Making the Move

All good things must come to an end. This is my last year in the Webster Groves School District. I have been in the district for 24 years after spending four years teaching in other schools. Webster has been an amazing place to teach, learn and grow. I feel like I am who I am because of the amazing educators I've been able to work with in the district. Webster is as much a part of me as I am of it.

I am eligible to retire from teaching in Missouri this year. I decided to do so because, frankly, I hate winter. I have been planning a move south for quite a few years and now that the opportunity has presented itself, I am taking full advantage. Am I done teaching? Not even close. I feel that I still have a lot to give. I think that I am learning more now than I ever have before and I will seize on the opportunity to share that learning with others. Teaching is a life mission, not a job. It's not that I'm quitting teaching; I'm just taking my work to another place.

The other day, I had an interview with the Collier County Public School District in Naples, FL. Naples is where I am moving this summer. Winter does not go there. At the end of the interview, I was offered a contingency contract (contingent on passing a background check). The next step in the process is to interview with all of the principals who have open positions in my field. That is awesome! I get to move to a school in need and continue my mission in life.

I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to move to Naples and begin the next chapter of my teaching career there. I am very sad to leave Hixson Middle School and the Webster Groves School District, one of the top districts in the nation. However, this change is part of life's next great adventure. I am fortunate to be in a position to make this move and continue my passion for teaching and learning in a great school district like CCPS. I do indeed feel fortunate.