Admin threatening contacting new job/removing entitlements

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bluewhale
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2015 10:54 pm

Admin threatening contacting new job/removing entitlements

Post by bluewhale »

Hi,

I have ongoing issues with a particularly administrator. They have pulled me up for various issues, all of them trivial and were I to be notified I would have been able to fix many of them quickly. I'm generally considered a popular teacher with my students and I have received good performance reviews from the students (confidential surveys on a variety of teaching practices) I am on good terms with most staff members etc. I would consider myself a decent teacher.

Anyway, due to issues with the admin and school culture I decided to leave. I secured a job at another school in another country (it helped that I had a connection there). The admin that I have had issues with told me they would give a reasonable although not glowing reference, however when they were contacted by my new employer she gave a scathing reference. Despite this (and through having to provide a lot of proof to contradict her reference), I still manage to get the job.

Fast forward to now. I was called in for a meeting with 6 admin to discuss a variety of issues. These include not adhering to the dress code (I wore jeans for a couple of days due to my pants splitting and waiting for them to be repaired, I have always followed the dress code previous to this). Having a messy desk (I have never been told off about this and I cleaned it immediately once told off), and not providing timely and adequate assessment (I have never been late with submitting end of term exam marks grades and reports, I provide individualised comments - their issue was not providing comments on the exam, which few teachers do because we have been told it is not necessary).

Anyway, now they are threatening to take away my entitlements (end of contract bonus pay and airfare) and worst of all contacting my future employer due to their ' duty to report grave concerns'. Further, I fear I can be fired at any moment for a trivial reason.

They also cited complaints from teachers and students yet would not going into details about who those people are, which I believe for such a serious meeting should be necessary (I am happy if they omit the students names, but for the teachers they should be specific). They commonly use this tactic, and before when I have asked teachers if they said anything they said no and that the admin was being dishonest.

I don't know what to do. Has anyone been in a situation like this before?

My Search Account is no longer active because I secured employment, I have paid for my airfare with my new job, started the process of collecting everything for immigration, signed the contract etc. I only have two and a half months left at this job.

I am planning on speaking to my Search Associate for advice. This school does not have a good reputation and this administration has a history of this sort of behaviour.

All I feel I can do is either resign before they potentially fire me, or play along and agree to have them observe my classes whenever and then if they don't like something they claim they can immediately terminate my contract.

Any advice is welcome. Thanks.
shopaholic
Posts: 82
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2017 11:42 pm

Re: Admin threatening contacting new job/removing entitlemen

Post by shopaholic »

So you only had one pair of school pants, and when they split you were forced to wear jeans? I advise that you invest in a professional wardrobe for your new post. You should have multiple changes of clothes to wear to school. This is part of presenting yourself as a professional.

If your current school is really planning to contact your new school, even though there are only a few months left in the year, or to fire you, maybe you could take a "medical leave." I had a colleague who got a local physical to write him off for an extended period of time for "stress".

It really is important to return student work quickly, not just end of term assessments but all homework.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

They dont like you and youve successfully surpassed the IT enforcement mechanism in IE, which largely and arguably solely is enshrined in the "reference", you dont need one and have a new appointment despite the attempts of leadership to use it as a foot on your throat. They are using their last tool (coin and your departing flight benefit) to extract a measure of pain from you in punishment. Nothing you do will make this better, or improve the situation, the only issue is how much suffering are you wearing to tolerate for whats left of your compensation.

First, what do you want to do? Do you want to stay for the last couple of months or do you want to start an early summer holiday. Is the remaining coin and entitlement important enough to you that your willing to risk staying and holding the bag with nothing at the end, having to contend yourself with having done some kind of 'the right thing' or are you to the point that the coin and a return flight isnt really worth any amount of your well being anymore?

Second, once youve decided that you need to have a conversation with your leadership, but not your current one, your future leadership. You need to know what the ramifications of your choices would be, specifically if you were to choose to leave prior to contract expiration if you would still have an appointment with your future IS or would they rescind the contract and appointment. If they agree its an intolerable position you are in and its going to create a hardship that might effect your well being and thus performance at their IS in the future and thus "release you" from any obligation or consequences should you decide to implement what is essentially pulling a runner than you can do whatever you want. They may however indicate that they expect you to fulfill your contract. In which case you need to communicate as issues arise with your current leadership so that nothing is a surprise to them should your current IS attempt to retaliate against you at the end of the contract as "communicating grave concerns" could mean anything.

Third, you dont know how bad this is going to get, this could entirely be a play by your current ISs leadership to get you to pull a runner so that they can deny withhold any outstanding compensation. They could be trying to make you so miserable at the is point you leave and thus they dont have to pay you. At this point in the year what ever accomplishments they are expecting of student performance have either already happened, or you have done whatever is needed and the students will succeed, or if the dont they can use your departure as an excuse to parents for whatever the performance results are. The reference isnt worth anything anymore whatever coin the ISs leadership can save without any repercussions because you resigned is probably a win for everyone on the side of leadership and ownership.

