that I saw the same vision, and started doing what my background (which I assumed I was hired for) knew needed to be done. This included creating a survey to gather data about the state of the schools and teachers at the beginning of the year, getting on to committees at the district level (I was invited to one, because I was recommended by one of the folks on the hiring team, and the other I was mandated to be on by the CIO - my boss's boss). In the meantime, our team starting jelling and developing what we thought we should be doing with training CRTs(Computer Resource Teachers - one from each building), and trying to get answers from our boss on several other intitiatives. However, since our boss was currently in his learning curve, and attending his share of committee meetings, the answers we got were few and far between.

Suddenly, during the Xmas holidays I goofed on an email that was sent to a principal, as I included a remark that could be taken as an editorial, and the principal, my boss, the principal's boss all reacted to this email. As soon as I realized how the email was being interpreted, I offered to "unsend" it, but was told by the principal's boss that was not necessary, just to be careful next time. My boss never answered my request for directions on what to do, and just set up a meeting with me for after the holidays. Little did I know that this was an "evaluation" meeting with several negative items on it, and nothing positive about all the things I've done. The survey was a really positive tool, and I got our department involved in the ETIL issue which had caused us to lose some funding last year because someone dropped the ball, besides all the positive training sessions we had held. But nothing was said about any of those. AND, this turned out to be a written write-up without so much as a verbal warning! Therefore, right now in my personell file, I have one negative, and nothing positive! And I'm considered a probationary teacher since I'm new to the district. I guess there goes my contract for next year...

The main thing he accused me of was spending too much time on "distict" activities, and not enough time in my schools. I wrote a rebuttal defending the fact that he approved the one committee, and his boss assigned me to the other.

After this meeting, I sat down and revisited all my school data, and made a chart of what I had found in each one, what I was doing, and where they were in the integrating technology stage. Quite a few of my schools are progressing nicely, as they have a staff development model in place where their CRT trains staff on technology every other week, and another school makes the teachers go into the lab with the lab instructor there, so they can learn the software, and make the connections to what they are doing in the classroom. I sent this chart to my boss asking for feedback, and where he saw that I was not on the right track, but he never responded.

In the meantime, the issue of the budget for next year came up, and he mentioned hiring 5 more people again next year. I wrote a couple of emails to him and his boss stating that I thought they should rethink spending that much money, as since my schools are progressing nicely, I didn't think that many positions were necessary. I even made the comment that I was probably putting myself out of a job, but that they should be looking at the state of the schools and hiring what they needed. He never responded to those emails either.

Well in a meeting today on another (but related issue), he stated to the whole team that he would not answer emails that were a "piss war". His words, not mine. And he still keeps insisting that I need to spend more time in my schools and less on district meetings. Well, the one meeting group has ended anyway, and the other was taken away from me and shared with my teammate (who wanted the committee herself, and I think was the one that got him started on the fact that I was not in my schools). I keep telling him that that's a non-issue... (and in my rebuttal I proved that I was only spending time on committees that it says in my job description I was supposed to do.)

In thinking all this through, and relooking at all my notes from meetings, and emails to see if I was "pissing" in any of them, (I don't think I was), I think I've come to the conclusion, that because I sent copies of the emails about the budget issue to his boss as well, and a couple of other things like the ETIL which he should have been involved in from the beginning, but he knew nothing about, that I've stepped on his toes. (It looks like I may have gotten my point across on the budget issue, because today he announced that due to budget issues, they are only hiring one more besides us rather than the 5 originally proposed).

So what's a gal to do??? It sounds like we have totally different philosophies on how to make change happen in a school system. I believe it has to come from the top down, and teachers won't change until the curriculum includes the tech and they are required to make changes. He believes that a grass roots effort makes change, because people at the bottom get excited, and get the principals excited, which causes change to happen. We are probably both right, and I wouldn't mind doing what he says, if I thought the schools needed it. But the main thing is, if he had shared his philosophy at the beginning, I would have done what he wanted. But because our directions were so ambiguous, and conflicting at the same time, I did what I thought needed to be done, and got my hand slapped for it. He's now saying that I'm looking at "the wrong box".

I guess I need to just buckle under and do what I can in the schools that do need me, try to figure out how to stop stepping on toes that don't want to move into the 21st century (there's an issue of a discussion board that we disagree on also - but that could be another blog).

And I guess another thing I need to work on is getting over the negative evaluation by not worrying if that's the only one I'll get. I've debated going to the union, because the evaluation procedure has never been explained to me, and the original planning meeting was not done correctly (he was in HIS learning curve at the time it was due), but have decided that would just be stepping harder on toes, or even playing his p game.

Sigh... why is working so complicated??

