The beginning of the school year is a time of optimism, and nobody in the wide world of education is more optimistic than the 168 people holding freshly certified teaching credentials from San Francisco State University.
There are no jobs, and as soon as the credential was in hand, in May, the clock started ticking in two ways. The big hand shows that they have five years to convert their preliminary credential into a permanent one. To do so, they must take part in a two-year development program that requires work experience. You have to be a public school teacher to become a public school teacher.
The little hand on the clock, meanwhile, shows that they have six months before the first payment on their student loans comes due.