I just received an email from my school's director that my contract will not be renewed. No verbal contact. No warnings. Not even a follow-up afterwards.
I saw no signs at all. My appraisals went well and this year I was even promoted. In fact, the VP told me that I was one of more reliable people. I get along with colleagues and students as well.
A few others at my school got the sack via email as well.
Has anyone ever seen or experienced my situation?
Blindsided
Re: Blindsided
Reasons could be many:
- Declining enrollment
- Availability of cheaper hires as the aging teachers turn expensive
- Parental complaints or poor exam results
- Mere faculty gossip reaching the admin ears might have turned the tables against you
- Not taking PD seriously to grow as an educator
- Not contributing enough to the extracurricular program
- Declining enrollment
- Availability of cheaper hires as the aging teachers turn expensive
- Parental complaints or poor exam results
- Mere faculty gossip reaching the admin ears might have turned the tables against you
- Not taking PD seriously to grow as an educator
- Not contributing enough to the extracurricular program
Re: Blindsided
I’m sorry this happened to you. It sucks.
Without more information it’s impossible to judge exactly what happened or why.
To answer your question, you are not alone. One of my schools did a 30% RIF one year. It wasn’t meant to be personal, but for those 30%, it sure had deeply personal ramifications.
Without more information it’s impossible to judge exactly what happened or why.
To answer your question, you are not alone. One of my schools did a 30% RIF one year. It wasn’t meant to be personal, but for those 30%, it sure had deeply personal ramifications.
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buffalofan
- Posts: 350
- Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:08 pm
Re: Blindsided
Name and shame the school in the paid sections of this site. I understand that schools will sometimes need to non-renew people due to many possible factors, but to do it at this point in the recruiting cycle when nearly all jobs for 2018-19 are filled is unethical at best.
Re: Blindsided
GO in and ask. Tell your principal and then your head you feel blindsided and ask them for their reasons. Be polite, but be persistent. Ask specific questions about your reviews/evaluations, observations, communication leading up to this.
You have the right to know--and you have to find out if you'll get any kind of recommendation or any kind of backlash when you move on.
It sucks--good luck!
You have the right to know--and you have to find out if you'll get any kind of recommendation or any kind of backlash when you move on.
It sucks--good luck!
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crypticvenus
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2016 11:26 pm
Re: Blindsided
I am sorry that this is happening to you, I'm getting over this myself. I will say that if you feel that you have been wronged or unfairly targeted please do not be afraid to speak up for yourself and others. Check over your contract, the staff handbook, and all relevant documents to make sure that policies have been followed to the letter. If not, call it out, especially if it is not just you. There is strength in numbers. Accountability is the name of the game. If policies were not followed then you are within your right as a stakeholder in the community to hold the offending . accountable to what's on paper.
The school board reversed the decision, but not without support from parents who spoke out and demanded answers from the board. Unfortunately I had already signed a contract well before the reversal. All of this is to say that not all hope is lost. I know that some like to think that teachers are disposable or a dime a dozen, but sometimes admin has to find out differently. You have a voice, use it. The students are watching/listening and this is a teachable moment especially in this season of activism.
The school board reversed the decision, but not without support from parents who spoke out and demanded answers from the board. Unfortunately I had already signed a contract well before the reversal. All of this is to say that not all hope is lost. I know that some like to think that teachers are disposable or a dime a dozen, but sometimes admin has to find out differently. You have a voice, use it. The students are watching/listening and this is a teachable moment especially in this season of activism.
Re: Blindsided
I want to thank everyone for their input. It always reassuring to know that I can get support here on ISR.
There are a few other teachers at my school who are in same situation. What I find astounding was I got sacked via email. I got positive feedback recently and I have all the papers to prove it. The same is for the other teachers. One teacher has since left. She did a dramatic move and pulled a runner.
