Losing your job

Q: It’s “transfer season” for my large public school system. This is the time when schools get staffing allocations and teachers find out whether their jobs are safe. Well, my .6 literacy position has been cut. I still have a guaranteed job in the county, but I have to leave a school where I’ve happily worked for 11 years. I knew when I switched from full time to part time that I’d be more likely to be involuntarily transferred, but this still came as a shock. I chose part time because I had just had twins, my husband has no job flexibility, and it was the right choice for my family. I understand that it isn’t personal, but that’s just it. It feels SO personal, and I can’t help feeling fired. I love my work, and my colleagues have become like a second family, but now I look around and wonder whether anyone really fought to keep me. My principal says he tried to save my position and that it’s just a numbers game, but I’m not sure I believe him. I also have to go through the whole interviewing process and find a new school, which is stressing me out. Plus, I could end up at a school with a horrible commute. I don’t know how I’m going to make it until June. Do you have any tips so I don’t lose my mind?

A: This is one of the idiosyncrasies of working for a large school system. You’re employed by the district, not an individual school. You can simultaneously develop deep connections with colleagues and feel like a cog in a wheel. Unlike a corporation, where you must pack up and vacate the building shortly after you’ve been fired, you’re expected to finish your contract. As you’ve pointed out, this means you spend months at a job you’ve been asked to leave, and that takes a mental toll. In fact, if school systems are interested in retention, they probably should take a closer look at how they support staff members going through this type of transition. You’re hardly alone.

You’ve identified some of the other reasons it feels so difficult. You’re worried that people you felt close to wanted you to leave, and you’re feeling bad about yourself. You’re also second-guessing your decisions, such as switching to part time. You’re contending with uncertainty and the prospect of marketing yourself for the first time in years. It’s also much easier to fixate on what you’re losing than any potential gains because the future is still a big unknown.