Help Me Decide

[Rizowe]

I currently work for an elementary school. This is our last year in our current building. I have the option to either go to the new elementary school or the new middle school. The elem school would have around 300 of my current kids and 12-14 of our teachers. The new middle school is closer to my home & my child would go there in 2 years. I have never worked at a middle school. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my RN. She's fabulous! If I go to the new middle school, I wouldn't really know anyone or any of the kids. The RN wouldn't be the one I love so much. BUT, my child would be at my school in two years. My heart wants to be with my kids, but my head is telling me to go to the middle school to be closer to my child. Any thoughts?

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

there is a lot to be said about a short commute and in the same school as your kids - both are very beneficial. On the other hand - being that close to the school and working there can be a little daunting to some. You are constantly in the public eye. If you are the type that can shrug it off if you are spotted in a store buying beer or out to dinner having drinks and spotted by students or parents then I say go for it.

[Amethya]

If you know the other students better, I would go for that one, because you know them and you are more beneficial.

[AdobeRN]

You are constantly in the public eye. If you are the type that can shrug it off if you are spotted in a store buying beer or out to dinner having drinks and spotted by students or parents then I say go for it.

This is probably the only thing I hate about working & living in the same neighborhood. Hate to say it but there are some families I do not want to run into while out and about - I have been known to cut my grocery shopping short or pretend I am on my phone if I run into certain families. It used to bother me about the drinking and buying alcohol - but not anymore because the parents I see at Goody Goody or at the local bar/grill are doing the same as I am - enjoying a cold one - Haha!

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

i don't care if the families see me out and about. I don't care if they see me in the grocery. The only thing that I do ever give a second thought about is running out to the store in my schlubby clothes in case i run into someone i know - but that is less of a "i work in town" issue than a "simply me" issue. If we have to run to the store and i am in sweats and make it a point to change, my husband will make it a game to point out all of the people that left the house looking much more casual than i was.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

One of my favorite coworkers used to say "The devil you know is better than the devil you don't."

Of course she left a year ago to open her own business but.....every time I think about changing districts, I hear her in my head

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

If we have to run to the store and i am in sweats and make it a point to change, my husband will make it a game to point out all of the people that left the house looking much more casual than i was.

Mr. Flare is the bomb.

[nmr79]

This is probably the only thing I hate about working & living in the same neighborhood. Hate to say it but there are some families I do not want to run into while out and about - I have been known to cut my grocery shopping short or pretend I am on my phone if I run into certain families. It used to bother me about the drinking and buying alcohol - but not anymore because the parents I see at Goody Goody or at the local bar/grill are doing the same as I am - enjoying a cold one - Haha!

I'm currently living that dream. My daughter will be a student here in 5 years, which will be so nice.

[Eleven011]

Will the new middle school be getting the elementary students you already know in the next few years? All I can say is being at the same school as my kids is the #1 perk, for me, of this job. I don't mind running into parents out and about - I'm for a small town, you know everyone at the grocery store anyway :)

[Flames9_RN, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I'm not a School nurse, but do Occupational health which has its similarities,lol You mention in one school you would be working with a RN you like and 1 not so much. If your spending a lot of time with someone....best to choose the 1 you enjoy working for.......

[NurseBeans, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Sounds similar to my recent conundrum! I opted to join the district's mentor nurse at the middle school and leave my children at the elementary school where i have worked for 3 years. The opportunity to work with a nurse I really enjoy working with is just too priceless. I did the math and although three of my kiddos are at the elementary school now, I will have 8 years of my kiddos at the middle school. And I really feel like they will need me at the school more in middle school (they won't want me there, but I'll be there, watching...).

It's all the same district though, in a smallish town in a small state, so I definitely see lots of my students and parents at the Walmart, which is annoying. The commute is much the same, so that didn't play a part. And I haven't actually been out to dinner/drinks in nearly a decade so that isn't a worry (how does anyone with kids find time to go out anyhoo?)

I just felt like the opportunity wasn't going to come up again, and I didn't want to be stuck in elementary indefinitely. FWIW, it wasn't always nice being in the school with my kids. They would wreck my office both before and after school, and there was no line between home and work for me. Or home and school for them. I like lines. They keep me sane.

[peacockblue]

I would also consider the ages of the students. Elementary and middle school are very different. I would choose MS all day every day over elementary, but if you like the Little's, you may not like the moody middle schoolers as much.