Seeking a New Position

For some reason known only to the administration, I am teaching remedial reading this year. This is after three very successful years of teaching English II Honors. Now I'm a company man and I believe they had a reason for asking me to do this, but to tell you the truth this just is not a good mix. One of the reasons I'm such an effective teacher that I can serve as a model for my students. In my honors classes, this was because I was a college teacher and could give them advice for going to college as well as improving their English skills. It didn't matter that I was in a wheelchair or that I was overweight – in fact, I was able to use those negative characteristics as positive traits, the fact that I was as successful as I was despite my hindrances. But in a reading class, I don't project any sort of success – "Hey, kids, I'm a great reader. See my wheelchair and my extra weight? That's because I read so much!"  It just doesn't have any effect.

So at the beginning of this year, I decided that I would try to get a teaching position at the performing arts school which is connected to the high school at which I teach. The person who was the principal for the past three years had left (I never really got a good feeling about him), and I knew that they had built a Creative Writing lab a couple years ago but that they had not staffed the position. My understanding is that they were not allocated the funds to open that unit. But I figured, nothing ventured, nothing gained – I would wait until November or so and then contact the new principal to ask what needed to be done to get that program underway.I have not yet done anything about that – it still only October – but yesterday my beloved principal told us that she had applied for a county position and might be leaving us.I went by her office after school today, told her my intentions, and asked if she would give the principal at that school a glowing recommendation of me. She said that she certainly was, and she informed me that the SAC meeting the previous week the arts school had been given the opportunity to open that unit in creative writing. So the stars are aligning and the time is right.

I am writing a letter to him right now, indicating my interest in this position and trying to convince them that I am the right person for this job. I am at a bit of a crossroads, however.  This is essentially a cover letter for a resume, so my natural instinct tells me to be very formal. But this is an arts school, so my other instincts are telling me to be creative. I also know the principal – not close and personal, but we have talked before and he knows my name - so I just don't know which way to go.