At this juncture, I am more concerned about them fulfilling my current contract and finding a job for next year. I am bit nervous though because I find it hard to trust employer when I get great appraisals, good feedback from students and parents. Perhaps it is the enrollment. We lost half of our student enrollment this year due to parents leaving the country. (huge scandal with local government). And I am the highest paid. (Mostly because of my nationality. I get more than the VP!)
Again, thanks for all the input.
There are a few other teachers at my school who are in same situation. What I find astounding was I got sacked via email. I got positive feedback recently and I have all the papers to prove it. The same is for the other teachers. One teacher has since left. She did a dramatic move and pulled a runner.
At this juncture, I am more concerned about them fulfilling my current contract and finding a job for next year. I am bit nervous though because I find it hard to trust employer when I get great appraisals, good feedback from students and parents. Perhaps it is the enrollment. We lost half of our student enrollment this year due to parents leaving the country. (huge scandal with local government). And I am the highest paid. (Mostly because of my nationality. I get more than the VP!)
Again, thanks for all the input.
Response
There is nothing in it for leadership to give it to you F2F, it always involves a conversation, and answers, and a certain amount of angst. Its easier for leadership to just dump the news on you without an opportunity for discussion.
Its likely not you personally, it can easily be something like decreased enrollment or being over staffed. It could also be an issue in ownership, and leadership is just the messenger who cant do anything about it.
It sounds like it was a dramatic shift in enrollment and that you were an expensive hire as well. It sicks and i would name and shame them as well, but from the leadership side you cant just make coin appear ina budget and keep someone on payroll over 'feelings'.
I disagree with @mamava, you dont have a right to know unless theres something in your contract that requires it. There likely isnt, and your ISs policies probably leave the subject vague if at all. Claiming you have a 'right' because you feel wronged doesnt make it true.
Make sure you get a strong reference and the names and contact info for a couple members in leadership as well as colleagues and a parent or two.
Its likely not you personally, it can easily be something like decreased enrollment or being over staffed. It could also be an issue in ownership, and leadership is just the messenger who cant do anything about it.
It sounds like it was a dramatic shift in enrollment and that you were an expensive hire as well. It sicks and i would name and shame them as well, but from the leadership side you cant just make coin appear ina budget and keep someone on payroll over 'feelings'.
I disagree with @mamava, you dont have a right to know unless theres something in your contract that requires it. There likely isnt, and your ISs policies probably leave the subject vague if at all. Claiming you have a 'right' because you feel wronged doesnt make it true.
Make sure you get a strong reference and the names and contact info for a couple members in leadership as well as colleagues and a parent or two.
Re: Blindsided
I should have said, "you have the right to ask." It's very possible that you may not be told the actual reason. A good, fair school would tell you straight up that you are somehow deficient (if you were)...however, it's easy for someone to say re-organization, enrollment, etc., as a way to not have to be honest and direct. This may be true if they haven't done what they were supposed to, such as observations, evaluations, feedback along the way etc.
The reason I would ask is two-fold--one, if there was a problem with something I was doing, I want to know that so I can make changes with myself. The other reason I would ask is that if they say declining enrollment, department re-organization, etc., that is going to likely be the line I'm going to use when asked why I left my previous school. If I were feeling very bold, I might ask to have that info included in a reference so I can make sure that's the story that they'll stick with, too (which I know is a long shot).
The reason I would ask is two-fold--one, if there was a problem with something I was doing, I want to know that so I can make changes with myself. The other reason I would ask is that if they say declining enrollment, department re-organization, etc., that is going to likely be the line I'm going to use when asked why I left my previous school. If I were feeling very bold, I might ask to have that info included in a reference so I can make sure that's the story that they'll stick with, too (which I know is a long shot).
Re: Blindsided
Finally I my answer yesterday from the the VP! Enrollment and monetary issues. The VP also was not renewed and three other teachers. The ones who got renewal got a salary cut.
I would like to thank everyone for all the help.
I would like to thank everyone for all the help.
