Meteorologist A.J. Burnett is leaving television news to become a high school science and math teacher.
He had been a substitute math and science teacher for Beverly Public Schools in Beverly, MA during the 2013-2014 school year, and will now take on a full-time position.
A.J. took to his Facebook page to explain his decision:
Every now and then, I like to take some time to write an open letter of thanks to those who still make time to tune in to get their weather forecast from me as well as those who follow me on social media. On some level, you allow me to be a guest in your home or be a small part of your day when you check in on Facebook or Twitter. This truly is a privilege for me. Thank you for your viewership, your comments, your criticisms, and your questions over the years.
I want to say a special thank you to the Mainers who have welcomed me to this wonderful state. Your hospitality has made a long 90-mile commute very worthwhile. You have been generous with your positive feedback, yet honest with your constructive criticism. Sometimes change is hard, but you gave me a chance when I began working at NEWS CENTER in October of 2013. Thank you for that chance.
Recently, I was offered an opportunity to do something I have long wanted to do. Of course, I love meteorology and the challenges of forecasting. I also love sharing my passion with you and helping you understand not only what the weather is going to do, but why it is going to be that way. I believe my role as a television meteorologist is not only as a forecaster, but as an educator. That is why this new opportunity has such appeal to me.
Beginning in the fall, I will be (mostly) leaving television to become a high school science and math teacher at a school very close to my home. I am incredibly excited on so many levels: I will still be able to share my knowledge, educating students about things that I am passionate about. I will also be working much closer to home, allowing me to spend more time with my family (also worth mentioning is the nice perk of having weekends, holidays and snow days off for the first time in 19 years!).
I am not saying goodbye completely, however. I will hopefully be filling in from time to time on TV, perhaps on a station near you! That’s another reason this opportunity is so perfect for me: I’ll still be able to do the other thing I love to do — essentially living two dreams!
This has been one incredible ride! From covering so many snowstorms to the Springfield Tornado, annual trips to cover Great White sharks off Cape Cod, watching the sun rise at Fenway Park one morning, flying in a helicopter to cover traffic, and working with some of the most incredibly talented and dedicated meteorologists, anchors, reporters, photojournalists, producers, writers, and technical staff, I’ve had a wonderful television career. I am even blessed to have met my wife, Carrie, while working in Boston (and we’ve been married for nearly seven years and are about to have our second child very soon)!
There are lots of reasons to say “thank you” and lots of reasons to be thankful. So, thank you for being wonderful viewers, for welcoming me, for following me, and for your smiles, waves, hellos, handshakes and hugs out and about. I am thankful for you all, thankful for the passions I’ve been given to share with others, thankful for my loving wife, daughter and incredibly supportive family and thankful for new and exciting opportunities.
A.J. has been forcasting the weather in New England since 1996, most recently as a meteorologist for WCSH-TV NBC 6 in Portland, ME & sister-station WLBZ-TV NBC 2 in Bangor, where he has been since 2013.
Prior to joining WCSH, A.J. spent time as a freelance meteorologist at WMUR-TV in Manchester, NH; New England Cable News and WCVB-TV in Boston; and WLNE-TV in Providence. He was also a meteorologist for Hometown Forecast Service, which provides forecasts for radio clients around the country.
Before that, A.J. spent 12 years at WFXT-TV FOX 25 in Boston, first as a freelance fill-in meteorologist, then as the morning meteorologist. He's also been a freelance meteorologist at WPRI-TV in Providence.
Outside of television news, A.J. has worked as a staff meteorologist at WSI; and a radio broadcast meteorologist at Weather Services Corporation.
A native of Barnstable, MA, A.J. is a 1996 graduate of Rutgers University - New Brunswick where he studied earth and atmospheric sciences. He is a member of the American Meteorological Society and holds the AMS Television Seal of Approval, given for excellence in broadcast meteorology.
A.J.'s last day at WCSH is August 16.
