Greetings:

After thirty-seven and a half years year with the New York City public school system, yesterday -- June 18, 2009 -- was my last day of work. I ended exactly as I began, as a per diem substitute teacher. I spent yesterday morning watching a room of high school students take their New York State Regents Examinations in English, and I spent the afternoon grading some of their papers. That isn't very exciting work, but excitement is something I can do without at my age.

Over the year I rose from per diem substitute to full time classroom teacher. Later I became a unit coordinator, sort of a foreman who was relieved of some of his teaching duties to do administrative work. As my career continued I became a teacher trainer, then a member of the development team for a new high school, a school based director of special programs, an assistant principal, and eventually a district based supervisor of special education. I worked in an office rather than a school, and classroom teaching had become a distant memory. Then in 2003 the school system underwent reorganization and I was laid off.

Rather than face either demotion or unemployment, I put in my papers for retirement and started collecting a pension. I also found various part time jobs within the public school system. Most recently I have been working at the school I helped found in 1993. At first they paid me as a per diem assistant principal at $308 a day for up to forty days per school year. Then, with budget cuts throughout the system this past September, the principal said he could only pay me as a per diem teacher at $154 a day for doing essentially the same work, which was supervising the creation of individualized educational plans for students with disabilities. I decided to accept the 50% pay cut and tough it out for one more year.

I turned 62 past February and became eligible to receive early Social Security payments. That's when I told the principal I would be calling it quits at the end of the current school year. The term officially ends next Friday, but that's only to hand out report cards and next year's programs. There are no more classes and no more exams. Thus, I am no longer needed.

Shall I call the story of my career Rise and Fall, or does that sound too melodramatic? :-)

--- Steve