Remember that job interview I had a while back, before we left to come to San Antonio? The phone interview went great. The principal seemed really interested and then called me back a week later asking if I was still interested in the position. Sounds good, right? She said that she wanted all the new people to come in and meet with the priest so we scheduled a time for that to happen the day after I got into town. I showed up at the school dressed up, not in a full-on interview suit but dressed up. Dressy capris, heels and a jacket. I thought I was hired, I thought I was meeting the priest. Nope, I was interviewing again with the principal, 2 teachers and (in the priest’s place), the president of the parents’ council. It would’ve been nice if I’d known I was interviewing again so I could’ve worn my suit. Anyway, I was asked all the same questions again that the principal asked me over the phone and I gave the same answers. I thought I was doing good until I accidentally mentioned that Ryan had been deployed to Iraq and my faith got me through the 14 month deployment (I was being asked about how my faith is a part of who I am). I saw the parents’ council lady write “Husband military?” at the top of my resume’. Well you might as well have stuck a fork in me then because it was all over. I left feeling like crap and then got an email on Saturday telling me that I wouldn’t be hired. Yep, we’re military, damn it. My address on my resume’ says Ft. Benning and we moved to friggin’ “Military City USA” and your school is the closest one to the Army post in town. Don’t act shocked to find out an applicant is a military wife. I’m sick and freakin’ tired of being discriminated against because we’re military. Schools need to get it through their thick skulls that there are a lot of military wives that are teachers. It’s a nice, portable career for women who get dragged from pillar to post every 3 years. Grr…I’m really frustrated. I thought I had it all secured until this load of crap got put in my lap.
. . . .
In other news, does anyone know what kind of plant this is?
The color of the flowers didn’t show up well, the flowers are purple. I saw them all over my parents’ neighborhood in landscaping and I just love them and would like to see if they’d grow here. So, any thoughts on what it might be?
May 31, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Oh I’m so sorry. You are 100% right in your frustration — it almost sounds like an elitist attitude from the school against the “military” people in town. Unreal. Freakin’ unreal at this time in our country. I’m so sorry.
As for the plant — maybe society garlic??
May 31, 2009 at 8:02 pm
That’s awful!
May 31, 2009 at 8:03 pm
And, the plant is Agapanthus.
June 1, 2009 at 8:32 am
Did you out and out ask them if that was the reason?? Maybe they have hired military wives before and they’ve up and had to leave or just left when their husbands deploy (I’ve seen that many times). Maybe they were worried that if he did deploy again your mind wouldn’t be 100% on the job?? I think you should ask them and if you were truly discriminated against..sue their asses.
Plus, let them know if they don’t want to hire military wives they should put a disclaimer somewhere….so that you don’t waste your valuable time.
June 1, 2009 at 9:43 am
OMG. I had forgotten that part of being a military wife. I’m so sorry they missed out on a great teacher.
The flowers are Agapanthus or Lily of the Nile. They like lots of sun. We have them in the back yard at My Ranchburger.
June 1, 2009 at 10:49 am
Agapanthus – that’s the flower.
That sounds pretty discrimanatory – the no miltary wives. They didn’t even ask how long you might be there just wrote you off like that? Sucks!!! What’s the next plan. I know you’ll be fine because you are like that but it is infuriating, not to mention totally unfair!
June 1, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I agree with Wanda. I would inquire as to why I was not hired; perhaps in the guise of how I could improve my chances for the next time. If it really was discriminatory then I would sue. Not sure if it is available, but is there a resource center where you are for military families? They might be able to direct you to an even better job, or other resources.
June 1, 2009 at 10:48 pm
WHAT?! Why wouldn’t anyone hire a military spouse? I’m quite incredulous! That just doesn’t make sense at all. Your response was perfectly respectable.
June 9, 2009 at 1:11 pm
The agapanthus doesn’t grow very well in San Antonio, although I’ve seen it. Houston, California, different dirt and different weather. I think most people here (SA) bend over backwards to accomodate military. I hope you misread that person. I’m sure the rest of your experiences will be more positive. We KNOW hard hard it is to hold a family together while your family holds our country together.