Relocation advice

[ChoralScholar]

I am in my first year teaching at a medium-sized rural high school (about 1800 K-12). I am the fifth choir director in five years. Needless to say, it is a tough situation to gain the trust of the kids.

Today, I got a lead on a possible job opening in Fayetteville, AR. Home of the U of A, and a much more liberal city. We lived there once before and we have wanted to move back ever since. This job pays substantially more, and is at the 3rd largest district in the state.

So basically - on one hand, kids who need me, on the other hand, dream job.

I've gone over and over it. Ask me questions, whatever, just help me think through this...

[Rowdyboy]

1. Follow your heart and go to Fayetteville

Okay, so the children lose their 5th choir director in 5 years. They'll recover and learn to sing for someone else. However, your life will improve immeasureably. Do yourself a favor and make the move before you get any more invested.

[SheilaT]

2. Absolutely, go.

Especially if it gets you to a more liberal city.

Why is there such a turnover of choir directors in your current school?

[ChoralScholar]

4. heretofore, it has been a money issue

but I am the first director to get paid enough to live on.
(In Arkansas, most band/choir directors are on a different pay schedule than a regular classroom teacher)

They have been super to me, and they are paying my way to Los Angeles next month for our ACDA convention. Something that most schools in Arkansas do NOT do.

But the Fayetteville school district is sending all three of their directors to LA also.

[Revillusion1]

3. 5 years from now...

If you stayed where you are now, do you think you would be kicking yourself, or even resentful of giving up that job? Or do you think that 5 years from now, if you took it, you would be kicking yourself for leaving the one you're presently at?

[ChoralScholar]

5. Fayetteville is the

center of growth in Arkansas. Getting into this large of a school this early in my career can pave the way for really big things.

People from smaller high schools often don't get the career opportunities that others do.

I think I would probably always wonder what would have happened if I had went to Fayetteville.

[Revillusion1]

7. Sounds like you've already made your decision!

Congrats on the great new job! :thumbsup:

[ChoralScholar]

6. come on guys.. don't let this thread die just yet...

I'm still a bit torn... but your advice is great...

One kick for me.

[Flaxbee]

8. Hard choice.

Sounds like your current job is in Arkansas? Do you like your current job and the kids? Could you take the job in Fayetteville and somehow continue to stay in touch with the kids where you are, like doing a week or two exchange each semester with whomever your current school hires if you leave?

You need to follow your own career dreams, but you're also a teacher because you want to help kids.

I'm ignorant of school politics/policies, but maybe there could be a way you could have both, somehow. You leaving for the better job, but staying in touch/going back a few weeks a semester could be a good example for the kids, too: someone who leaves and succeeds following their dreams but doesn't forget "where they came from" so to speak.

[politicat]

9. From a musical high school kid who HAD 6 teachers in 4 years....

Go. Don't stay if you're going to be unhappy. The kids will notice and it will affect their own ability to learn.

My experience: I was in both band and orchestra - tenor sax and cello. Band was far more volatile than orchestra was for some reason.

My first band teacher my freshman year quit just before the end of marching season. It was painful, because as a group, it felt like we'd done something wrong. The woman who took over was great, and we ended up with a far more complete musical education because she came (1st teacher was a Music Ed with a minor in performance and 20 years experience; 2nd was a Music Performance with a minor in Education and earned most of her living as community symphony conductor. (medium small town...) It DOES make a difference.) Orchestra teacher didn't leave (she was also choir).

My family moved after my freshman year. 3rd director was strong on jazz and field performance, not so much on classical music and theory. Fortunately, orchestra teacher WAS strong in those and I had her for the next three years. But, after the second time we played the medley of Phantom, and the 3rd time of Les Mis.... I don't think I really learned much from her after my sophomore year. It was pretty much marking time till All-State and an excuse to enjoy my cello.

My junior year, 3rd director left, and 4th came in. She was not strong on field performance, but was dynamite on theory, classical performance, and - amazingly - rock and roll. She took the jazz band from something along the lines of a lounge act to something far more like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones (which was great fun in a small, Mormon town, not least because it drove the school board crazy, but was not something they had any reason to dislike other than visceral reactions.)

Senior year, 4th director took a job in the city, 5th director came in. He hated the small town - there is a problem being fairly obviously gay in a psycho-conservative Mormon town - and left at semester. He was great for field work and musicality, but didn't fit in the community. 6th director was the retired music teacher from the elementary school, who had no idea what to do with 90 hormonally-charged-and-no-where-to-go teenagers. My last semester of HS music was a waste.

When I got to college, though, it served me well. I had no problems working with multiple instructors, section leaders, and coaches and I had a good grasp of many different types of music education.

Sometimes continuity can be a bad thing.

Pcat

[hickman1937]

10. Stay. Thats what idealists do.

Unfortunatly, most idealists never get rich.