A Five Thousand Dollar Consolation Prize.

Denied. Well almost. I applied for the position of school director (SD) at the TFA summer institute. The job normally goes to third years with previous institute experience, but since I walk with a swagger I figured I’d shoot from the half court line and make the goal. Wrong. The shot missed and was tipped in by someone else; I was placed on a waitlist for the position. The odds of me getting the job are slim. The applicant pool is highly qualified and filled with individuals who want the post, so the likelihood of someone reneging their commitment are virtually nonexistent.

Thus I applied for a Corps Member Advisor (CMA) position. This role is a tiny step forward on the hierarchical ladder of closing the achievement gap. The CMA has the charge of teaching the incoming college students how to teach and is the typical institute position of second years. I submitted my application, received a confirmation, and then never received an offer or rejection for an interview. My swagger was stopped dead in its tracks. I figured I was a sure win for this role and here I was now praying my application had not simply been discarded.

I followed up with institute staff. Out of character, they did not send a prompt response. Uh-oh. My current plans hinge on summer work. This evening I spoke with the head of institute. She apologized for not having contacted me earlier and offered me a CMA position based on the strength of my candidacy for the SD role. Score! No interview, no worries, and employed for the summer. She told me the chances of an SD job becoming available are unlikely, but I will remain on the waitlist. So here I have it, my $5,000 consolation prize. Not bad.