Most people I know with doctorates in rhetoric are not teaching within a tenure-track appointment. After nine years, I admit that I’m not going to be a tenured professor, either. I completed the doctorate in 2010 and the best post I had was as a visiting assistant teaching professor.
Migrating away from higher education back to K12 was a decision made for me, and that’s okay. I was going to return to K12 before a Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) university offered me a full-time contract for 2018-19. I had completed everything to start substituting in local schools, and was going to work on clearing a PA credential in math/science with a special ed add-on.
The experience at the university wasn’t horrible… but it reminded me that university posts with security are rare. Working year-to-year teaching whatever the admin needs to fill isn’t a good career path.
To those contingent faculty I know and admire, I cannot do what you do. I admire your dedication and your focus, but this wasn’t the path I had in mind when I completed the doctorate.
That’s not to say one is better than the other, but the chances for some job security are higher in the K12 community than at a university.
After grades are filed, I’ll study full-time for the math and science middle school credential renewal. Then, I can add-on those credentials matching my graduate degrees. But, I’m thinking it would be a nice fit to stay on the STEM track.
Hoping I can trigger the lost memories of math and science before July or August.