I hated leaving my traditional public education school teaching job.  But I just couldn’t do it anymore.  

My body ached.  My mind screamed, “Treachery!” And my heart was broken.

I’d spent hours wondering where my profession had gone.  Wondering why I was being treated like a ninny who needed to be told how and when to discipline children and how and when to teach them to carry and borrow. And how and when to do everything else about my job – and by the way keep quiet; we don’t want to hear your twenty years of successful experience talking!

I thought the district would want to create reforms in the special education department that would benefit the students needing services. I was gagged.

I thought teachers had a voice in policymaking at the state and national level. Obviously not true. 

I thought the local school board was made up of parents with children in the district. Ha-ha.

I miss my more than generous paycheck. I miss the security. I miss the outrageously good benefits. I miss the retirement package.

But I will never miss being in a system doing wrong by teachers and students. I hope it can be changed for the better. And soon. Kids don’t wait for schools to improve; kids grow up.

Our school system began to go haywire many yesterday’s ago. About fifty years-worth. About the day public school collective bargaining became a thing.

I love my job now. I’m directly accountable to parents and the students. If I’m not at the top of my game, I get fired. As it should be. Kids don’t have time to waste on poor teaching and teachers.

I have incentive to be good at what I’m doing because my livelihood depends on it. Much more than that – I have incentive to be good at what I’m doing because I work with children, and their lives depend on it.

I can breathe where I work now. The stress is low. My teaching experience is appreciated. Kids are learning in a happy atmosphere. 

I hated leaving my traditional public education school teaching job.  But I’m happy now. Very happy. Let school choice for the people, by the people never perish from this Earth!