From nomads to residents

To my amazement, I am now the assistant principal of two elementary schools in El Segundo. Two weeks ago I was sitting around my parent's home in Crowley wondering if Trisha and I would be on the fun-employed path until Christmas. It was looking that way for awhile as I had not heard back from any district or companies other than Los Angeles Unified. We were prepared to ride out the tough job market and be content to live out of our suitcases for however long was necessary. Fortunately our luck changed.

It all began as we were driving home from the Sierra Nevada a few weeks ago. We were prepared to house-sit for my parents while they were away in Italy, caring for the dogs and searching for work. As we were entering the LA basin, the El Segundo USD gave a call and invited me to a round of upcoming interviews. The first thing I thought when receiving the call was if anything, that this would be good practice for other upcoming interviews.

The Friday of the interview rolled around and though nervous, I again was in the mind-set of interview practice. I didn't know how much competition there was for this job, but I assumed since I hadn't heard back from any other districts that my chances weren't great. The interview was low-key and took place with the HR guy and district superintendent. Though I haven't held an educational administrative job before, my classroom experience and admin fieldwork/classes gave me a good base for a successful first round. I left feeling good, though I still expected my competition to be more experienced and better qualified.

Trisha and I then killed a few hours in El Segundo waiting to hear back from the interview panel. The call came promptly in the early afternoon and confirmed my move to the second round. Though surprised, my confidence was given a nice big boost. It was nice to know that at least I had the ability to make it to a second round.

I felt the second interview went better than the first. Though there were more administrators present -principals, superintendent, HR, pupil services director, special ed director- the mood they set was calming and I went into it trying to be as natural as possible. Many of the questions were similar to the first round as there were new panel members, though a few new questions were thrown in as well. I again felt comfortable with the topics and believed I was presenting myself well. The interview ended and they informed me that they would call Monday with their decision. That made for a long weekend.

Nothing felt relaxed or normal during our weekend after the interview. Though it was just an interview, there was so much that could change with a phone call. Both our minds were racing from one scenario to another. Would we be back to job hunting online in coffee shops and bumming at our parents places while they were gone, or would be actually begin the process of becoming permanent? Writing about this now it doesn't seem all that stressful, but the anticipation and waiting at the time were terrible.

Finally on Monday afternoon as I plopped down on the bed from the nervous tiredness of waiting, the phone rang and I was offered the job. Though it was a shock, I had this spark of confidence all weekend that perhaps I was what they were looking for. I'm not sure if I got this vibe from the interview panel or if my confidence just grew as a result of the process. Regardless it was excellent news that threw me into a roller coaster of new emotions for the next few days, with highs of becoming a good leader like my last principal, to lows of thinking I'm unprepared for this job.

Upon visits to both elementary schools, which involved meeting the staffs and tours of the campus, along with a Back-to-School Night last week, I was feeling less nervous and more confident of the journey ahead. There is no doubt it's going to be an overwhelming job with learning opportunities at every corner, yet it should be interesting to see if this a role I prefer to teaching. I feel fortunate for the opportunity.

Who would have guessed our transition from nomads to contributing citizens would only take a few months? We even have an apartment lined up in El Segundo so I can bike to work and we can enjoy the great access to the beach and west side. Trisha and I are definitely looking forward to this new and exciting change.