Hit a major roadblock today in the whole "We're picking up our lives and moving to another state" drama. I have been beyond frustrated as I have applied for endless jobs and have heard nothing back. Turns out there is a reason. Every teacher in California must have his or her ESL endorsement- English as a Second Language, or as California likes to call it- the CLAD. Every single teacher. In my school now there are maybe three teachers out of a hundred that have this. It simply is not a requirement.
My teacher friend called her teacher hiring friend in California to ask if I would maybe kind of sort of need this. She replied with, "We don't even consider an applicant who doesn't have his or her CLAD."
So there it is. The gaping hole in my resume. Don't even consider.
And so now I begin the process of getting an ESL endorsement? Which is 18 credit hours, takes at least eight weeks, and probably cost $500? Meaning the soonest I could be done with it and in the process of getting hired is mid July? Which makes the odds of finding a teaching job that late quite slim...
Sometimes you have these big dreams and exciting plans and wild adventures and then turns out there's a bunch of crap in the way of the big dreams and exciting plans and wild adventures. I'm trying to keep my head up and stay positive, but I would be lying if I didn't say that this isn't totally discouraging to me. I'm not ready to be done teaching. I'm not ready to not be a teacher come September. I don't want to give it up yet and I don't want to take a year break. I want to teach.
Of course, there's the now pretty alluring option to beg my boss for my job back, move to a nice apartment in Salt Lake, and have Greg continue acting at the local theater and auditioning for film rolls here in Utah. It isn't California, but it's not unemployment either. \
I have to wonder, though, if we don't make the move now- the big jump to the land of sunshine- will we ever make it? Or will just stay here- never quite daring to go for something so risky? Are we looking for an excuse because we're afraid?
Sigh. When did growing up get so complicated?
Please just tell me that everything is going to be fine.
