She'll be working from home and making more money, and the new job will give her the flexibility to spend more time with her family. I am happy for her, and sad to be losing her as a colleague.
As folks gathered around high top tables with cocktails and snacks to wish her well on her new endeavors, conversations turned, as they always tend to do with school district employees, to work. I tried to pivot to the guest of honor and asked, "What will you miss most and least about working in the district?"
She lifted her drink to her lips and took a sip, pausing to think. "I think what I'll miss least is the stress and the long hours." We all nodded in solemn agreement at the truth of the statement. "And what I'll miss most, well, I'm an extrovert, and working from home will be lonely, I think. And I won't be able to just pop into schools for visits anymore without a badge! That's going to be weird."
The conversation successfully turned away from the business of the day, our guest of honor and her colleagues began reminiscing on the good ol' days and not so good days, all the dramas and joys of working in and around schools.
I couldn't help but think about all the people I know who have recently left the classroom for a corporate job, and how it seems to be happening at a greater rate than ever before. Since COVID, priorities have shifted, and people are no longer willing to wear their work as a badge of honor alone, or live by the old adage, "Teachers are in it for the outcome, not the income." Instead, it seems everyone is seeking a more balanced life, a slower pace, and a workplace that values their contributions. Not many adults want to live their days by a schoolhouse bell or take vacations determined at the whim of the school board calendar vote. I have to believe that something in education must change, or we're going to keep losing great teachers to jobs that provide better compensation and lifestyle.
I can't imagine the day when I'll say I'd rather work in a cubicle or home office than amid the chaos of children learning and adults trying their best to teach them, but that's not to say it will never come. I'll be curious to see how my friend feels about her new job this time next year- if she is fulfilled, and has the same sense of purpose that working directly with teachers and students gives, or if the benefits outweigh the losses.