Got the job!!! BUT.... (UPDATE IN OP!)

mamaluzi · August 2014

This is in reference to:
https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12403153/teaching-interview-today-does-this-outfit-help-me-look-non-preggish-update-in-op

So ladies! I got the private school art teaching job (hooray!!!!!) But there are, of course, a few catches, because that's just how my life goes -_-

OK so - I just went in today to meet with the new principal there (because the other one, who I interviewed with last week, left suddenly...? They told me yesterday. I think it had to do with health issues). I still have my 2nd interview tomorrow with the superintendent, but the new principal called me today to see if we could meet up so I went in at like 1:45 to meet her.

The good news:

She was under the impression that she was hiring me for the year. I was offered the job!

She basically said that if I didn't take the job, she'd post it again because I'm the only candidate (lol)! So there's that - I still have to go to the meeting tomorrow, but it's more of a formality than anything else. The principal wants me to answer about an offer by Thursday, so that's when I'd break the preggo news I suppose ;-P
Again, job is next door with great momma hours: 7-9am M-F of daycare helping, and 2 full days (until 2 or 3pm) of art teaching on Tu/Th. Possiblity of doing after-school art clubs, too. Oh, and LO would get a discount or maybe even free schooling from preK-8th grade!

The bad news:

The new principal gave me some numbers that were significantly lower that I was told by the other principal as far as salary goes. She was totally unsure about the numbers, though, because she's so new, so she promised she'd get me some actual figures by Thursday so I can use them to make my choice. I told her what I was looking for as far as salary rate goes, and how I had gotten to those numbers based on what the old principal had told me, and I also told her I was waiting to hear from another [public] school (which is true - my old district gave me a loose offer at a job an hour away and I'm waiting to hear from them about a hard offer). She took that into consideration and will give me a definite number by/on Thursday. She also said that I'd probably qualify for benefits even with the part-time status, though the health option is expensive....I'll have those numbers by Thursday, too, though, so I can decide.

I want to be excited because I got the next-door job and I was SO excited at the idea before this afternoon, but the salary is sooooo lowwwww based on what she told me today that now I don't know if it's doable

Hubby says that he still wants me to do it and that he's not worried, since it's so good for baby, but now we have to talk about my possibly picking up some extra hours elsewhere which is a pain, especially since if I find another gig I have to do the whole "oh and I'm preggo" thing again :-/ I know money shouldn't matter and family comes first, but I just feel like coming from such a high public school salary last year down to what they told me today would be a giant step backwards career-wise, even though quality of life in regards to stress would be way better next door. I also don't want to put our young family in dire straights because I wanted to take the "easier job."

Any tips or life stories? Should I just wait for the public school job to call me? They're "part-time" too (4 days/week) but an hour away and it's a much higher-caliber, stressful job with a tougher student population...

Thoughts?

*******UPDATE 8/18***********long post below (sorry...no pressure to read/respond!)****************

So, got the numbers.....way worse than originally thought. The actual offer was ridiculously low. Like, so ridiculously low that I'd need a second job to live

Luckily, a second job came along at another Catholic school, as well as some other full time options/possible opps with my current district and another semi-local district, so I really need you ladies' help at the moment....I have a LOT to think about right now, especially since school starts in like 2 weeks O_o

So, first, some backstory. I'm coming from Boston Public Schools, where I made a nice paycheck with a full time art teaching job. I decided to leave that particular school in the district, though, because of many reasons - just absolutely not at all a good fit. Another school with a better schedule/philosophy/size etc. wanted me, though, so that's an option right now. Keeping that in mind, here are the 3 options that have been presented to me after a long, long, looooooong summer of job hunting:

OPTION #1: BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS (offer-in-hand)
Pros:
OK w/ baby news
Same district as last year = full mat. leave perks under FMLA and their contract, same benefits, 1 step up in pay (reduced to allow for 4 day/week schedule as opposed to 5 days last year, but not at all a bad salary)
Very small school (125 kids, ages 3-10), so easy to handle names, projects, materials, etc.
Montessori style, so small group art/student choice-based projects (which is my jam)
4 days/week (Mondays off)
Kids already accustomed to Montessori style, so perhaps a bit less "teaching" required as far as behavioral standards/expectations in a choice-based atmosphere go

