This Teachers Covid Job Search

I roll over every night probably about every two hours checking my email on my phone. I get up to go use it, get right back in the bed to check my email. It’s 4 a.m. I have to get up in a few hours anyway so I start searching LinkedIn & Indeed to see what new potentials have been posted. I apply to anything remotely close to my skill set that doesn’t require a long drawn out application asking for my life story and what I ate for dinner the last two years. Then I move on to the ones that match my skill set that do ask for those things and I reluctantly complete them. God I know my references are tired of me sending them these forms for them to complete…. I’m tired of sending them. Everyday I’m on LinkedIn filling out about 50–60 applications a day.

I worked for one school district for 13 years. It was perhaps an abusive relationship as it was quite a bumpy ride, but I really enjoyed the last 6 years I was there. I was on top of the world. I was Teacher of the Year in 2017! I was at the top of the mountain. Then the bottom dropped out. The district decided to make huge changes to my Utopia and the entire cast of characters I had grown to love were swept right from up under me. It was like being in a totally different building my last year there. Everything that made the culture magical changed in the building. Yet every since I left it’s like a dark cloud with occasional lighting coming out of it has been following me around.

The following year I took a job in another district that was what I believed was a little bit of a promotion. The pay was better but sometimes piece of mind and pay don’t align. I didn’t mesh well being the new kid on the block. I was AWARD WINNING, FANTASTIC, hell I was Teacher of the Year! I didn’t take well or have patience for what I perceived to be intense and I mean INTENSE micromanagement. This mixed with my inflated ego was oil and water with the bosses and I. I moved on… Covid happened, then I got hired in another new district.

I was now in a rural area, but I wasn’t aware just how rural. The rural district was being “rural” and let the pot boil over between parents, and teachers on whether or not we were starting virtual or in-person. Weeks after all the other metro districts had made their decisions we were still waiting. I’ve never worked in a rural district, so I proceeded to speak up like I normally do when I witness injustice. However, I was not aware of the hold your head down, say yes suh Massa expectation that is expected of black people in these districts. The plantation nature of it all! I took up for the teachers in the comments, made a group of Karen’s mad and I protested with my colleagues when invited. I ended up in the paper! They said I was the leader of the protest because I had a bullhorn in my hand. I actually wasn’t but ok. The teachers didn’t feel safe! I didn’t feel safe! Let’s just say I made a name for myself in this district and I hadn’t even started yet. How un-rural of me. Who does this black woman think she is?!?!

“How dare you hold your head up high black woman and tell me how you think!” — white people in the rural area

I figured I could have made myself a target, but I wasn’t expecting what happened next. On the fourth day of new teacher orientation, I was called into the Media Center and asked to resign. A video of myself clowning with friends- being Covid-bored fussing about a raunchy music video that was filmed on the campus of our HBCU that basically ALL the alumni were shooting various obscenities about on social media, was “Found” and sent to the “Rural” superintendent. I refused to resign. Resign for what?! I didn’t understand why resign was the the first reaction when I just started there and this matter did not even pertain to teaching and learning. This was our first conversation about anything! I wasn’t yet indoctrinated to their “rural” ways. I hadn’t received an employee handbook to know any specific policies related to their district. The principal kept saying that his pet peeve was professionalism, I was sitting there like Dude, I just literally met you like yesterday… how would I have known that? I wasn’t even given a chance to get “ruralized”. I wasn’t using their device, on their time, or speaking about anything related to their school district. I don’t even identify myself as an employee of their district on my fb page. I didn’t even have my real name on my fb page. Someone had to fish for this! I thought I had all the boxes checked. Well long story short, this rural district went rural on me and decided to send my black, big earring wearing, loudmouth, loc-wearing, black and proud self down the road — because I used profanity in my home on my day off.

“We have no paaaartttttsssss of a heathen like you in our school system. You were not being a professional in YOUR house! “

I felt like Craig, I did indeed get fired on my day off.* This teacher knows bad words!! How very un-rural of you!!! I should be ashamed. I guess.

Which leads us to now. Sweating at night thinking about the fact that I’m not working. Trying to figure out my next move. I’ve lost faith in K-12 education a little at this point. I’m looking at ways to take my credentials and use them to do something else. I’ve started writing here on the Medium. I’ve always loved to write, so this has been a great way to get thoughts on paper and reach a bigger audience speaking on experiences of Educators. There are some wacky, mouth opening experiences of educators that people come to me with daily asking me to write about since I started this platform. The people need to know! Especially now due to the current political climate. Non-educators are in the comments of every single post that a district, newspaper, or local news station reports on regarding education, commenting about how lazy the teachers are and how they don’t want to work. Nooooo, you just actually have to spend time with your own kid. Now you get to see what we deal with. I’m sorry- Pandemic anyone?

Getting hired is just about impossible right now. At this time, many teachers are resigning due to already unrealistic expectations and now being asked to do double duty as virtual and in-person teachers. Districts have also enacted hiring freezes due to budget cuts and teachers that are staying are being asked to fill in these gaps.

Every since I started this platform, the stories I have received from teachers are just horrible and unbelievable. Teachers are being “mandated” to stay an extra hour to accommodate late bus routes due to the buses having to run additional routes due to the need to socially distance the kids in one district. Guaranteed these educators will not be paid for this extra hour. Like many of the ridiculous tasks teachers are often asked to do, this hour will be lumped under the “Additional duties and responsibilities” umbrella in their contracts. The same way I was terminated for “Any good and sufficient cause”, Whatever that is. There are just so many broad categories that can be used based on how random powerful person feels on any particular day in education. It’s borderline criminal.

This summer, I was looking for a job before I landed the “rural” job where grown people don’t use profanity in their own homes, I applied in just about every school district in the area I live in. When I got terminated by the rural Holy rollers club, one particular district reached out to me for an interview and this is the email I received:

Good afternoon, Please be prepared to have a phone vetting interview tomorrow morning at 9:15am. You do not need to prepare anything for this conversation.

Very cold, direct, uninviting, and borderline rude. This is how individuals that end up in upper level positions speak to Teachers. Myself and this individual have the exact same degree as listed in her signature but she comes across like I NEED her because I completed an application for their district. Way to recruit. I need a job but do I really want to work for a district that would reach out to me like this? I was instantly turned off. RED FLAG. Vet employers the same way they vet us. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in interviews. Speak up regarding your salary! Only you know what you can make to still pay your bills and maintain your lifestyle. Give them a minimum, if they can’t match it or exceed it.. walk. Period.

Friends I will say, the Covid job search is real. If you are in it with me, God bless you. We will see the other side. Don’t sell yourself short. There are some jobs out there but many with unbelievably low pay. Keep your standards high until you find what you want where they will pay you what you’re worth. I’m remaining steadfast in my search and keeping my head up high. I’m not above seasonal work at Target or any company to keep an income stream going but when it comes to my career, I am being a bit more choosy. I know my skillset is high. It’s just a tough market right now during Covid but there is hiring going on. Be aware of scams and MLMs. I’ve been around long enough that I can sniff them out so keep your eyes and ears peeled. If you have to pay to get a job, it’s a scam. Look at getting certified in areas like Diversity & Inclusion. This is a hot topic right now. There are certificates available on platforms like CourseA and EdX. Take some classes. Be a lifelong learner. Be multifaceted. Never put all your eggs in one basket. Learn about many different things and put extra tickets in your pocket. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and we will get there soon. Until next time!

JP

*Still in litigation related to this matter