So today started with an interview at a local Hebrew day school. I liked the people, I liked what they had to say, I liked the environment, I like the importance of community in Jewish culture. I didn’t like the idea that I would have to wear a skirt or dress every single day of the year, I didn’t like that it’s such a small school, and I didn’t like that the kids don’t interact with more kids on a regular basis (which I guess goes along with the not liking the small school part). So I guess only time will tell. If offered the position I think I have no choice but to take it and then continue looking to see if something more attractive comes around. They said they would let me know either way by the end of June.
Until then I continue to pursue the Unemployment Insurance issue. I have called a couple times a day every day this week only to be told each time that too many people are in the cue and please call back another time. Today I was determined, programmed the number on my phone and recorded the numbers I had to hit once I got through so I didn’t have to listen to all the b.s. and success! Well, success in getting through at least. The woman didn’t seem like the brightest tool in the shed or very knowledgeable about teachers and unemployment. She kept asking me if my school was on a recess period and I kept trying to explain to her that I didn’t have a school because I was laid off because of state budget cuts. After repeated back and forth Q & A’s she ended with, “well I hope they call you back to your job” – clearly she still didn’t get it. So, at one point she said I would have to have an interview to see if I qualified for unemployment since there was a chance I would have a job after the “recess” period. I tried to clearly correct her on that but who knows. Apparently the next step is for them to send me some paperwork which I can’t return before the 29th and at that point they will decide if I qualify and if so if I should receive payment for these two weeks as well. It’s a rather strange process but I’m trying to think of it as a learning experience. Unemployment has previously been this vague idea out there for the rest of the world. I didn’t even think teachers qualified for it once upon a time so I have clearly already learned a lot!
My ideal world would be one where I have a job in the fall and yet can collect unemployment over the summer. That may be awful to say but I think I deserve something from the state for creating this mess and all the stress and angst that they are putting all of us through as teachers since they can’t come up with a decision on a budget! For now I continue to check edjoin every day and directly look at the webpages for the districts that I would ideally like to work in to see what their internal postings are at this point. My old district has a fair number of English positions posted for transfer which is definitely not what I would like to be teaching full time but as the saying goes, a job is a job. It appears that the in-district transfers and moves should be done in the next couple weeks which would then clarify what positions will be open to the previously laid off teachers. The joy of the waiting game . . .
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