A Bit More Information
So, CT had her conversation with the principal of LHS this morning, and she told me that the decision is down to a choice between me and someone who's already working as a sub in the school.
I gather from what CT was told that the English department head has taken an unpaid leave every spring semester for the last five years to do some work in the Dominican Republic, and the other candidate for the job is the person who fills in for him.
All of a sudden, I'm not so optimistic about my chances.
The thing is? I'm not sure I WANT to take the job over this person. I know how crappy it feels to be passed over for someone "from the outside" - that's what happened to me at my internship school. I don't want to be the one who "does" that to this woman. This should not be a question - unless she's done something inappropriate or is somehow underqualified, she should get the position. I'm not just falling on my sword here, either; I really and truly believe that.
I gather from what CT was told that the English department head has taken an unpaid leave every spring semester for the last five years to do some work in the Dominican Republic, and the other candidate for the job is the person who fills in for him.
All of a sudden, I'm not so optimistic about my chances.
The thing is? I'm not sure I WANT to take the job over this person. I know how crappy it feels to be passed over for someone "from the outside" - that's what happened to me at my internship school. I don't want to be the one who "does" that to this woman. This should not be a question - unless she's done something inappropriate or is somehow underqualified, she should get the position. I'm not just falling on my sword here, either; I really and truly believe that.
posted by Mrs. Chili at 3:08 PM
3 Comments:
Yeah, except that's it's not your decision.
If you DO get offered the job, it's because the people making the decision think that you're the best person for it. You won't be "doing" anything to the sub: you'll have earned the job because of a quality that you have that the other candidate doesn't.
If the administration is serious about hiring good teachers, they'll make their decisions based on who will be best for the STUDENTS, not on familiarity of this sub or the novelty of you, the someone new. It may be you, it may be her - either way, though, you should try to stop thinking that your success would be unfair to the sub. If anything, she has an unfair advantage over you.
Good luck. Keep us posted.
Anon's comment is right, though. Well, it would be if the school you were applying to were in the Utopian Regional School District. Good hiring is about more than just the needs of the students. There are a whole host of issues that come into play, and very few of them are concretely, objectively observable.
That being said, I agree with Anon that, if you are chosen, you should accept the position because you are AN appropriate candidate for it, and worthy for all of those intangible reasons.
It's nice that you are thinking about the other person. It's a quality I love about you.
I got this email from CT this morning and thought it'd be a good addition to my thinking about all this:
*******
Hi Chili,
I'm sitting in the AP class and they are taking their final--2 essays directly from the AP exam. It's tough.
I just wanted to say that after talking with the principal, I realize that their real choice is you, but the decision is difficult because of the political amenities. So remember that. Whatever the decision, you were their final choice.
-CT
******
She also pointed out yesterday that if she hadn't called and spoken to the principal, I wouldn't have known that my competition was someone "on the inside." I would likely be going along thinking that I was in a simple contest for a job and that we both had equal right to it. I'm trying to remember that.
All in all, I'm doing my best to hand it all to the Universe and believe that, in the end, I'll wind up precisely where I need to be.
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