No longer holding out for a teaching job

The 2009-2010 school year is under way, and that's bad news for me. When I was laid off last fall, I held out the possibility of a new career in teaching in the public schools as my "hold card." If no better opportunities came along, I could always go into teaching, a profession that had interested me as a college undergraduate 40 years ago. I contacted the state Department of Public Instruction, filled out the state teacher application form, sent in certified copies of my college transcripts, rounded up professional and personal references, applied to the Regional Alternative Licensing Center for an assessment of courses I would have to take to be fully licensed via the state's lateral entry system for non-education majors, attended a workshop for lateral entry applicants, and diligently monitored job openings in the five school systems to which I had sent my state application.

I even held out some hope that I might be hired at the beginning of 2009, when the new semester began. I interviewed for one high school English position that looked like an ideal situation with a Feb. 1, 2009, starting date. That position went to a teacher who came out of retirement.

As summer arrived with still no job in sight, I turned again, more seriously to teaching positions. Unfortunately, the state was slashing its budget and local school systems were laying off teachers, not hiring them. Still, a few positions popped up. I applied for positions teaching English in high schools, middle schools and alternative schools. My 30-plus years of experience as a newspaper editor was analogous, in many ways, to teaching English. I can't tell you how many times I had to explain to new reporters the importance of pronoun-antecedent agreement, subject-predicate agreement, pronoun case, parallelism, clarity or other nuances of good writing. I also had some college-level teaching experience on my resume.

But with the tolling of school bells last week, my last, best hopes for a teaching job have evaporated like the early morning fog at a bus stop. I had no illusions that teaching would be easy. I would have to complete eight courses in three years in order to earn a license. My daughters, both of whom taught in public schools, warned me that classrooms and students have changed a lot since my day. But I still was interested in giving it a try. The right position could be challenging and exciting. It would mesh with my love of literature and writing. And state benefits would be nice to have.

This morning, I checked the Web sites of area school districts again. The only English jobs within commuting distance are ones I have already applied for. Classes have begun. Positions are filled. A teaching job, my "hold card," looks more and more like a joker.