Pink Slip Pity Parties

It was one of those weeks where I have been incredibly conflicted by the emotions flying through me. On Tuesday, I was officially handed my pink slip along with huge packet of information from the district office. I was a little offended that the pink slip was not actually "pink." It was a white paper hiding inside of a huge envelope full of other papers. All this anticipation! Things are not looking good as far as having a job next year.

State Superintendent David Sanchez left a message on my telephone saying that over 18,000 teachers in California will be laid-off at the end of this school year. It's a weird feeling to "be" one of those numbers. In protest of the huge budget cuts to our educational system, Pink Friday was thrown together by Sacramento educator representatives. Multiple rallies and protests were help all over the state to bring awareness to the crisis facing our educational system and kids. Though I didn't attend one of those rallies, my incredible staff put together a "Pink Slip Pajama Pity Party" for the 5 of us at my school that received pink slips.

The party kicked off after school and one of my teammates houses. I was promptly "pinked" when I walked in the door with a pink boa and crown. We had a night of good friends, kareoke, food, and definitely a drink to drown our sorrows. The five of us were also presented with an "emergency kit" stuffed with grocery store, gas, movie, and pizza gift certificates for the tough times.

So why have a party on a terrible day? We decided that it was better to rally around each other, showing our support, and enjoy each other's company rather that simply be blue every day. We still have two months of school together. I am so blessed to work at a school where the staff truly is more of a family than co-workers. I had a wonderful time last night and sang the night away, laughed harder than I have in a long time, and enjoyed the company of my "family" for the last four years. Today, it's back to applying for jobs across the entire USA, back to reality. But I can step forward into today knowing that I am loved and cared for.