Back to School, Everyone

Including me.

The kids' first week at school has been great. Josie is even doing the morning announcements for this rotation (the schools here operate on a five-day rotation of specials like music and art, rather than a weekly schedule, which is TREMENDOUSLY confusing for parents but ensures no one misses a special due to a day off b/c the rotation simply skips that day) with another child from the other fifth grade class. The new principal seems great. Patrick has gotten to pet the classroom hedgehog, Pearl, and, being a boy, that's really all he has to say until either someone vomits on someone else's shoes or passes out at recess from hanging upside down too long on the monkeybars.

Anyhoo, today I decided to take myself out to breakfast at a little local shop I've been meaning to try out. It was eeh. While I sat there munching my over-greased egg sandwich, I realized that the local outpost for the state colleges was just around the corner, and on a whim, I decided to stop by.

Since we're the largest town in our college-less county, the state schools got together and founded an extension program where us yokels can go for several undergrad and grad degrees. I was curious about the master of arts in education program, which bridges a non-ed undergrad degree into a teaching certificate, and found out that it's a year-long, full time program, starting with evening classes next summer and then transitioning to daytime in the fall, ending in May with a certificate to teach and a master's degree. Basically, it's the perfect schedule for a parent, since I'll be home with the kids in the summer during the day, and then able to spend the evenings with them once school starts.

I had one small question, which led to me talking to an assistant advisor, which in turn led to me walking out of the building with a handful of paper, a course catelogue, and a dazed expression. I would need to take (gulp) two sciences (one with a LAB, OMG), and maybe a math, depending on how they would view my undergrad sociological statistics class to meet all the criteria for the program, plus put together a portfolio, at the community college across town. They make early-acceptance in November, granting provisional status to anyone who needs to finish pre-req classes.

I thought about it all day, and looked into special loan programs for teachers who work in Title I schools (of which there are many around here) or areas with critical shortages (which is our entire state). I carefully weighed the costs ($16k for the entire program) against the benefits (a starting salary of $38k the very next year and the potential of serious loan forgiveness as long as you agree to work - duh).

I registered online at the local community college about an hour ago.

Next May, I will enter the grad program. With any luck, the fall after that I'll be a teacher.

... but first, I have to take a SCIENCE with a LAB. Hold me.