So, that's what that feels like.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I was told today that my job is being eliminated come mid-June. 

Interesting. 

I'm not happy, but I'm not panicking.

[Blonde Granny]

So sorry to hear this....is this something you were expecting or was it a total surprise?

[raeoflyte]

Aren't you a school principle?  How's that work?  

And I'm sorry--that sucks.  

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Apr 22, 2015 19:09:46 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

So sorry to hear this....is this something you were expecting or was it a total surprise?

I knew there were going to be cuts. I have known for two weeks what those cuts are. My position, at least outside of my boss's head, wasn't mentioned in front of me until today. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Apr 22, 2015 19:11:40 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Aren't you a school principle?  How's that work?  

And I'm sorry--that sucks.  

I am. The district has lost 15% of it's students in the last three years. 
The remaining administrators will be rearranged. 

[TheHaitian]

So sorry

Can they find another position for you within the district? Another administrative position?

And your husband school district? His job is ok?

[Deleted]

That really sux . . . as my students would say. Are there several school districts in your area?

Would you be willing to go back to teaching?  Is that an option?  I know it wouldn't be your first choice, but I've known people who have pulled it off. 

You'll land on your feet, but I do understand why you aren't happy. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Apr 22, 2015 19:27:05 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

So sorry

Can they find another position for you within the district? Another administrative position?

And your husband school district? His job is ok?

No, my district is too small for me to have another job in it. 
My husband's job is fine. He's pretty savvy at managing money--well, business money; he spends too much of ours

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Apr 22, 2015 19:28:20 GMT -5 @southernsusana said:

That really sux . . . as my students would say. Are there several school districts in your area?

Would you be willing to go back to teaching?  Is that an option?  I know it wouldn't be your first choice, but I've known people who have pulled it off. 

You'll land on your feet, but I do understand why you aren't happy. 

There are several districts in the area; they're all rural and thus low in student population. 
There is currently one administrative job I can apply to without needing to move. 
I could go back into teaching. It's actually not my first choice only because I don't' want to take the pay cut. However, some pay is better than no pay, right. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Thank you everyone, I don't want to talk about this yet IRL. I appreciate having you all to talk to. 

[TheHaitian]

Apr 22, 2015 19:29:55 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Apr 22, 2015 19:27:05 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

So sorry

Can they find another position for you within the district? Another administrative position?

And your husband school district? His job is ok?

No, my district is too small for me to have another job in it. 
My husband's job is fine. He's pretty savvy at managing money--well, business money; he spends too much of ours

How about adjacent school district?

Can you work in your husband school district or is that a no no?

Can you transfer your skills to something else within another school district? Back to teaching maybe?

Or charter school? Private school?

[Blonde Granny]

And don't forget tutoring....

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Apr 22, 2015 19:34:58 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

Apr 22, 2015 19:29:55 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

No, my district is too small for me to have another job in it. 
My husband's job is fine. He's pretty savvy at managing money--well, business money; he spends too much of ours

How about adjacent school district?

Can you work in your husband school district or is that a no no?

Can you transfer your skills to something else within another school district? Back to teaching maybe?

Or charter school? Private school?

I am looking at adjacent district websites right now. There is at least one job I can apply for. 
There are other jobs that I can apply for that are in different (non-commutable) areas of the state. 
My husband offered me a job when I called him. I declined. I don't want to work for him. That would cause too much strain on our marriage. I could go back to teaching. I haven't looked at those job postings yet. 

I honestly think I'd make more on unemployment than I would teaching for a private school, though I don't have evidence to support that statement. 

[TheHaitian]

Not teaching for a private school but running a private school as a principal or a charter school ...

[plugginaway22]

So sorry to hear that. What has happened in your area to reduce students that much?  Any industry leaving?

[TheHaitian]

Also why wouldn't you work for your husband? If you are qualified, go for it... Temporary until you find another job in another district similar to the one you currently hold.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Apr 22, 2015 19:43:05 GMT -5 plugginaway22 said:

So sorry to hear that. What has happened in your area to reduce students that much?  Any industry leaving?

The unemployment rate for the county as of Dec 2014 was 8%. 
It's just a rural area of generational poverty. 
People of have moved "into town" for jobs, taking their children with them. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Apr 22, 2015 19:46:12 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

Also why wouldn't you work for your husband? If you are qualified, go for it... Temporary until you find another job in another district similar to the one you currently hold.

