Today I had a meeting with my principal; he had done his last observation of me for the year, and we were discussing the class period. I've been fortunate to receive glowing praise for my teaching the last two years, but that is not the focus for today.
He asked me if Eric and I had made a final decision on next year. I updated him on everything. He wasn't invested in my answer, as I was only transferred to the middle school for a year to cover someone on leave. She had since decided to resign, but I'm low on the totem pole, so I wouldn't be guaranteed to continue in my current post, even if Eric and I were remaining in the area. I'm the only non-tenured English teacher in the middle and high school in the district, and with budget cuts, classes are scarce.
My principal informed me that I needed to resign my post. If I failed to, as they were rearranging faculty for teaching assignments next year, they would be forced to let someone go in my department. So here's my decision: I must either resign my post, or force them into the position of letting me go.
Since I'm not dependent on a job in the district, I try to not be bothered by the fact that even though I have received strong support and praise from administration and parents alike, the best I could do next year is receive 0.4 time in my current post. Tenure is an interesting concoction. I understand the theory of the system, but being on the receiving end has been a bitter pill to swallow. Tell me any other profession where the bright and competent are rewarded, not by recognizing their potential, but by lining them up first to let them go when funds are tight. After all, we're the cheap ones to pay!
5 comments:
But if you don't resign and the school is forced to fire you, it will go on your permanent record!!!
Well, this would be classified differently. Last year I was let go because the district had to do cuts, but it was seen more as a lay-off than a firing. And I was then offered the middle school post, so it was then changed to a transfer.
But, never fear, I will write that letter! I was just amused at the unique situation I was in.
Sooo...if you wait for the layoff, will you be able to receive severance pay or unemployment compensation until another position is available? Maybe the principal is pressing for a resignation to avoid payment of any kind.
Just a thought.
Aunt Carol
I know we looked into unemployment last year, when the district had to cut about ten percent of everything and I was unsure of my ability to find another teaching job. And when I broached this topic tonight, Eric just said the ability for me to collect unemployment crossed his mind. My thought is that, technically, I'm employed through August--they pay us on a 12-month schedule instead of 9 months. And what the district would most likely offer me is a decrease in job duties, not actually a complete layoff. (If they had their way, I'd be around quite a while and teaching full time.) But since Eric and I are moving, I would have to turn down the decrease, and thus I would resign at that stage.
It's official. I submitted my resignation today. Now they can more accurately decide on next year's teaching assignments.
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