|
Why I Love
GCC, and Why I will Retire in December (if enough of you join me!)
by Mona Field, Social Sciences Division
This
college is so special to me. I first came here 25 years ago, with my tiny
infant daughter in a Snugli (like a frontpack for babies), got my first
GCC parking ticket, and got hired to teach a class in the Social Sciences
division.
My
evolution from parttime to fulltime, from eager newbie to Guild President,
from GCC faculty leader to LACCD trustee—all too long to explain, but I
will be eternally grateful to GCC for giving me a chance to fulfill my
dreams.
THE
BACKSTORY
When I
was sixteen, I first heard about “junior college” from a friend whose
parents were faculty members at Los Angeles City College. From that
moment, I knew I wanted to teach at a two-year, public college, with no
admissions requirements, that serves working people.
I had
a fairly long digression (eight years teaching Adult Education in LAUSD)
before I found my dream job, right here at GCC.
After
a few mercifully short years as a freeway flyer (between here and L.A.
Valley College), I was interviewed and became a finalist for a precious
fulltime job at GCC. I will never forget my interview with Dr. John
Davitt, then acting president. He was so kind, and when I got the job, I
held a huge party to celebrate.
FLASH
FORWARD
For
all these years, I have arrived on campus filled with gratitude for this
opportunity to serve our students and to work with the some of the finest
colleagues on this planet. My two daughters, now 25 and 18, were raised
in the loving embrace of my GCC family, and both of them have fond
memories of so many special moments here.
It is
just in the past few years, in part because of a midlife diagnosis of
asthma, that teaching has become a difficulty rather than a joy. I can’t
teach without a microphone, and even then, I often find myself out of
breath by the end of class.
Meanwhile, all of us “oldtimers” have been astonished, and often
frustrated, by the ever-increasing bureaucratic demands of new
accreditation standards, SLOs, accountability demands, and so forth. I
guess some of us thought we were doing pretty well in our jobs, but the
federal and state bureaucracies (plus the Western Association of Schools
and Colleges, i.e. the accreditation commission) are insisting on so many
measures of our “productivity” that a lot of the joy of teaching is
diminishing for some of us.
Given
all this, I find that the district’s terrific approach to the budget
crisis, the offer of a retirement incentive to employees with five years
of service who are over 55, is a phenomenal chance to move forward.
TOO
YOUNG TO RETIRE?
I will
be 55 in July of this year (and obviously don’t care who knows it!). It’s
“too young” by most standards, and perhaps if I hadn’t started teaching at
age 20, I wouldn’t feel so ready to move on.
Like
many of you, I have not only been sending money to STRS, but have stashed
away extra retirement dollars in my 403 plan. (If you don’t know what I’m
referring to, contact me! Everyone should do some extra saving, and we
have many good ways to do it.)
With a
fair amount of juggling, I have managed to accrue enough STRS years and
enough outside funds to retire, and the district’s golden handshake is
just too sweet to refuse.
Having
seen some of our dear friends postpone retirement only to become seriously
ill, or even pass away soon afterwards, I am following a path that I
recommend to all: plan ahead, enjoy every moment, and leave gracefully
while you have plenty of years to enjoy all the other opportunities life
offers.
If you
have grandkids, parents to enjoy, long-deferred travel plans, or even a
deep desire to fulfill some other lifetime dream, consider retiring.
Folks who have already retired all tell me it’s fantastic, and those who
need or want to return part-time, both classified and faculty, seem to
have plenty of options to do so.
Personally, I can’t wait to catch up on my many deferred activities and
pleasures. I truly love this college, and I will not disappear completely
from the scene. But it’s definitely my time. I most sincerely hope that
enough of you will join me so we can all benefit from the college’s humane
approach to the budget crisis. (As of press time, the first level of
incentive is confirmed. Enough employees have submitted a letter of
intention, and the program is a “go.”)
&
|