I have been told by a past Superintendent that I tend to "go rogue" and not follow by "the rules". In my own opinion I would say that I tend to push boundaries that need to be pushed (maybe also set those boundaries on fire and dance through them). I was recently selected as a finalist for Kern County Teacher of the Year, which means that I have the opportunity to apply to be the California Teacher of the Year, and if selected, could even be considered to be the National Teacher of the Year. It would be an absolute lie to say that I am not interested, invested, and hopeful of a win, but I may have just ruined my chance. I just can't help it. One of the essay questions asks about a "platform" that you would champion if selected as the National Teacher of the Year. Here is what I wrote: National Teacher of the Year The term “platform” can be construed as a directive, and I refuse to contribute to any directives towards teachers. We are already i