The Cat's Out Of The Bag

So now that all the important people in my life have been told, I can FINALLY talk about this! I got a job in Moorhead, MN! I have always admired the Moorhead school system -specifically their special education department ever since I did a teeny tiny practicum in the middle school when I was a junior in college. I thought they were crazy cool and never felt "smart" enough to work there. Well, things have changed because I definitely am smart enough to work there and cool enough to be interviewed and offered a position quickly. My title will be Learner Support Services Program Manager, Secondary. That means I coordinate the special education programming for the middle school, high school, alternative learning center, and juvenile center. I will also work on teams to improve learning for all kids, not just special ed kids, which is totally cool! I feel very honored to have gotten this position!

Some background -the superintendents of my present sped cooperative have been plotting and scheming all spring. I requested to open negotiations for my next year's contract in January, the board agreed, and I submitted my proposal within 3 weeks, but then I didn't hear from the "lead" negotiator on the board until April 20th. I heard from the other superintendents that I WAS going to be offered a contract, they just don't know what the hold up is -although they were entertaining the thought of dissolving the cooperative and restructuring my position. Needless to say, until they figured that out, they didn't know what capacity my contract would entail.

Water under the bridge. So to make a long story short, the board was about a month late in coming to their senses and deciding not to dissolve the coop until next year and finally responding to my contract offer. They were fair in their offer (I'll give them that), but during the three months the lead superintendent didn't return or take my calls inquiring about the status of the contract, lo and behold an opportunity presented itself in Moorhead. I would have been a fool not to have applied for the program manager position and to be honest, in retrospect, it was almost like a fate thing. I never would have seriously looked nor considered trying to apply if I wasn't put in limbo concerning what the future of my position with the cooperative districts would be and hitting a wall when trying to communicate with the board about it.

So, their loss (and their inability to assert some proactive planning and extend some professional respect to their employees) is Moorhead's gain. I feel awful and sad for my director and for the rest of the people I work with and have really grown to like quite a bit. But in the big picture, this is a good move for me. I can be closer to friends and family that I've missed so very much this year and I can live in a town with TWO Targets!!!! LOL

I start July 1st, so that means I have a small -very small- window to move!! That's stressful to me. Oh well! I HATE moving. SOOOOO much. But, I've got people coming out of the woodwork offering to help. That's sweet and makes me happy I know so many good people. :)

I think that you need some humor -I know I sure have lately. Here's your pirate joke of the day:

What kind of ships do pirates have trouble with?
Relationships!


Arrrrrrrrr.............me thinks you need another one, matey!! Har ye go:

A pirate walks into a bar and the bartender says, "Hey, I haven't seen you in a while. What happened, you look terrible!"
"What do you mean?" the pirate replies, "I'm fine."
The bartender says, "But what about that wooden leg? You didn't have that before."
"Well," says the pirate, "We were in a battle at sea and a cannon ball hit my leg but the surgeon fixed me up, and I'm fine, really."
"Yeah," says the bartender, "But what about that hook? Last time I saw you, you had both hands."
"Well," says the pirate, "We were in another battle and we boarded the enemy ship. I was in a sword fight and my hand was cut off but the surgeon fixed me up with this hook, and I feel great, really."
"Oh," says the bartender, "What about that eye patch? Last time you were in here you had both eyes."
"Well," says the pirate, "One day when we were at sea, some birds were flying over the ship. I looked up, and one of them shat in my eye."
"So?" replied the bartender, "what happened? You couldn't have lost an eye just from some bird shit!"
"Well," says the pirate, "I really wasn't used to the hook yet."

:) Thanks for tuning in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!