Cons:
50 min commute, and traffic is likely so could be upwards of 1hr in the car both ways, through Boston tunnels/bridges because of the school's location
High-demand job because of public school mindset and it being BPS of all districts (BPS is a very "watched" district in MA)
Kids not as rough as last year (I was in a very, VERY tough neighborhood last year), but population still considered "urban" and can be a bit rough behaviorally

Pro/Con:
No Art room - I'd be on a cart, but keep in mind, though, that each classroom will have an "Art Center" with it's own project storage, work area, etc., so I'll have a bunch of "mini-art-rooms" instead of just a storage closet
"Early start/early release" hours - 7:30a to 1:30p, so I could be home every day by 2:30, 3:00 at the latest...this is GREAT for the afternoon, but might make finding [morning] childcare difficult, as I'd have to leave at 6/6:30 to accommodate possible traffic going into Boston

OPTION #2: 2 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS COMBINED (offered from one, soft offer from other - waiting to hear officially today)
Pros:
Laid back atmosphere - I am free to teach as I want to without people breathing down my neck and telling me what I should/shouldn't do, how I should do it, etc. = quality of life
2 days/week (M/F) at one school, which is near my parents' house (childcare!), and 2 days/week (Tu/Th) at another school that is next door to my own home (easy access to in-laws for possible in-home childcare) = 4 days/week (Wednesdays off)
I have my own Art room at both schools...M/F I have a shared room that is mine for both days, and Tu/Th I straight up have my own room
Easy commute to both locations = quality of life

Cons:
Pay is 60% less than I'd make at either BPS or MPS
Probably wouldn't get paid for school breaks, summer, holidays, etc. because I'd be very part time at both schools
No benefits because of my very part time hours
Probably have to pick up summer job or maybe even side nannying gig during the year to even remotely make up pay difference/make things financially "comfortable"
Middle schoolers....*shudder* lol schools are both preK-8th grade
2 small schools, but combined I would have around 500 students, which is kind of a hefty load from what I'm used to (I had 325 kids last year)

Pro/Con:
1 school = OK w/ baby news (other not told yet...)
Good hours, but not as short in the afternoon as BPS (8:30-3:30, leave at 7:45 home by 4 on M/F; leave by 8:28 home by 3:32 on Tu/Th lol)
Can probably take mat. leave for decent amount of time, but not really able to afford it being unpaid like I would be with the other jobs (all jobs = unpaid leave)...

OPTION #3: MARLBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS (not offered yet, but VERY promising interview - expecting call by tomorrow either way)
Pros:
Full-time job with good pay
Full benefits
8 weeks mat. leave under MA law and as per their contract
40 min commute, but VERY easy
Pass right by a few options for childcare at halfway point from home/work (ie, my parents' are on the way, as are many easily accessible centers...baby would be 20 min away from either me or family in case of emergency pick-up)
Suburban school - still a good chunk of low-income/rough areas, so this job comes with some behaviors, but not like inner-city
Commute makes for easy upkeep in years to come (ie, I won't get burnt out by commute alone)

Cons:
5 days/week
Huge school - 583 students (ages 5-10) x 6 classes/day = about 30 Art classes per week
On a cart - no Art room (but might get it back in years to come)
High-demand job because of public school mindset - not as "watched" as BPS, but still sticklers

Pro/Con:
Not told about baby news yet (just interviewed/met them on Friday for 1st time - will tell if they offer)
Good hours, but not as short in the afternoon as BPS (8:30-3:30, leave at 7:45 home by 4 M-F)
Inclusion for everyone - this means some behavioral special ed. populations mixed in with large classes (I'm well-versed in this due to my heavy special education training background, but this is a big chunk of their already large population, so I wanted to mention it)

...and this is what my summer has been like

( lol

Well, there you have it. If you read this far, congratulations - you're an angel! :-P Any input or prayers or voodoo spells to take the edge off would be appreciated

Thanks ladies!

crizz13 · August 2014

CONGRATS!!!

You were in Boston Public before, right? I know their salaries are MUCH higher than a lot of other MA public schools (I've taught in MA for 9 years).

