BREAKING NEWS
Alberta teacher headed south

EDMONTON - The author of this piece, a first-year teacher from Edmonton, will be departing for the United States in a little over a week to begin as a high-school chemistry teacher at Hoke High School in Raeford, NC. The tentative agreement was reached over the telephone early Friday afternoon.

The interview was brief and took less than 60 seconds. The school year begins in Hoke County this coming Thursday and the candidate they had initially chosen couldn't get to the U.S. The entire interview, given by the vice-principal of the school, consisted of two questions: "Can you teach chemistry?" and "How did you get the experience?". Given satisfactory answers, a position was immediately offered.

Raeford has a population of approximately 3,500 and is located near the Fort Bragg Military Reservation. Less than 20 miles away is Fayetteville, a city which is considerably larger and hosts a variety of services, including a Wal-Mart store. Details of the agreement were not disclosed.