I am qualified, but it still reeks of nepotism. I also don't want to disagree with my husband at work and have that come home with us. The position he has open for next year isn't actually interesting to me. If it was a matter of foreclosing on a house or not being able to feed my children, I would of course take it. 

I have a month or so to apply for jobs. Part of the question is does that mean my husband also applies for jobs elsewhere? 

[busymom]

So sorry, Hon.  At least they didn't ask you to box up your things today, so you've got some time to plan for whatever is next.

(If it's any consolation, I've been there.  You will survive, & be stronger when you come out the other side.)

[Deleted]

Apr 22, 2015 19:41:19 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Apr 22, 2015 19:34:58 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

How about adjacent school district?

Can you work in your husband school district or is that a no no?

Can you transfer your skills to something else within another school district? Back to teaching maybe?

Or charter school? Private school?

I am looking at adjacent district websites right now. There is at least one job I can apply for. 
There are other jobs that I can apply for that are in different (non-commutable) areas of the state. 
My husband offered me a job when I called him. I declined. I don't want to work for him. That would cause too much strain on our marriage. I could go back to teaching. I haven't looked at those job postings yet. 

I honestly think I'd make more on unemployment than I would teaching for a private school, though I don't have evidence to support that statement. 

I don't know how much unemployment runs in your area.  In Alabama, you'd make more teaching in the private school, but it was about the same as you would earn working a non-minimum wage retail job (like $12 an hour).  Being a principal/headmaster would be better, but the pay then is about what a public school teacher at the top of the salary scale earns.  Not only did I teach at a private school for several years, but my ex was chairman of the board. 

Of course, YMMV.

[Deleted]

I'll agree with Chloe that she doesn't want to work for her husband. Not only does it reek of nepotism, but there will be automatic resentment.  In our district, you can't work for a relative.  You can work in a different school, but not where the relative will supervise you.  If the higher ranking relative is hired later and only incidentally has supervisory duties (asst. superintendent over a classroom teacher), it is ok.  But the classroom teacher can't be hired after the asst. superintendent.

This came up, which is how I know.

[Miss Tequila]

((Chloe)) no words of advice but many positive thoughts

[taz157]

Apr 22, 2015 20:39:21 GMT -5 Miss Tequila said:

((Chloe)) no words of advice but many positive thoughts

[muttleynfelix]

Best of luck to you Chloe.

[msventoux]

Sorry Chloe. 

I don't know if it's an option, but would there be any openings in a local or state educational association?  A distant relative lost her job as a high school principal and ended up taking a job as a director at a school prinicpal's association.  I don't know how the wages compared, but she was happy overall with the position. 

[Deleted]

Sorry to hear this, but the two times I've had this happen, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  Hopefully the same is true for you. 

[Jaguar]

Best of luck & many blessings to you Chloe.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Thank you, everyone. I really do appreciate it. 

We decided to tell the girls because even though I don't plan to make it public, I don't want them to hear it elsewhere. 
My 17 year-old was oddly concerned about not having double health care coverage. She has pretty bad eyesight and has both glasses and contacts. The health insurances separately only covers glasses every other year and contacts every other year. So, we switch the billing rotation for her to get them both each year. It's funny what teenagers think of. 


busymom, great point. That would have been devastating had I been removed at this point in the year. 
MPL, I'm hoping that is the case here. 
msventoux, that's a good point. I hadn't thought of those agencies. There are few throughout the state, and some them allow employees t work remotely. I'll look at the postings for those. 
susana, I just pulled up the unemployment calculator. It would be about half of my current take home pay and about even with local public  teaching take home pay. It does say that it only lasts six months though, which would get me through December. 

[debthaven]

I'm sorry Chloe. Hugs and good luck ... I know you will fall on your feet!

[skubikky]

Sorry to hear about this.
I'm sure that something will develop.
Until then, you can see where getting unemployment insurance will leave you.
It might not be as bad as you think.

Also, make sure to have them take out taxes from your UI after you run the numbers.
You can run a quick estimate of what your taxes will be for 2015 with the drop in income.

DH and I are engineers in our late 50's.
Together we've weathered probably 10 layoffs between us in the past 35 years.
I know that things are different now than even 10 years ago, but chin up, onward march.....
It'll be ok.

Funny thing is,  whenever one of us got downsized, it always seemed that stuff with the kids simultaneously ramped up
so that it was greatly advantageous for one of us to be more available.

Hang in there kiddo.  Everything's gonna be A OK....