At this point, all the authors of this blog are finishing up our two-year commitments to Teach For America. This means, of course, that we are being bombarded with invitations to apply for jobs at charter schools, especially KIPP schools.  In general, these jobs involve longer hours, lower pay (at least on a rate basis) and the loss of union protections. Yet they seem to be very popular options among those corps members who stay as teachers. With that in mind, my next few posts on this blog (and they’re coming, I promise) are going to be devoted to exploring the kinds of working conditions that dedicated teachers want, and examining ways in which the school system can help nurture those working conditions.