Discussion
A salary cut? They might have more departures than that in the near future, still was a smart strategy of leaderships to do it so late in the recruiting cycle. If they had announced it at mid term (December/January) they may have had to replace a number of positions.
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secondplace
- Posts: 191
- Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2016 12:40 pm
Re: Blindsided
If you take the definition of smart as being to act without empathy, respect and compassion and integrity...
If the school's leadership knew these changes were likely then they should have been transparent and given teachers every opportunity to make an informed decision about their futures, and one that allowed them to act in a timely manner if their future lay elsewhere.
This is what good leaders do. They act with personal integrity.
If the school's leadership knew these changes were likely then they should have been transparent and given teachers every opportunity to make an informed decision about their futures, and one that allowed them to act in a timely manner if their future lay elsewhere.
This is what good leaders do. They act with personal integrity.
Re: Blindsided
Indeed. It’s not a smart strategy, it’s a cruel one. Either the leaders were as blindsided by the board as the teachers were, or they don’t deserve to be called leaders.
And since the terminations were by email and without explanation, I’m leaning towards the latter.
And since the terminations were by email and without explanation, I’m leaning towards the latter.
Reply
@secondplace
None of those characteristics are required for leadership. The function of leadership is to enact and enforce the policies and decisions of ownership, to serve as ownerships proxy in the day to day operation of the IS. How do you think it would work? Ownership says dont announce the salary cuts until very late in the term not until after April, so we can reduce our attrition/turn over, as the ITs will have fewer opportunities and well have fewer staff to replace. Whats leadership supposed to do? You dont stay in leadership very long when you dont do what your told by the person/people who hired you and pay your comp. So leadership should what, tell the faculty anyway, pack their bags and leave because integrity, empathy, respect, compassion and an empty sack is worth an empty sack. None of those things are going to pay your kids Uni fees, your house payment or fund your retirement.
Youre a courier, its a time of war, and your given a parcel at government HQ to take to a military outpost many miles away. Along the way you find another courier dead on the road, you take his case and inside you find a nearly identical parcel to the one you are carrying, it contains launch codes to a devastating weapon of mass destruction that will kill many people of both your enemy, your allies and your own people with orders to employ the weapon. You realize that you carry the same message. What do you do? Is the messenger responsible for the contents of the message? Arent they just doing their job/duty? If they dont do it wont the principal just send another courier who will? What about you, can you expect to return home to your family and friends and not be branded a traitor or a coward, and punished accordingly? Would your "respect, integrity, compassion, or empathy" change anything, will it be some comfort to you as you languish in prison, estranged from everyone and anyone you care about?
None of those characteristics are required for leadership. The function of leadership is to enact and enforce the policies and decisions of ownership, to serve as ownerships proxy in the day to day operation of the IS. How do you think it would work? Ownership says dont announce the salary cuts until very late in the term not until after April, so we can reduce our attrition/turn over, as the ITs will have fewer opportunities and well have fewer staff to replace. Whats leadership supposed to do? You dont stay in leadership very long when you dont do what your told by the person/people who hired you and pay your comp. So leadership should what, tell the faculty anyway, pack their bags and leave because integrity, empathy, respect, compassion and an empty sack is worth an empty sack. None of those things are going to pay your kids Uni fees, your house payment or fund your retirement.
Youre a courier, its a time of war, and your given a parcel at government HQ to take to a military outpost many miles away. Along the way you find another courier dead on the road, you take his case and inside you find a nearly identical parcel to the one you are carrying, it contains launch codes to a devastating weapon of mass destruction that will kill many people of both your enemy, your allies and your own people with orders to employ the weapon. You realize that you carry the same message. What do you do? Is the messenger responsible for the contents of the message? Arent they just doing their job/duty? If they dont do it wont the principal just send another courier who will? What about you, can you expect to return home to your family and friends and not be branded a traitor or a coward, and punished accordingly? Would your "respect, integrity, compassion, or empathy" change anything, will it be some comfort to you as you languish in prison, estranged from everyone and anyone you care about?