My letter of resignation to Columbus City Schools

I wanted to share this because I think it articulates some of the reasons I came here to Korea.

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June 24, 2011

Mrs. Edie Cramer

270 E. State St.

Columbus, OH 43215

Dear Mrs. Cramer,

I write to you to tender my resignation from the Columbus City Schools.  I resign not because of dissatisfaction nor from difficulty, but rather out of fear for the future.  Going through the 211 process and seeing that I was at the bottom of the totem pole, living through Senate Bill 5 and worrying about its possible implications, seeing the changes being made in STRS, and still not knowing exactly what the state budget will do have caused me to consider working in a teaching environment with more job security. 

I know that I will always work in education, but I know that I do not need to be a martyr because of it.  I have spoken with several veteran teachers to carefully weigh my options, and the vast majority have agreed that seeking out a teaching position away from the consternation that our profession is undergoing and the budgetary threat that puts not just a young teacher, but a teacher especially in a field considered non-essential (by legislators anyways) like the arts at risk of losing their job.

While it is true that Columbus was able to come up with a great position for me at the end of all of this, the worrying and uncertainty was not lost on me either.  I worry that even if I did take the position offered, that I would lose it to another interview round next year, and even if I should happen to retain the position, that one year later, when contract renegotiation comes up, I would find myself still at the bottom of the totem pole.

Perhaps I am being overly pessimistic – I certainly hope I am proven wrong – but in the end, even though it is my life’s mission to serve and teach others, I must also make sure that I am serving and protecting myself.  I hate how selfish this sounds but I hate even more that I have been put into this position by the vitriol towards the teaching profession.

It is my hope that my international teaching experience will broaden my teaching credentials and make me an even better educator and education advocate so that when I return to the United States and maybe one day Columbus City Schools, I will have an extraordinary wealth of knowledge and experiences to share with my students.

I thank you and the district so very much for all of the opportunities and support I have been afforded and I wish the district and our state the very best of luck in striking down the anti-education rhetoric and legislation that is dominating our political landscape at the moment.

Sincerely,

Andrew M. Goldie

On the Verge of a New Chapter

It has been almost an entire year since my last post and much has transpired in the interlude.  Most of you reading this blog know me, so I will spare the details, but for those of you who need catching up; I spent this past year teaching instrumental music at Fort Hayes Arts & Academic High School in the Columbus City School district.  I landed the position almost by accident and almost didn't take the position because I had an offer in Seoul, South Korea.  Fate it seems, is not without a sense of irony.

Fast forward to today - a year later, having lost my position to seniority and finding my very employment at jeopardy from state-wide budget cuts and anti-teacher legislation, I am pursuing the position I had been offered in Seoul.  It was an extraordinarily difficult decision to make.  I took weeks to decide as new possibilities would come and go in the Columbus area.  It's funny - I feel like I've never appreciated and enjoyed all Columbus has to offer as much as I have this year.  It's also a shame, because I had really started to develop my network and was highly involved in the music scene making headway with a number of different organizations and ensembles.

But unlike last year's rantings of indecision and uncertainty, I know this is the right decision for me, however difficult the initial transition will be.  I know that I will be able to save a lot more, I know that I will be able to live an adventurous lifestyle without going bankrupt, I know that I will be challenged mentally every day living day in and out in a foreign land, I know that I will be able to focus on me - both my mental and physical health, I know that I will be continuing to serve others, I know that I will have job security, and I know that despite the unorthodox manner in which I have begun my professional life, I am still moving the ball forward, albeit in a direction I had not anticipated.

In this respect, I am completely fine, satisfied, excited, relieved, and happy to be heading off into this new stage of my life.  In my decision to relocate to Seoul, I have told myself that I am making at least a two-year commitment.  Partly because I need to have a year where I'm not moving at all! (Haha!) But also because a move this substantial should necessitate staying for a while.  Lord knows I've paid enough between baggage, moving my things from my apartment back home, and all the visa and communication fees - easily over a grand by now.

This level of commitment does not come without cost though, and in this respect, I speak not of money.  As with my time in Shanghai, I am sacrificing my friendships and family time - relationships I cherish dearly and will greatly miss.  Fortunately my company has a mandatory month-long vacation that is to be taken during my contract period.  I'm hoping that I can return for Christmas, but that will remain to be seen.

So what am I going to be doing in the Hermit Kingdom?  I will be teaching college students and corporate executives English so that they may either work or study in English speaking countries.  My company, Pagoda, was established in 1969 and is the oldest and most well respected private English institution in the country.  There are several branches in Seoul of which I will be working in the Jongro district which is in the heart of the city.  The Jongro branch is actually the original Pagoda office and continues to have the second highest rate of enrollment after the Gangnam branch, on the South side of the Han river (which intersects Seoul) which is the financial district.

I am hoping to live near an area called Hongdae which is a major university area.  I'm not yet completely familiar with the area or the university scene - but I think there are 3-4 universities established in the Hongdae area - I know for certain one is a women's college and the other is an arts school which contributes to a vibrant arts and music scene in the area (the reason for which I want to live there).  Fortunately, it seems knowing people has its advantages. 

My friend Matt, who I was an RA with in Scott Hall my junior year (his senior year) at Miami married a Korean girl this past December who has family all over Seoul.  It turns out her uncle is looking to rent out not just some small dinky apartment which is the vast majority of tenable property in Seoul - but a 4 room house!  The price is exceptional since I'm a friend of the family!  Matt and I are going to go take a look at it this weekend and see how accessible the house will be to the subway.  My understanding is that it is very close to Hongdae (one subway stop away? I don't know since I'm somewhere over North Dakota without access to internet at the moment).

