Goodbye Job... Hello Ulcer

Another rare Sunday post: Goodbye Job... Hello Ulcer

AHHHHH!!! I'M LOSING MY JOB AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GOING TO GET ANOTHER ONE!!!!

WHAT ABOUT MY STUDENT LOANS?

WHAT ABOUT MY CAR PAYMENT?

WHAT ABOUT MY APARTMENT?

This has been a total panic attack brought to you by my brain. These things have been in my mind constantly for the past few weeks.

With the job cuts of 400 jobs in my district - that means all teachers under 3 years experiences have been cut. I was a temporary teacher (only hired for this year) so my position is even worse. Why? The union is trying to get the 400 people fired with under 3 years experience their jobs back come start of the school year. That means they get first dibs at open positions once they are done offering them to people with greater than 2 years experience.

Here's the pecking order for offering up jobs:
1: People with greater than 2 years experience get first dibs...
2: People that had long-term contracts but were RIFed and are trying to fill the positions not filled by the people with greater than 2 years experience...
3: People with temporary contracts that are interested in anything that's left...
4: New people that want in...

Basically, I'm dead last before new people that want in. I'm screwed.

I need to look up how to get unemployment. I need to figure out how to take care of myself through this. I may need to sub again and that terrifies me. The last time I did it was an experience that was painful beyond belief. I don't know what I'm going to do.

Most of the other peeps in my program (Transition to Teaching) were Long-Term hires, so they are higher up the pecking order for jobs than I am. There are a few of us that didn't get placed until after school started so we had to sub to start the year. We were hired after as Temporary Positions. I don't know what we're going to do. This year was tough financially. Subbing was hard for a first year teacher for many reasons, not limited to: no sick days, no benefits, less money, no access to computers, no access to info on the kids, no recognition from other staff, no way to discipline the kids. I don't want to go back to that.

I'm freaking out. It's making things difficult for me and my program. I love teaching and being in my program, but this is so hard. I want the stability of knowing that I'm going to be able to PAY MY BILLS and eat.

It's hard to concentrate on the success of my students when I don't think I'm going to be able to pay my bills. Do people ever think of that when they think of cutting money to the schools?