It’s Official!
On June 30, 2025, I will officially retire as a public school educator. I write this with mixed emotions and a bit of trepidation. I feel like once this post is published, it will be officially official. I'm not ready to retire. Am I really old enough? It's crazy! Retirement has always seemed so far away.
I must say that the last 41 years have been amazing and I am really enjoying my current position as a Certificated Learning & Achievement Specialist in Santa Ana Unified School District. While I miss being in the classroom and forming close connections with my students, I love my role in supporting teachers, facilitating professional development, and providing one-on-one support. I work in an office with some truly amazing educators who provide behind-the-scenes, and often front-and-center support to students, teachers, and parents. But the golden handshake offered by my district was too good to pass up. So I am retiring. But I will always be an educator.
So you might be wondering what my plans are after July 1st. I can honestly say that I'm not sure. I have a few other projects I hope to continue working on focused on Generative AI in education and student-centered instruction. I will also continue my involvement in OCCUE and EduProtocols and I hope to expand my consulting work to additional schools and districts (since I will have more free time.) If you are reading this, you probably know me personally or have attended a training or presentation I have done. Or perhaps you've seen my videos on YouTube or listened to my podcast. Regardless of how you got here, thank you. I am not a big sharer on social media. As a general rule, I just quietly do the work I am passionate about. But I have decided that it is time to share my story.
When I announced my retirement to the family, my son's girlfriend suggested that I chronicle the wrap-up of my public school teaching career. I wasn't sure (and I'm still not sure) why anyone might want to read this but then I remembered Lynette White reminding me that it is important to share our stories, even if it is only for ourselves. Inspired by Adam Molar, who reflects weekly in his blog Moler's Musings, I plan to share my lasts and my firsts, chronicling and reflecting. So I am writing this for me. If anyone else chooses to join me on this journey from public school employee to free-lance educator, that's just a bonus. So five months and counting…
