Her ability to leave the state office “walls” made it impossible for her to offer support throughout the state, that districts needed. I also found this department to be the most political department in the state office. Check out the attrition rate in that department in the past three years. Politics runs rampant in the curriculum department and the superintendents office, and I can see why legislators want to shut down the offices and demand justification of time spent. The problem is that the secretary’s and specialists are the true support for districts. Secretaries are bumped from one specialist to another every few months. Just when they learn their jobs, they are pulled for no reason and given to other specialists. Instead, look at the coordinators in the curriculum department, the director and the assistant superintendent and see if they truly help districts when it comes to training, support and best practice.

The state office of education curriculum department has the reputation that it truly deserves and unless there is some outstanding leadership hired in the superintendent’s position, it will continue to remain the joke of the state in the districts eyes. When I went to work at the state office, people asked why I would take a step down, both in salary and in reputation. When I visited districts, I was told that they were so happy to finally have support and someone knowledgeable in my position, but that they knew I would not stay, as great people add to the attrition as they cannot take the politics in this office. They were right. I fell to attrition and have never been happier being away from the control, the politics and the lack of support that I felt from my coordinator.

Velma, I wish you happiness and success. You are better than what you received and you were not supported, encouraged and you still made the best of it. At the end of the day, you can look at yourself in the mirror and know that you are a great educator, so leave the losers behind with the low paying jobs that they must retire to afford to work in, and begin looking to shine in your own capacity. The districts truly know you and they know the curriculum department, so hold your head high, move forward and keep smiling.

There were a few others “like us” while I worked in the curriculum department. I felt each of us experienced pressure to leave, resign, etc. Our new, innovative, and research backed ways of teaching were always challenged. Because we were young, I felt we were perceived as less knowledgeable in our content areas. I lost count of how many times I was asked “whose secretary are you?”.

Taking that curriculum specialist position was frustrating and a hugely disappointing career move. I left that job on my own accord, and I wound up leaving education all together. I also left with this new perspective that the majority of problems in our schools can be blamed on the politics at the State Office of Education.

I have no doubt Velma’s dismiss was purely political and as a result the state’s students and the science programs in our schools are going to suffer. It is quite sad and I wish Velma the best moving forward.