From custodian to teacher: How I got more involved in my kids’ KC school | Opinion

A few years ago, I worked two jobs — one at a bank and one at a local casino — after moving to Kansas City from Mexico. My involvement in my three children’s school was limited to communicating with their teachers and making sure they did their homework. That was fine, but I wanted more.

So I made a change. I decided to teach at their school.

Switching careers wasn’t easy, but it was meaningful for me and beneficial for my students. It’s also the type of change that more people are going to need to make if the state is going to be able to address its ongoing teacher shortages. I hope more people join me.

My journey to the classroom started by simply getting my foot in the door. I didn’t have my bachelor’s degree or my teaching certificate, so I asked the principal at my children’s school — Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School — about any job opportunities. She had a custodial position available. I took it.

Being in the school each day confirmed what I believed: I belonged in education. My mom is a former teacher and principal, and even though I explored different career paths, engaging with the students and seeing the educators work with each other made me want more.

The school’s leaders talked a lot about their commitment to opportunities for staff to grow, and I quickly learned that it wasn’t just talk. Our superintendent, Nicole Goodman, is committed to helping staff members move into teaching positions, an approach I learned the school calls Grow Your Own. Missouri also offers the Pathways for Paras program — typically for paraprofessionals such as teachers’ aides who work one-on-one with students — to move into teaching roles.

My next steps were in the front office, and then in the classroom as an assistant. In this role, I helped set the tone in the classroom and often provided specialized attention to individual students and small groups.

The school met my growing interest in teaching with the opportunity to become a certified substitute teacher. Earning my certificate involved taking an online class, which would have been fine, except that I had to have eye surgery in the middle of the semester. Recuperating from the procedure meant lying down in the same position for 10 days, so I decided to prop up my computer on a pillow, use my good eye and finish my certification while laying in bed.

Last school year was my first time co-teaching second grade for a full year. I taught math, social studies and science. I was able to use my knack for numbers and math skills that I utilized at my bank and casino jobs and now apply them in a way that had more impact and meaning.

Working at the school has really felt like family — and not just because my children attend the school. More than 70% of our families live within two miles of the school, and we’ve had 100% participation in our parent-teacher conferences for 10 years in a row. It’s a real community.

My path to the classroom was neither traditional nor easy. When I was going through the process, I told my husband more than once that I wanted to quit. But I didn’t, and today I am proud of the fact that I am serving as a second grade teacher — and that others are following in my footsteps.

Late last school year, one of the school’s custodians came up to me with a question: “How did you do it?” she asked.

Turns out, she’s interested in becoming a teacher, too.

Your age, your background or your profession don’t define your potential — what truly matters is your determination to grow. If I have the courage to ask, then you have the strength to achieve it.

Ana Moreno is a second-grade teacher at Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School.