Career Trajectory

Thirteen years ago, I was a newly credentialed elementary school teacher. I was hired at a tiny, rural school about 60 miles from home. I thought it would be a starting point, a place to get some experience. My original plan was to spend about three or four years there, then get hired at a school in a town closer to home.

In those four years, the local job market for teachers turned. Schools were laying off dozens of teachers a year. New employees were spending years on temporary status. But where I was I was already permanent. I was the second most senior teacher. I knew the children. I knew the families. I was happy where I was. So there I stayed. Over the years I taught most all of the grade levels. I was a new teacher mentor. I conducted program reviews, advised student group, directed student and community events, sat on hiring committees, and many more responsibilities which made me feel involved in the entire functioning of the school. I felt I had a voice, made a difference, and that my students needed me.

Three years ago an opportunity to take on more of a leadership role became available to me. I was selected for the position of teacher-in-charge. My district only had a part time administrator. So for me, teacher-in-charge meant running staff meetings, planning and directing school functions, dealing with most of the student discipline, overseeing staff and reporting to the administrator, and most of the responsibilities of a principal.

Surprising to me, I actually enjoyed my new duties. Like many teachers, I used to say I didn't ever want the responsibilities of an administrator. I loved being in the classroom. But after ten years, the classroom was less of a challenge for me. Now, I was being challenged, learning new tasks, viewing education from a different perspective. It was all fascinating to me. This seemed like a fortuitous event. When a couple of months later a friend said we should get our Master's degrees together, it seemed to be the direction the sign was pointing.

Everything fell into place. I was accepted to the university. My financial aid came through. My appointment to teacher-in-charge was continued for another year. For the next twelve months I juggled my teaching, my quasi-administrative role, my Master's degree classes, my family, and a few other personal life changes that I didn't even have time to deal with properly. In retrospect, I don't remember much from that year. I remember my university classes. That's about all.

My career trajectory soared over the past few years. Here I am, a year and a half later, Superintendent of my district.