Teacher of the Year Receives Pink Slip

Troy Kubly received a familiar letter on March 1.

After being let go during the 2009 layoffs, Kubly made the decision to come back to teaching with a few new qualifications up her sleeve. She still attends school to become a fully certified special education teacher and is finishing up her first of a three-year internship as resource specialist at .

Kubly received the 2011 Teacher of the Year honor for her work at Wood Canyon.

With the possibility of a layoff, Kubly said she can’t help but feel frustrated.

“It just keeps happening,” she said. “I guess no one is ever really guaranteed a job, but it is really frustrating. If this is more than just a job, which I think it is for most people and it is for me, then the hard part is leaving a community. The kids you already know and the parents you’ve built a rapport with.”

Of the 43 Aliso Viejo teachers facing the possible layoffs, 11 of them teach special education. Kubly said after the last lay off she knew she wanted to return to teaching and looked to gain an additional, specialized skill.  She knew she enjoyed working with special needs children and had a talent for it. While Kubly said special education seemed like a safe position, since it holds separate state requirements, she doesn’t know where she’ll end up. Teachers who received pink slips must now wait until summer to find out if their letters will be rescinded.

“I love what I’m doing and I may not be able to do it,” she said. “It’s tough, it’s sad.”

Now, she waits.