My New Career...Keynote Speaker????

On Friday I received the most random email while at school. It was from a gentleman who was organizing a regional conference for education newspaper reporters. He was inviting me to be the keynote speaker at the conference given my knowledge and background with the Race to the Top program, Tennessee's First to the Top Act, and the current education legislation changes taking place in Tennessee.

Frankly, I was floored to receive the invitation. I simply have been trying to figure out why I would be selected. Have they not heard me speaking before on the local and state level? Yes, I have been in the papers and on the news programs fighting for my teachers. Yes, I have become one of the faces for the fight around the region. No, I did not choose this role, but I am glad I could be here to do it!

Seems I would be the keynote speaker, plus they want me to present a 45-minute discussion on the topics I mentioned before and a 15-minute question-and-answer session. They are also offering me 12 hours of professional in-service credit for next school year.

The conference is to be held this summer...July to be exact. I need to decide quickly if I am interested in accepting this new challenge. I don't know what I will do. It would be a great experience for me. However, do I want to put in the extra hours to prepare? I have been trying so hard over the past few months to learn the value of saying "no" to things.

I am going to think about this one for another day or two before returning the email and accepting/declining the offer.

Till then, I will be continuing to write my state representatives and senators as they try to destroy my education profession in Tennessee! The fight lives on!