Tough decisions are not easy

I know what you are thinking. Thank you, Captain Obvious. I don't remember missing that many classes in college. Occasionally I was ill or had some other kind of legitimate excuse for not being able to be there. There must have been one day centered around making adult decisions that I wasn't able to attend. Too bad, I could have used that information today.

Come with me now to last week Thursday when a school in Florida called to say that they were offering me a position. I had previously lost all interest in pursuing the position, but since I had just been turned down for another, I began to give it some serious thought. When push came to shove and after some questions asked of their principal, I realized that no amount of year-round golf or theme park-hopping could ever compensate for what wasn't a really great fit for me. I had to turn down the job. It was the right decision for me to make.

I am twenty-one years of age. I just graduated from college and I just feel like I have no business being picky. A job is offered to me and I turn it down. Is this okay? I am certain that something will come along, perhaps even in this area, but a position was within reach and I had no choice but to say no. It just wasn't a good fit for me, at least not good enough that I could hike myself all the way down to Florida for it.

At some point, we have to get this right. "They", whoever "they" are, need to realize that you only get out of something what you put in. You want effective teachers, teachers who want to teach in your district and are going to be around for a long time, then give them the tools they need to be successful. I don't claim to know the first thing about economics, but I do know things aren't great now. Even so, education reform has to start somewhere, and for my money, I believe it has to start with proper allocation of resources. Get your priorities straight, and things will start to turn around for you. I am all for athletics in the schools, but if you make that your priority, academics are going to be the first things to suffer. If you don't have the money to contribute to a program, you don't have any business keeping the program running. The kids are the ones that suffer. I'll find another job, but somewhere, some kids are losing out because they aren't on a level playing field with other students in this country. They lose and nobody wins.

I want to change our world for the better and I am patiently waiting for the chance to start.

My search has only just begun. I am ready to fly...