For many of the teachers leaving the school, the decision was difficult to make. While some of them are retiring, others are choosing to teach their passions in different districts that allow them to flourish.

Former math teacher MaLynda Wolfer has taken a new position at Grant High School.

“The biggest reason [I’m] moving to Grant is so I don’t have to change my “G” tattoo,” Wolfer laughed.

In all seriousness, Wolfer’s decision was not an easy one for her to make. She started teaching here seven years ago, allowing her to form relationships with her cohort and colleagues.

“The students and my colleagues are the biggest reason why not to leave. I think we as teachers have been holding [the struggles of education] down and I haven’t seen it change in seven years. The teachers here are dedicated and [the difficulties are] so hard to manage. I’m the teacher that wants to know all of my students and I can’t get my head around their names. That is truly unforgiving,” Wolfer said.

The total amount of names she will teach next year at Grant will be 150, which is magnificently different from the 225 faces she taught here this year. However, that does not make the goodbye any easier for her.

“This is home for me. I’ve cried like I’m losing a piece of my heart,” Wolfer tearily said.

Previous English teacher Brandi Kruse also finds it hard to leave the school after all of the emotional attachments she has with it.

“It’s hard for me to think about the juniors I won’t have as seniors, I love my colleagues and I love my classroom [that’s] full of student history,” Kruse said as she looked around her room covered in paintings, sculptures and lights.

For Kruse, part of the reason why she will be getting her Masters in Fine Art in Print Media at Pacific Northwest College of Art for the next two years is because she needs to renew her license. However, there are also many other reasons, including what advice she is given as a teacher under the stresses of pressed time and oversized classrooms.

“I am to the point where I am no longer able to be the teacher I want to be. I get advice like, ‘Be less passionate, or you’ll burn out.’ It’s discouraging to not be able to have time to prepare lessons, grade papers and give feedback. I feel like I need to recharge and be selfish a little bit,” Kruse said.

Taking a break will allow her to step back and pursue her love of teaching if all goes well, according to Kruse.

“I’m trying to figure out how to reinvigorate and find my passion for the classroom again. It’s hard to think about not being a teacher. It’s a strange relief and sadness at the same time,” Kruse sighed.

When approached by the District, former assistant principal Tim Collins decided to take an Advanced Placement (AP) position at Sam Barlow High School.

“It’s my 16th year. This is a new way to be challenged. Gresham is a pretty special place because it was the first [for me], but with that, I’m excited,” Collins said.

For Collins, it is easier to leave because the school has a good administration that can still be strong without him.

“There will be a lot of changes, but I feel like the teachers here will continue to move [the school] forward,” Collins said with a smile.

Chris Smith, previous English teacher and International Baccalaureate (IB) coordinator here, takes his leaving to Lincoln High School with a embracing stride.

“[Lincoln] was a good opportunity because it offers me the ability to be apart of the IB program, which I’ve been apart of for 12 out of the 18 years [I’ve taught here],” Smith said.

For Smith, the work load and the schedule is apart of the reason why he is leaving.

“Teachers teaching six out of seven classes is extremely difficult and that same difficulty is felt by the kids in IB,” Smith said.

Although it is a hard goodbye for him, Smith takes with him the memories and a lesson he keeps in his mind as he goes through with his decision.

“You’re never too old to make a change, [as] a lot of people that are making this change [normally] wouldn’t. We always have the opportunity to reinvent ourselves. I am incredibly thankful for all of the opportunities I’ve had [here]. In many ways, I can’t imagine a better career than the one I’ve had so far,” Smith reflected.

Sarabeth Leitch, former English teacher, basketball coach and advisor here, found that she was stumbling through her artistic teaching under the bell jar of stress.

“It got to a point where it was so overwhelming where I couldn’t be creative or positive. I think [the decision to leave] was a slow and steady choice over the whole entire year. It was something I needed to do for myself and my students,” Leitch said.

Her new position at Wilson High School allows her to teach freshmen English to a classroom of 25 to 30 students. She also looks forward to taking the opportunity to empower youth at a higher educational level, whether that means mentoring advisors, teachers or coaches.

Like Wolfer, Leitch had been trying to get things to change to better teachers’ working conditions during her time here, but it was an uphill battle that she could not fight any longer.

“I think the really hard thing right now is that a bunch of us have been trying to speak up. We could have done little things to improve the conditions. Now, I want [the incoming] teachers to feel supported and proud of themselves at the end of the day. The teacher’s union and school board need to think about what is happening with education,” Leitch said.

Similar to many of the teachers leaving, Leitch is saying goodbye to a glass house of education that seems to have broken after many years of needed protection. As she cannot put it back together at this moment, no matter how hard she has tried, farewell is her second option.

“I had a rockstar department that I really enjoyed collaborating with. They are brilliant, and we had similar goals and multiple perspectives, which is so important in developing a curriculum and building for the future. I will really miss working with them because they inspired and motivated me. And I will also really enjoy the hilarious conversations at lunch in the staff room. That camaraderie helped me get through the hardest of days, and those people are my dear friends,” Leitch said.

 
Saying goodbye can be difficult for many, but with the end of a chapter comes the beginning of another. The teachers leaving here have found another place to follow their hearts and regain that passion that made them pursue this career in the first place. The walls of this school may hold memories for them, but even good things end with time.