In our dreams...

In Our Dreams….. by the Blah, Blah, Sisterhood.

I’ve had this recurring dream for several years. Ever since I met Jenny and Anita four years ago. The dream reoccurs about once a year, and always has the same three characters, JPRazz, Anita, and myself. And the dreams have always been pleasant, kind of with a twist of drama… until this year…

We’d always be approaching this ramshackle house in the woods down by the river, which is bigger than the Arkansas was during the drought the year I arrived in Colorado. The river was always dark and murky, looking like coffee with a lot of milk in it. As we approached the house, Jenny would always caution us to go quietly, but at the same time reassure us that the house belonged to a friend of hers.

We’d enter the house through a basement door at the back of the house, wind our way through a dank and dark basement, never really having enough light to see what was there. We’d wipe at cobwebs on our faces as we progressed. We’d see shadows of things that looked like cupboards or shelves but never take the time to explore. JPR was always hurrying us up the stairs, with the promise of spending the day lolling on the river in the sunshine. We’d climb some rickety wooden stairs, sneak quickly through a kitchen that was only slightly lighter than the basement. When we’d ask JPR who lived there, she’d always say it was a friend of hers who was away. If we’d ask her if we had permission to be there, she’d never really give an answer but nod her head with her professor look that said, “Do you doubt me?”…

We’d quickly speed through the dusky kitchen, out the back door, over the short wooden porch to a connecting bridge that took us across the river, still looking like milky coffee as we walked over it, but this time the sunshine would glance off it, giving the impression that stars were buried beneath it trying to break free of the mermaids holding them. We’d race to the porch of the house where we’d spend the day. Mind you, this house was always totally locked up, but had a wonderful deck surrounding it, and this mysterious “friend” had deck chairs stacked conveniently there for our use.

This trip happened every year, and we’d have a wonderful day having “ladies” time to explore our thinking and complain about the men (or the lack of) in our lives. We’d leave refreshed and ready to face our families, but each year as we made our way back across the bridge there were challenges getting back. One year, the basement door of the house on the other side of the river was locked, (after we’d wound our way back through the kitchen, and down to the dank basement) so to get out we had to go back through the kitchen again, and climb the railing around the porch to get to the path in the woods back toward home.

Another year, the trip went smoothly until we were back in that basement trying to get out, and the door was stuck. We started to panic when we heard footsteps above us, and all three of us leaned into the door, bursting it open with our combined weight, and we RAN up that path through the woods.

This year, however, the dream was quite different, with more drama and less of a sense of a “pleasant sisterhood” afternoon. This time, instead of approaching the houses through the basement, we approached the house with the deck via a boat. As we neared the deck, the boat began to take in water bigtime! Even though we were trying to bail it out (as Jenny steered, Anita and I were bailing), it took in more water than we could push out with our hands (of course there was no bailer, as the boat was as rickety as the houses). As we drifted toward the deck, we stopped bailing figuring we’d be safe and dry in a few minutes. However, as we pulled up to the deck, a stout, short lady came out waving her hands and saying hello. It was clear that she had no idea who any of us were, not even JPR. We explained out plight with the boat, and she said that her deck was falling apart and that we couldn’t land there as our combined weights would make it collapse. So she directed us to cross the river to her neighbor’s house.

We slowly drifted the boat across the murky river, now knee deep in water, only to meet a stone faced man at the other house, who said his back porch was in extremely poor shape, and that we’d need to take the boat around the house to the bank near his basement door. He also gave no sign of recognizing any of us, even Jenny.

We banked the boat thankfully on the land near the basement door, and started up the path on which we usually arrived at that same door. Only this time the path was mixed with murk, and looking like a stream was starting and flowing into the river. It was probably because the area was now coming out of a drought, and it had rained more in one year than it had in all three of the previous years. As we started to go up the path, JPR held back, seeming to be afraid of the mud, but Anita and I charged ahead, jumping over some puddles, and getting goop on our shoes. I moved in front of Anita, and was leading the way, anxious to be away from an area where we were no longer welcome.

As I stepped into some mud, I noticed a movement between my legs near my heels, a slithery type of movement that rose until I could see it’s back… a huge light colored snake with a pattern on its back that I couldn’t quite make out yet, as most of its body was still covered with mud…. I was afraid to move ahead as the snake was moving but I couldn’t tell in what direction it was going.

I looked behind me to see if I could back up, but Anita was very close behind me, and between us was another snake that was raising its head …. And on this one I recognized the pattern and head of the poisonous copperhead….

Blah, Blah, Blah Pueblo Sisterhood

Welcome to the Blog of the Pueblo Sisterhood. Watch us as we Blog through a year of changes in our life....