I have been thinking of retiring for the last year or so, but I love teaching too much and planned to teach probably another two to three years. I have great kids and teach in a wonderful school. Unfortunately, however, because of the terrible economy, my school district is laying-off over 500 teachers.
500 teachers will lose their jobs in a school system that has never layed-off teachers.
Last week I turned in my retirement papers and will end my 32-year career next week when my seniors graduate. I wanted to stay, but it’s hard to justify holding on to my job when I know that my retirement will allow another teacher to keep his or her job. I know many teachers who dream of the day when they can retire, but I’ve never been one of them. I thought I would teach until someone had to drag me kicking and screaming out of my classroom.
I never thought I would have to leave because of the economy.
I wanted to keep teaching, but sometimes we just have to walk away and make room for the younger teachers who follow us.
This week is hard as I bring the semester to a close with my seniors. Next week will be even harder as I say good-bye and watch them walk across the stage at graduation.
In all of my years of training as a teacher, I learned volumes about how to walk into a classroom and begin my teaching career. I never learned, however, how to lock my classroom and walk away at the end of my career.
Lord, give me strength!
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Edie Parrott
2 comments on this topic
10. May - 8:47 pm
Wow, you are a true inspiration and asset to our profession.
11. May - 8:14 am
I’m so sorry felt you had to retire when you weren’t ready. As a teacher trying to get my foot in the door in this economy, I appreciate this sacrifice.
Perhaps you can get a job in a private school like Veteran Kindergarten Teacher, or would that defeat the purpose? Or volunteer?
I hope you find something that works for you.
11. May - 9:59 am
Oh Edie, you make me so sad!
11. May - 12:58 pm
:,{
Definitely with the sniffles. Saying goodbye is hard!
11. May - 1:00 pm
Thanks, Matthew! I love your blog and read it daily.
11. May - 1:01 pm
Thanks, Theresa! I’ll find something at some point. Teaching jobs, however, are virtually non-existent right now.
11. May - 1:03 pm
Margaret, I’ll send you an email. You won’t believe all the people who found out yesterday that they have lost their jobs. I never thought we would see this in Cobb County! And, just to think about how hard it was to find teachers 4-5 years ago. Remember those days with the daily headlines of how many teachers the district had to hire to start the year?
11. May - 5:23 pm
Edie,
I have missed your blog over the past month (I’ve been checking for updates). Thank you for your guidance over the past year; your wisdom has been invaluable to me as a first year AP Lang teacher.
Thank you for all you do!
11. May - 7:38 pm
Thanks, Sarah! It has been a really strange semester, and I have just been too tired and too rushed to post regularly. I hope your kids do well on tomorrow’s test. Good-luck!!!
12. May - 9:50 am
Edie, thank you for your inspiration and for your sacrifice. I have enjoyed reading your blog and have benefited from your accounts of calm, compassionate teaching. I start a 70% time teaching position next year in a junior high school. Since my own seventh grade year, I have spent my time observing and learning how to be a good English teacher, but when I finally found an opening as a Spanish teacher with some English electives, I was more than happy to interview for the position. Becoming an English literature and composition teacher is my dream, but I know that in order for me to find a place in my dream classroom, someone else will have to leave their classroom behind. I can only imagine the sacrifice. Thank you for making that sacrifice in Cobb County, and please let us know about you as you transition into the next part of your life. Perhaps it will help us when we also have to make that long walk away from our official teaching careers.
15. May - 12:17 am
Dr. Parrott! I just discovered your blog! I hope you don’t think I’m a stalker… but this post made me so sad! How selfless of you to give up something you love so much just so that someone else can make the same memories and experience the same things you were able to. This act alone says so much about your character and is one of the many reasons why I will forever be grateful of knowing you! I do hope that you will find something to make you equally as happy as teaching did. Perhaps you will be able to teach again somewhere else. It’s such a shame that the economy is forcing out people living their dream. Please be proud of teaching career. You are such an inspiration to those who know you.
16. May - 6:01 pm
I join the ranks of people who will be sad when you retire. Having only known you through your work, I can only imagine what those who know you personally are saying. They probably think, “How typical, how utterly characteristic of Edie to make this ultimate sacrifice of her job so that others can teach.” How completely sad that the teacher who is hired in your place will never get to know you as a professional. And the irony is not lost in that the people in change will never even know of your act of kindness as they look at the numbers and say, “Ah, look, we have a retiree. Make room for one more.” Just know that you have literally touched tens of thousands of people through your work — even people you have never even met! You have made a difference. Who can ask for more than that?
23. May - 6:29 pm
Edie,
I , too, only know you through your AP lessons and inspiration. I, too, can appreciate what you are going through because as you may know New Jersey is in an education financial crisis. When our Gov. announced he was thinking of changing the pension formula I considered retiring and then decided that it was not going to be this year. I have 40 years of experience and all my friends and professional cohorts have ” left the building”. Good Luck with your decision. You have inspired many of us in the profession!!!
7. June - 9:02 pm
Thank you!
27. July - 1:48 pm
Edie,
Wow, I want to thank you for voluntarily stepping down to open up a slot for another teacher. Here in Tucson, AZ we have also experienced the layoffs. I had been a Spanish teacher at teh same school for 5 years. Fortunately, the administrators like me. They told me that if I could get certified as an English teacher over the summer, they could give me a full-time job.
I start in 2 weeks, teaching juniors and seniors. Thank you for your blog. It has been a great resource for me as I try to change gears from one language to another. May you find joy in your retirement.
29. July - 8:56 pm
Thanks, Jen! I’m glad the blog helps even though I rarely update it these days. It’s tough to be a career teacher and NOT have the chance to prefer for a new group of kids. Good-luck with your new English job! Have a great year!