Your rationale for making a career change from Information Technology to
Academic Technology certainly warrants serious consideration. As you
know, I've made the change you are contemplating.=20
[Has anyone else out there done this and how did it go?]
It went very well, but the transition, like most, was disruptive to my
life. While I very much wanted to make the change, I certainly felt a
sense of loss for a period of time, even though I was grooming an
internal successor. This year is the second year of the new role and I
feel I have made the transition and will not look back. It was difficult
for the community to stop going to me after developing confidence and
respect over those first 14 years, but the abilities of my successor
have ultimately made the transition easier.
[Would doing this be considered a step down or across?
Would/should I expect a pay decrease?]
Who cares how it's considered if your happy doing what you do? Steps up
and down are part of an early 20th century bureaucratic model of the
organization and the state. I'm sure many of my peers viewed this move
as a step down, but I viewed it a step away from activities that were
not fulfilling my personal goals and not utilizing my strengths to
improve the school. The move was a step to spending more time with kids
(isn't that what schools are all about?) and trying to grapple with the
teaching and learning issues of the 21st century, a tall order.
Yes, I understandably took a pay cut (going on the faculty compensation
scale), but at this stage of my life (52), I think I have the notion of
wealth in perspective. I wouldn't be in education if my goal was to get
rich. I'm not certain a pay cut has to be part of this change.
[Do your Tech Integration Specialists out there work a 10 month teacher
contract or a 12 month staff contract?]
We have a category for Administrative Faculty that has me working a
longer year than teaching faculty (like deans, college counselors,
etc.), but still provides me with a month of vacation time in the
summer. Jane, I would not assume that your workload will be reduced even
though your duties may change significantly.
Joel
_________________________________
Joel Backon
Director of Academic Technology / History Teacher
Choate Rosemary Hall
333 Christian St.
Wallingford, CT 06492
203-697-2514
=20
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators
[mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Jane Baker
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 1:21 PM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Thoughts on Job Switch?
Hello Colleagues,
I am wondering if any of you have wrestled with the possibility of
changing job titles/duties? I am considering a move from Director of
Technology to Integrations Specialist if the powers will allow.
My questions are these,=20
has anyone else out there done this and how did it go?
would doing this be considered a step down or across?
would/should I expect a pay decrease?
do you Tech Integration Specialists out there work a 10 month
teacher
contract or a 12 month staff contract?
My reasons for thinking about this in case that helps with advice are
the
following.
i would like to spend more time with my two young and (1) health
challenged children.=20
summers off would rock
i find that being Director has made me type in bulleted lists
too much.
tech integration is what I love, being the director was the only
choice
when i started here.
Any other thoughts on this would be greatly valued. =20
Thanks for all your thoughts on the matter, as always.
Jane Baker
Director of Technology
The Putney School
Putney, VT 056346
http://www.putneyschool.org
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