Today I got a letter from my school district warning me that my teaching credential expires in 1 week and that I need to get hot on getting it renewed. Since it takes 2 weeks to renew, I'll have to go fill out a request of a temporary credential and have a negative comment noted on my evaluation in the Professional Responsibilities category.
Of course this letter prompted a few questions.
1. If the district can (and in fact does!) track this, why don't they send me an email a month or so before my credential expires? They obviously keep better track of this than I do, as I thought I had another year on this credential.
2. I love the evaluation dig. I'm forced to wonder how professional it is for them to watch me get this close to not having a credential, only to warn me past a reasonable time. Would they have me treat a student that way, perhaps on a timed test--watch the student screw up a problem, and then when there's 1 minute left until the bell rings, point out the error?
3. Am I really unprofessional for not knowing when my once-in-5-years credential expires? Quick, when does your drivers license expire? The DMV sends me notices--well in advance!--each year, so that my car's registration is always up to date, and every 4 years or so they send me one about my drivers license. The county sends me a notice about my property taxes well in advance of the due date each year. Hm, I wonder why these agencies do this, but it's too much effort to expect my school district to send me an email a few weeks in advance.
I'm not trying to shed responsibility here. I know that it's my credential and that I must have it renewed. I'm disappointed, though, that my school district chooses to needle and threaten rather than remind and assist.
2 comments:
I can appreciate the problem. I had something comparable with my Ohio driver's license.
Auto-two months warning etc. Not to mention you can see the color sticker every time you are walking past the rear of the car.
Driver's license- a post card after the fact, and even after the no late fee time. (We renew every 4 years) Irked me about the late fee.
Darren, I can sympathize with you that your district office pogues should have sent out the notice earlier. I mean, if they are going to take the time to send out a notice at all, why not do it so the employee has time to react and complete the action by the deadline? Helpful they are not.
On the other hand, attention to detail my friend. We had that drilled into our heads. No, I do not know what year my driver's license expires. However, I know it expires on my birthday. So I have a mental note to myself, each year as I realize my birthday is getting close, I pull out my license and see if this is the year.
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