Anyways, I'm one meal and four hours into this 14 hour flight, and looking forward to getting things started.  I arrive 4pm local time on Monday and then have training all week long.  It will be long, but I'm ready for anything and ready to get started.

Updates and pictures soon.

Until then, 안녕히 계세요! (Annyeonghee Gyeesaeyo! Korean way of saying goodbye meaning "Good bye and Stay in Peace")

***International Flight Critique:

As I boarded the aircraft in Chicago, I looked around in horror at all of the babies and children.  Those of you familiar with my other international flight horror stories will appreciate this.  As it turns out, I was nowhere near any children or babies! Huzzah!  Further more, Asiana has nice seats, great service, and pretty good food.  I will definitely be flying this airline again! 11 hours down, 3 to go!  Get ready Seoul, cuz here I come...!

***Safe and Sound

In posting this - you now have proof that I am safe and sound in Seoul.  Sipping an inced vanilla late and munching on some flat bread pizza while I acclimate myself in Tom n' Tom's (Seoul's Starbucks competitor) in the Hongdae area I described above...  Lots of young ladies here from the women's college... it's a rough life so far...

Dragon Boat Festival Vacation

Here is my trip to Nanning, China; Hanoi, Vietnam; and the Detian Waterfalls in southern China.  Enjoy!

What to do?

Sorry for that little rant last post.  I've cooled down a bit, but I'm still just as anxious about what comes next.  I think I realize now that my problem is; I still don't know what I want to do yet.  I took an online test recently that told me I'm center minded (verses left or right brained).  It turns out that this is both a valuable asset and a tragic explanation for my current situation.  Being of balanced brain is good for the obvious reason that you can combine creativity and logic relatively easily - thinking outside of the box while also thinking rationally - and look at things from multiple angles. 

However, it also gives me insights into the many different directions my future could take which is its greatest weakness - that I am so paralyzed by decision because I can see each of them being equally valuable and/or fallible.  So yes - I have created a vast amount of opportunity for myself, but I couldn't possibly begin to decide what to do with it.

I think the biggest problem is, I am thinking four or five steps ahead instead of whats coming next, but I'm such a planner that it is difficult for me to think otherwise - thanks Dad - I'm too calculated now!

I don't know what to do.  I think being overseas is actually hurting my job hunt back home because I cannot be immediately reached by phone should an interview come along, but I think being home wouldn't be a lot better.  It's hard to tell.  I do have a standing offer to teach in Seoul, so that's something.


Another problem:  I want more.  Not money, though that would be nice and would actually help what I want, so maybe money is what I want...  No - what I want more of is knowledge.  I want to study international diplomacy, I want to study economics, I want to study law, I want to study more music... I want MORE!

But how can I possibly do that?  I'll be in debt forever, but I will feel enlightened and probably have much better job prospects.  I think this explains, partially, why eventually I would really like to teach at the University level, so that I can always pursue knowledge - a little self-serving, but I think for the right reasons it's forgivable, right?

Anyways - enough self-analysis.  What about travel!?!  I will be visiting the capital of the Guangxi Autonomous Region, Nanning, starting on Monday.  From there, I will be visiting the Detian Waterfalls, the Chinese version of the leaning tower of Pisa, and on into Vietnam by way of the Pingxiang Friendship Pass.  It will be a full week of exploring, and I am very excited.  Pictures/youtube video to follow!

Anyways, its way past my bedtime here, so I will sign off here and hope that things are well with you and yours!

Until next time, Zai jian!

Anxiety is an Uncertain Future

So... It's almost June and I have no idea what the hell I'm doing next year.  Great.  I've spent an entire year out of college and I still have no direction...  I've been sending out lots of applications all over the country (Ohio, Texas, Massachusetts, New York, and Maryland) and all over China and South Korea.  As much as China has been great, I'm ready to come home, or at least go somewhere that isn't so backwards.  I guess what it all comes down to, is that I'm just frustrated at the world right now. 

The job situation is grim at best, I see morons doing jobs I could be doing far better and making 10 times what I make, but I'm stuck in the doldrums because I actually care about someone other than myself, when I do find job openings, the bureaucratic red tape I have to get through is such a long and exhausting process that I am often only ever able to write one or two applications a day (if at all), a recent NY Times article showed that for every teaching position open there are often hundreds (sometimes thousands) of applicants, if I wanted to go back to school I would have to send myself deeper into debt and that's assuming I got into school again, because so many people are trying to go to school to avoid the miserable job market.... AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I hate that money has become such a large consideration in my life.  I need to start paying off loans in December, and I really need to be saving for the future, whatever that turns out to be.  Speaking of which, I'm also tired of being single.  It's been three years.  I know I'm a little hefty, but come on! I'm reasonably intelligent, can hold a good conversation, cook, appreciate the arts, music, fine wines, I write music, and teach children for a living.  So far as I know that's a pretty good list...

So I guess in that respect, I'm kind of sick of the world's bullshit.  This world has become so materialistic and fake.  I hate that all anybody ever does on the weekend is go out and hit the bars.  I feel like its such a waste, but what are my other options?  Sure, I could go see some live music, but that always occurs at a bar, and very few people I know are willing to sit down and listen to music.  I'm sure there are plenty of things to do in this city, but I feel trapped by language and financial barriers that prevent me from being able to enjoy them.  I would love to be able to stay in and cook on the weekend, but without spending a lot of money I can't.  I haven't been able to write music for a long time either which is another annoyance and a hindrance to my future.

Do I sound frustrated yet?  Sorry to rant, but part of me just can't wait to get the hell out of here.  The only problem is, once I do, unless there's a job waiting on the other end, I'm just going to be sitting around.  F*&k