[LM_NET] Personal Career Advice

[Barbara Strack <momstrack@YAHOO.COM>]

Dear LM_NET Friends,
I am at a crossroads, and would appreciate any advice.

I have worked for 12 years in a middle school in a
suburban district.  A year ago the district laid off a
librarian. The person with lowest senority was in an
elementary building.  As the elementary librarian
provides a part of the contractual teacher planning
time, the high school librarian and I last year closed
our respective libraries 2 days per week to cover this
elementary.  In the 2005-06 year, because of
elementary configuration changes and growth, we will
each close our upper libraries another half day a week
to cover a PreK-1 building as well.  I started in
elementary ed, so I never dreamed how much I would
miss middle school kids, as well as so much of the
middle school staff interaction. I feel I did neither
school justice last year, and this year will be worse.
 It is physically and emotionally draining.  I never
had a library tech, and the high school lost theirs.

A couple opportunities have come up, and I may have
the ability to make a choice.  I could: 1) Stay where
I am and suck it up; 2) Take a 7th grade math position
in the middle school, which I am certified to teach;
or, 3) Go to a high school library in the nearby urban
district. (The third option is not, of course, a sure
thing, and would appreciate any advice on an interview
where they are concerned about me moving into a high
school position.)

Of course job security and salary would be concerns in
a move to another district, and I will be weighing
that as well, but any insight would be greatly
appreciated.

Barb Strack




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