If you had asked me a month ago if I felt secure in my job, I would've respond, "yes, absolutely." With the crazy budget issues the district is facing, large chunks of money need to be cut. There are a handful (28 to be exact) of job-share partnerships in our (huge) school district. Cutting us would be a drop in the $25 million bucket. You see, the only difference, financially speaking, between a job-share and a full-time teacher is one set of benefits. Our district pays us half the salary, but we each get a regular benefits package (cushy...I know!).
So, a couple of weeks ago, my job-share partner and I received an email from our principal telling us she needed to meet with us after school that day. I immediately knew what she was going to tell us. I spent the day fretting and praying that what I knew in my gut to be true, was not really going to happen. With tears all around the table, our principal told us that all job-shares around the district would be a part of a budget-cut proposal going before the school board.
In effort to "keep it real" I will share both my frustrations with this whole ordeal and also how I've seen God work through it:
Frustrations:
*I don't want to be prideful but, I am a good teacher...unfortunately, our district has it's fair share of not-so-great teachers...they get to keep their jobs...I don't.
*My job-share partner and I have seen HUGE growth in our 4th graders this year...we normally "loop" with our 4th graders and follow them up to 5th grade...we won't get to continue to build on what we've started this year.
God's Work:
*A few weeks before finding out about my job, I felt prompted to start praying for a way to be able to stay at home. During my maternity leave, Kyle and I "crunched" some numbers and it just didn't make sense for me to quit teaching. Working 2 1/2 days a week...no evenings or weekends...holiday breaks...super-cheap insurance...decent part-time pay. A pretty sweet gig..I would've been an idiot to quit that kind of job.
*A week or so after feeling the prompting to pray about staying home, my great friend who watches the kids while I work, told me she wasn't up for watching the kids next year. I completely understood. The next few days I just felt sick thinking about who would watch my kids next fall.
*The Monday before I got the news, Kyle's office had a office meeting. One of the topics of conversation...starting an office insurance plan.
So, we are still in the thick of it all. We don't have answers to all of our questions. We are still waiting to see how much insurance will cost. I'm looking for ways to make some cash here and there. But one thing we are confident of, God is in control...He will provide. We are praying that we make wise choices with His direction. He is in this...He hasn't shown us the end result. But, with faith, we are walking through doors as He opens them.
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