Rogue teacher

School started nine (week)days ago.  I have been teaching five classes of young minds mathematics for the past nine (week)days.  Nothing unusual here as this has been my September for the past nine years.  The difference is that I started this year without a teaching certificate.

Oh, I applied for one.  My certificate expired in June but so long as I am enrolled in the Professional Teaching Certificate program I can get an extension.  I am and so I applied for the extension. 

Waited. 

Waited. 

About the middle of August, with the beginning of the new school year looming I called.  Their message says they only answer the phone in the afternoons.  I called in the afternoon.  Their message says to leave a message.  I left a message. 

Waited. 

Waited. 

Never heard a thing.  Well, since I like having a job I kept my mouth shut.  Figured the district office would follow up on this since they knew my certificate was expired.  Meanwhile I keep teaching.  The lack of a piece of paper doesn't, of course, mean that I suddenly don't know what I am doing.

Waited. 

Waited.

Finally I start to get nervous.  I don't want the school to just suddenly find out that I don't have a certificate.  I don't like to blindside people.  Went and talked to my Principal.  He (after the obligatory doubletake) makes some phone calls.  Later that day he comes in and hands me a photocopy of my renewed certificate.

Great.  Thanks.

Yesterday in the mail I get a copy from OSPI, mailed on the 10th, the day I went and talked to my Principal.

Seriously?  They allegedly issued this on August 15th but didn't bother to tell either me OR my school district that I had a valid certificate until a week and a half into the school year?  Doesn't sound to me like they are particularly concerned so I wonder why I should be.  Maybe they know as well as I do that state certification is a scam, that school districts are perfectly capable of choosing, vetting, and hiring the people they want teaching their kids without an expensive and time consuming state run process.  Maybe they know that the whole process is a way for the state to justify their bloated budgets and bureaucracies.