Hooray! I have a job!

After weeks of putting off sending in my acceptance letter, I finally inked my name on the dotted line—actually, I think it was solid—and became an employee of the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL). I probably would have signed and sent it in sooner if not for the fact that I wanted a couple more days of feeling less like an adult with a job and more like a kid at school. I'm totally up for being a responsible adult, though, if it means I have a good job for the upcoming year.

If it weren't for my friend, LaJoi, I would not have applied to AUSL, but she hyped the program up like it was the best ever, so I did some research. AUSL is a not-for-profit that takes over Chicago public schools that have repeatedly failed to meet Annual Yearly Progress, the threshold of success introduced by the No Child Left Behind Act. If schools fail enough times, they need to undergo certain changes, some of them drastic. AUSL, under contract with CPS, takes over failing schools, overhauls the staff, and attempts to transform the school from the inside out. Schools close in June looking one way and open in September with a (mostly) new staff aimed at re-creating the school's culture to promote excellence. It seemed like a great opportunity, and I'm happy I've been accepted. It should make for a very intense educational and enriching experience for me over the next year or so.

Sure, there are aspects of AUSL that made we wonder if it was the right choice. First, you're committed to teaching at one of their schools for four years after the year of training. Four years is a long time! I have no idea what twists and turns my life will take over the next year, much less five! When it came down to it, though, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be trained extensively for another year by experts in education. I also liked the idea of getting a job at a school where everyone is clear about and agrees with its mission.

Second, I was leery of having a limited number of options for where to work after the year of training. AUSL has only four high schools under its management right now. They plan to get a couple more each year, but that might leave my options for placement at six or seven schools. Not much choice. I figured, though, that there might be an opportunity to be placed close to where I already live in the city. Plus, it's more important to me what the school is like and if I'd be a good fit to teach there. Location is important, but all of the schools are going to be located in areas where good teachers are especially needed, and I'm first and foremost willing to go where I'd be best suited.

Third, it's going to be really difficult! That one was easier to overcome. I prayed about the decision for a long time and told myself to stop thinking about wimping out. Besides, any job is going to have its challenges. (Sure, maybe not as many as at these schools, but who doesn't like a challenge?)

I'm looking forward to starting, but there's still plenty that has to happen before then. I still have a commitment to complete to the best of my ability at Jefferson Middle School. Today was a good day, one where I connected more with the students and felt like I did a pretty nice job of teaching the material. Most of all, I think today went well because I did a better job with classroom management. I've gotten it more into my head that the students know when they're out of line, and my recognizing that with appropriate consequences is only right. It should be more surprising to not be punished than to be let off the hook. I hope a couple more days, weeks, or whatever-unit-of-time-is-necessary's will help me get better at setting expectations and following up with them.

P.S. The two dashes in the first sentence are dedicated to Rachel.