I say go for it as it's going to be a great situation for you and the baby and your husband seems comfortable with the pay cut. You may be pleasantly surprised when the new principal comes back with some official numbers. Also, maybe you can see if you can do some negotiation in terms of your work experience and education. Many times districts will honor what you've already done if you ask!

minibean16 · August 2014

Congratulations! That is really frustrating that the numbers are different, but I'm hoping that you get more accurate information on Thursday and they're closer to your original thoughts.

If your husband thinks you can swing it, the hours are fantastic with this offer. It will give you a lot of time with the baby, so that's really appealing. Good luck on Thursday.

ejpetey · August 2014

First it doesn't seem very fair for them to give you the formal offer on Thursday and expect an answer the same day! Especially since you're the only candidate right now I'd think they should give you at least through the weekend to decide. And, job searches are expensive and time consuming. As a new principal she probably has lots of better things to do. Knowing you're the only candidate and they'd have to start over gives you some leverage and could work in your favor if you try to negotiate a higher salary.

I'd also call the public school right now and say you've received another offer (they don't need to know it's only verbal), need to give them an answer quickly and ask if they had any updates on their own hiring process.

And, take into account your commuting time (and gas money and wear and tear on your car) for the other job when thinking about salary, and that you'd basically be adding another 2 hours onto your work day and see if it would still be way more money.

For me, the convenience of being next door at a lower stress job sounds pretty appealing, especially with little ones at home! Good luck with the decision!

ETA: Oh, and congrats

JustJainey · August 2014

Don't just consider the straight salary differences, but also the costs of having to travel an hour and all that entails (ie. gas, wear and tear on the vehicle, your time, add'l child care time/cost etc.) A lower salary may or may not mean less money!

absolutelymaybe · August 2014

Congrats on the job. Hopefully they can come up with some better numbers.

Cici3913 · August 2014

Congratulations on getting the job!

As far as the salary goes I hope the principal comes back with some closer numbers to what you were actually expecting. But if not I think you should still go for it as long as it wouldn't put you in a bad place financially.

I took a pay cut when I went to home health nursing as opposed to working in the hospital, but it has been the best choice by far! I really don't know if I could do 12 hour shifts on my feet the entire time while pregnant! Kudos to the nurses who do, y'all are my heroes!! Haha

mamaluzi · August 2014

Thanks, ladies! I just chatted with the hubby and I'm more excited now but still a bit nervous about Thursday. This whole summer has been a lesson in patience, though, so I guess waiting is nothing new :-P

@crizz13 yeah I was at BPS this past year, at a very stressful job with long hours. The soft offer I had with them was a Montessori style public school (new this year), with little kids (an age I love), and choice-based/small group art (my passion), and it has good hours too: 4 days/week, 7:30 to 1:30. BUT, I'd be an hour away, on a cart, they'd expect me to do afterschool programming, Montessori training, and intense community outreach, not to mention the difficult student population and the fact that they would watch me like a hawk to make sure I'm teaching the way they want (speaking from my experience last year). I could do it without a baby, but considering how mentally exhausted I was last year, I don't think this experience would be much better, despite the good hours/other career perks and giant difference in pay from the private school job. They call BPS teacher salary "combat pay" for a reason

This place is the better fit...I just hope they can get me at a slightly higher price tag! We'll see - I'll keep you guys posted! Thanks for the pep talk

mamaluzi · August 2014

Bump! Update in OP...kind of a rant-length post - not for the faint of heart! No pressure to read/respond! :-P

crizz13 · August 2014

My vote is Marlboro.

carafern · August 2014

crizz13 said:

My vote is Marlboro.

Tough call! I'd also vote Option 3, unless having part time is very important to you, because Mondays off sounds pretty awesome to me. What age are the Marlborough kids?

I'd probably rule out the Catholic school thing mostly because of the two different schools and the lower pay and lack of benefits, unless you have access to good benefits through DH?

So I'd probably rank it Marlborough, BPS, Catholic.

Also, congrats! Look at you with your multiple job offers! Yay for art teachers!!!

Cici3913 · August 2014

I'd say it's between #1 and #3
If I were going to pick. I said #1because although I'm not a teacher it just seems like teaching 125 students would be less stressful than teaching more. I said #3 because of the better access to daycare. But If you don't get the offer from #3 then #1 would win by default IMO.

But good luck with your decision!!

mamaluzi · August 2014

carafern said:

crizz13 said:

My vote is Marlboro.

