This is far more of a journal than a blog this week. But it's been a hard week. This was the week that I found out about my career's future.

In short, I have none as of this moment. GUSD has decided that I'm "not a good fit for the district" and have decided not to re-elect me for continued service. This is different than what I had expected. In one way, it is far worse; oddly, in another way, it might be better.

When you read this, it will probably be March 15. This is the state contract deadline for informing teachers of the district's intent to layoff permanent teachers. On Wednesday last week, I was given notice that according to the district, I'm not a permanent employee, despite having completed two years of probationary service. Instead of laying off a permanent teacher, they've given me notice that I will not be offered employment next year. This is bad. It affects my ability to collect unemployment and insurance benefits. It looks bad on my resume because non-reelect is generally for cause, whereas layoffs are simple economics. It is bad because my principal looked me in the eye and told me that I wasn't a match for this school, and that I wasn't a good fit for the district. I don't know whether that is standard script when giving a non-reelect notice, but for her to say it was a slap in the face after what I've given to this school site over the past 2 1/2 years.

So where is the upside?

Consultation with a CTA lawyer tells me they've made a paperwork technicality that might actually save me my job. Because according to the EdCode of California, and according to the GUSD contract, and according to a letter I received from the district in January 2009, this year should be my first year of permanent status. By not giving me the legal paperwork for a RIF (Reduction in Force), they haven't legally released me from my permanent status. The challenge now is taking this to a legal hearing, and showing all associated paperwork and legal mumbo jumbo to a judge. That's easy. The hard part is taking a decision back to the GUSD and making them do something about it - namely, giving me a job in 2010-2011.

So I'm doing what I generally do - planning for the worst and hoping for the best. But not holding my breath. I've actually started taking inventory of my belongings... thinking about how long it would take me to sell or give away everything in order to jump a plane and disappear in some foreign country where I could either find a job teaching English or just be a traveler until all my funds ran out... and then... ?