The Great Transition: Finding Your Teaching Path After Federal Job Loss

Recent federal government layoffs have created financial and career uncertainty for adjunct professors who rely on federal jobs to supplement their teaching income. Several states are implementing programs to help these workers transition into teaching careers while addressing critical shortages in education.

• Maryland has created alternative pathways and streamlined certification programs for federal workers transitioning to education
• New York anticipates needing 180,000 teachers in the next decade and offers certification, preparation, and mentorship
• Indiana's Ball State University provides flexible online coursework for professionals seeking teaching licenses
• Florida actively matches former federal employees with educational institutions facing staffing shortages
• Don't give up hope – focus on creating an action plan to move forward
• Consider various educational roles from K-12 to post-secondary teaching or EdTech development
• Leverage your federal experience in leadership, communication, and teaching
• Contact your state education department about certification programs
• Reach out to your alma mater for career transition support
• Explore entrepreneurial opportunities like creating courses at community colleges

If you found value in our discussion, please subscribe, share and leave a review. Your feedback helps us continue supporting adjunct educators and those transitioning into this educating space.

Until next time, keep grading, keep growing, and keep making a difference in your students' lives.

Dr. Rutledge

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Federal Layoff Crisis
• 1:10 State Programs Supporting Career Transitions
• 3:37 Practical Tips for Navigating Change
• 8:12 Leveraging Skills and Finding Resources
• 9:56 Finding Value Beyond Your Job

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to Grading Papers, the podcast dedicated to supporting and empowering adjunct professors. I'm your host, dr Randi Anita Rutledge, a 14-year adjunct professor, and I am thrilled to be on this journey with you. On today's episode, we're diving into a pressing topic the recent layoffs in the federal government and their impact their direct impact on part-time adjunct professors. Many adjuncts rely on their federal jobs to supplement income and are now facing increased financial and career uncertainty. First, I want to acknowledge the emotional strain this situation brings. Job loss can be incredibly challenging, especially when compounded by the uncertainties inherent in adjunct teaching roles. Thankfully, several states are stepping up to support these federal workers, the ones who have been recently laid off. They're creating pathways so they can transition into teaching careers, helping them to address significant teaching shortages across the nation. Here are a few of the notable examples. First, I want to call out Maryland. They have implemented alternative pathways and streamlined certification programs specifically designed for career changers, and these include federal workers, easing the transition into educational rules, and I want to applaud them for that, because this is what you call governorship by situation. Governorship by situation. Their governor is creating a way to assist the residents of Maryland understanding what's going on, understanding the impact to about 10,000 people in their state and moving swiftly to create alternatives for them and give them resources to support them. I'd like to also call out New York. New York anticipates a need for 180,000 teachers over the next decade and has developed initiatives like TNYC, and these initiatives help to provide certification, preparation, mentorship and workshops to help transition professionals into teaching. Another state is Indiana. They're offering Ball State University's Transition to Teaching program, and this program is providing flexible online coursework tailored for professionals looking to become licensed secondary educators. And when you think about it, there could be another tsunami of layoffs when it comes to the Department of Education. But the education does have an agenda, and that agenda could include pushing most of the teaching to the state level. So this is going to be good that states are coming in and providing workers with these transitioning pathways. Florida actively supports career transitions through their workforce programs. They're matching professionals, and these professionals include former federal employees, with educational institutions facing staffing shortages. So what can you do right now? Here are some practical tips to navigate this transition.

Speaker 1: 3:42

First of all, don't give up hope. Oftentimes I know you probably hear the cliche. You know things happen for a reason, this has a purpose or whatever. But I would challenge you to look at this from another perspective. Of course, something has been taken from you and you feel it on so many emotional levels, and just the anxiety and the what I call psychological warfare that is happening to the federal employees at this time. There is nothing that could prepare you for this and there is nothing that can take away the grief that you're going to feel, except for if you can institute different types of tactics to help you along the way. And when I say that is, don't sit down and become sedentary and just get in a thought loop about what's happening to you. If you have mental health issues and you can't help yourself from that, then I ask you to seek assistance, to get the help that you need, so that you can come out of the thought loop and that you can exit the emotional turmoil that you're feeling and that you can see light and create a pathway of action so that you can feel yourself moving towards the remedy.

Speaker 1: 5:06

You have a strong network and you also have skills that are transferable. Seek out ways to transition and transfer those skills into areas of education, whether that be creating ed tech tools, whether that be teaching in grammar school or post-secondary school or high school, find your place. Think about the curiosity that you have. Think about things. Maybe you always wanted to be a teacher, even if it's a kindergarten teacher or head start teacher. Think about how you could transition into a place of service, but in a different space right now, and then take those thoughts and create a plan and goals and let those goals and that plan feel your motivation and your momentum and you'll feel that you are still valuable and you have worth and you still have something to give, some service to give right. So explore state resources. I know that I mentioned four states, but explore your state and resources. If you have to go to the unemployment area, ask them about the resources, think about their network and pose certain questions that you have and see who can assist you. Visit your state education department website and learn about the valuable certification programs so you can transition and see what transition support they have For your school, your alma mater. Contact them, contact the career services area and their advising area and see where you can fit in or if they have initiatives that you could come in, even if it means volunteering to get your frame of mind to shift and focus, and from there you may find a place that you can land there.

Speaker 1: 7:12

Highlight your skills. Leverage your federal experience in leadership, in communication, even teaching. If you've done webinars, if you've created content, if you've created blueprints and workbooks and teaching aids, and if you've done conventions and research, find a way to leverage your experience. Your experience is valuable and your skills are highly sought after in this educational space. Connect with networks. Reach out to your state and see what educational organizations and support groups there are. Talk to the Chamber of Commerce and even the Small Business Administration and see if there are small businesses that work in education that need skills in leadership and communication that you have. And look at online forums for resources and mentorship and community support. And that reminds me, seek out your community college, because these resources that you have, in this knowledge, you may be able to create a course in the non-credit area that you can get revenue from.

Speaker 1: 8:36

Start out with things that you know how to do and think about ways that you can move into a space, even if that means a little entrepreneurship.

Speaker 1: 8:46

Remember, while change can be daunting and it can be, for certain, emotionally draining and you might find yourself trying to withdraw and not want to go out and talk to people, maybe not want to get out of the bed or get dressed or brush your teeth because you've been hit with a gut punch, and I understand it.

Speaker 1: 9:09

But remember your life is valuable. Who you are is valuable and you're more than your job and you're more than even your skills. You are a human that was put here with a certain purpose and you have skills and abilities and talents and as long as you live, we in humanity need you. We need what you have to give. We need your contribution. Don't you ever forget that and remember that what you have to give, it can open up doors to new and rewarding opportunities in teaching and in other spaces. I thank you for joining us today on this episode of Reading Papers. If you found value in our discussion, please subscribe and share and leave a review. Your feedback helps us continue supporting adjunct educators and even those transitioning into this educating space. Until next time, keep grading, keep growing and keep inspiring your students.