Tough call! I'd also vote Option 3, unless having part time is very important to you, because Mondays off sounds pretty awesome to me. What age are the Marlborough kids?

I'd probably rule out the Catholic school thing mostly because of the two different schools and the lower pay and lack of benefits, unless you have access to good benefits through DH?

So I'd probably rank it Marlborough, BPS, Catholic.

Also, congrats! Look at you with your multiple job offers! Yay for art teachers!!!

Cici3913 said:

I'd say it's between #1 and #3 If I were going to pick. I said #1because although I'm not a teacher it just seems like teaching 125 students would be less stressful than teaching more. I said #3 because of the better access to daycare. But If you don't get the offer from #3 then #1 would win by default IMO. But good luck with your decision!!

Thanks, ladies. This is basically what I've been thinking, too. I hope to hear from MPS, but yeah, BPS wins by default otherwise...the commute would suck, but I can't afford the quality of life that the Catholic schools are offering at that salary :-/ I guess if the BPS job ends up being "it," then I don't have to stay next year if I find a better solution...I was just hoping to get some roots down in one school and not bounce around if I didn't have to :-P

@carafern - the MPS kids are K-4th...I like those ages, as I'm best with younger children! BPS is also little ones, with K0 (3 y/o) to 4th grade, and they'll be adding 5th grade next year.

minibean16 · August 2014

1) I teach at a school with just over 500 students. While I don't directly interact with all of them, I know almost all the names. It's amazing how a school of 500 can still feel like a tiny community!

2) it's hard to choose without knowing what your priority is. I would hate an hour long commute, but I'd choose #1, because I'd want the mat leave/benefits to continue. But if finances aren't as important, I'd go with the second offer because of how close you'll be to LO.

Hope you're ultimately happy with whichever you choose! At least it's nice to have options!

tinkerbell1658 · August 2014

#3, #1,#2. Good luck deciding!!

mamaluzi · August 2014

bloomraiser said:

Pardon if this has been answered already but... How do you start a job in Sept and then leave in Nov? I would think that would be a serious monkey wrench for a teacher. Really short mat leave?

Well, theoretically, it's just like any other job. For example, I'm still employed by BPS right now (summer is just paid vacation, really), and so if I took that job and then left in Nov. for mat. leave, I'd be entitled to a regular 6-12 week mat. leave just like any other job, since I'll have been employed there for a full year and a half. They just find long-term subs in these kinds of situations, so you have to tell them asap so they can prep, and of course you're expected to write sub plans, etc. Typically you come back the next year, anyway, to continue your employment just like you would in an office, except school breaks and summer (happily) interrupt!

Each school district has their own policy outlined in their teacher contract, but mat. leave benefits are really just like any other job (except 99% of the time the leave is unpaid, unlike some office jobs :-P better than nothing, though!)

mamaluzi · August 2014

kyliedaniellexx said:

You kick ass! I seriously commend you for doing everything you have been doing - at 6 months pregnant to boot!

I would be inclined to accept the first offer. I feel this isn't what you want, though - since you have been already working for BPS and started looking for other work.

I am also royally pissed on your behalf about the first interview/school being so unclear with you about the salary. How rood.

Aw thanks!!! Shucks $:\$ "> I'm just obsessive is all...this'll all stop when I actually land one of these jobs! Hahaha

I was super bummed about the Catholic school jobs, but what can you do? I knew they'd pay peanuts but I didn't know what brand...apparently, it's the worst one! I do wish they would have been more up front...the first principal actually said that they pay "70% of the local districts," which is what I based my original guess on. Let me tell you, what they offered was NOT AT ALL close to that. In fact, it was borderline insulting, considering my Master's degree!!! I haven't made that little since I was in high school, working over the summers as a teacher's aide!

I'm not so much leaving BPS as much as I just wanted to leave the particular school I was in. It was an in-district public charter with horrible, very long teacher's hours, in a rough neighborhood, and my manager SUCKED the LIFE out of me. I mean, she was the WORST. I had to get out of there because of these and a few other reasons! But this new BPS school feels like a good fit - it's just in literally the least accessible part of Boston from me

But you're right - I'd rather take MPS because of the commute, though BPS doesn't bother me too much as a district for the most part.

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