New Job

I've neglected to post the exciting news about my new job. I interviewed for a newly created position on my current campus on May 7 and found out on May 13 that I had the job. I've been working this summer to get a head start.

I'll be the associate principal over a school-within-a-school to target our at-risk students. For this first year, there are four core-content teachers who will be shared with the other high school in my district. We plan to target 40-50 students initially. Right now, we're planning to use a blend of computer-based credit recovery (for classes students have previously taken and failed) and teacher-based first time instruction, utilizing "non-traditional" methods--no pretty desks in a row.

This week when I walked in to work, I was informed that the principal at the other campus that will share teachers with us, has given my head principal and myself the go ahead on interviewing teachers. Luckily, my principal hired one teacher in the spring, ear-marking him for my program. So, I've been shifting through online applications made to the district. Thursday I called people to set up interviews. I have three scheduled for next week; I left six messages, and two people had already taken jobs. It is fun to have a guy right out of college call me "ma'am" over the phone. (Well, I'm telling myself it's fun because I'm not going to let myself get freaked out by being old enough to be called "ma'am"; it's a sign of respect, right? I've earned the respect because of my power to hire, not my age. Right?)

Everything I'm going through right now is exciting and scary. It's great to be in "charge", but it's scary to be in charge. What if I make a mistake? What if I hire the wrong person? (I'm not interviewing and hiring alone, but still . . . ) However, I am exciting about giving students an opportunity to be successful.

On the agenda for next week . . . narrowing down my list of 70+ students and contacting them to ask if they want to participate . . . interviewing those teachers. Summer fun.