Fourth, if things get worse you need to have your exit strategy ready to implement, such that you can decide to leave and execute that plan all within the same day. You dont know what could happen your IS could say you touched a student inappropriately or you stole their property or anyone of a number of things. They could dismiss you and revoke your visa and you need to be ready to depart or move on with very, very, very short notice.
PsyGuy
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Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Discussion

Post by PsyGuy »

I would finally agree with @shopaholic, and that you should strongly consider investing in a more robust professional wardrobe or at least purchasing an extra pair of slacks as well as working over the summer in developing better time management and organization skills so that you can improve your return rate of deliverables to students. You have hopefully already learned from these incidents and adapted accordingly.
wrldtrvlr123
Posts: 1173
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
Location: Japan

Re: Admin threatening contacting new job/removing entitlemen

Post by wrldtrvlr123 »

Good advice already posted. Things have gone bad for you there (personal, professional, combination, tough to say) and now you just need to minimize the damage/impact on the next phase of your life. Admin have already tried to ruin your chances of landing on your feet and are not willing to just let you finish out your time quietly and move on, for whatever reason. Disturbing that they felt totally fine with having you on the carpet in front of a tribunal as generally admin types have a difficult time agreeing on anything (unless the head person is leading the change and everyone else is just yes manning it).

Whatever the truth of the matter, try and learn from what went wrong with your time there. Agree with touching base with your future admin/connections and try to ensure you will still have your landing spot after you leap from the flaming wreckage there.

I'm still trying to figure out the pants thing. Do you wash the one pair every day/every other day or just wear them until they can stand up in the corner?
sid
Posts: 1392
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

Re: Admin threatening contacting new job/removing entitlemen

Post by sid »

I would have viewed your post quite differently if not for the trousers thing. Your trousers have gotten a lot of press already, and I wonder if it’s because your explanation sounds more like a middle schooler than a professional. It’s hard to take seriously when you pretend the whole thing was outside your control, and it makes me wonder what lens you are using in viewing the other parts of your experience.
You also focus rather heavily on being popular with students, which is not a reliable metric for quality. One of the most popular teachers I ever knew took his students out to play football for at least the first half of every lesson, and many of the remaining halves were lost in the shuffle of moving locations, visiting lockers and bathrooms, etc. But the kids loved him up until the day admin found out and banned him from taking kids anywhere. Forced to sit in a room with him, the kids quickly turned against him and parents were soon vocal about his shortcomings. He was an extreme example, but the point is simple: popularity doesn’t determine who is a good teacher.

Anyway, you do seem to be in a pickle, and you’ve asked for advice. Here’s mine:
Unlike other posters, I do not see any benefit in leaving outright or signing out for medical stress etc. This would surely be reported immediately to your next school and would be very hard to overcome.
You have a good instinct to talk with your Search associate. Let him know what is going on. Go easy on the popularity and trousers stuff. Tell him you’re worried. Ask if you or he should reach out to your new school and let them know your current school is playing games. If you speak to them first, you have a better chance of being believed over them.
As for the rest of the year, kick into high gear. Wear professional dress daily. Plan assiduously. Provide feedback. Complete all paperwork early. Open your classroom door. Have nothing to hide. And keep records of everything. Save every email. Commemorate all conversations with leadership by sending an email summarizing what was said and asking for input if they want to expand or amend any point. (If they don’t respond, you have tacit approval of your version. If they do, you have a written copy of their version.)
Good luck. Crack a bottle of champagne as you’re leaving the country.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Inquiry

Post by PsyGuy »

@bluewhale

I second @WT123, what was the issue and having only a single pair of trousers?

Post Script:
Before you reply consider there is a "Captain Underpants" meme in IE of the IT who did his Skype interview in his underwear thinking the recruiter wasnt seeing anything above the waist, unfortunately the IT erred in disconnecting and ended up showing the recruiting group his tighty whittles. Strangely the It did not get an offer.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Discussion

Post by PsyGuy »

@Sid

You assume that the SA associate is going to give this IT the time of day. You also assume, while I agree popularity isnt the best predictor of quality (though in some scenarios ownership only cares about keeping students and parents happy a long as the fees keep coming in), that leadership knows how to measure educator quality.

I dont see how your advice has any meaningful value. You dont know what the new IS is going to think and advise and if they have no issue with the IT pulling a runner and exiting early, what exactly is the virtue in continuing to suffer? What you propose sounds like a lot of work with zero reward for it outside of higher blood pressure and a continually growing headache. If leadership at this IS valued the IT and their contributions (dress code violations and popularity aside), they would be focused more on helping the IT grow and not exacerbating the issue with the constant 'dressing down' of this IT being called to the mast consistently.

Of course you are in leadership and your position is consistent with this type of advice.
chilagringa
Posts: 335
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:19 pm

Re: Admin threatening contacting new job/removing entitlemen

Post by chilagringa »

I have to admit - the pants thing really distracted me from the rest of the post.

Besides that, I agree with sid. Most of the teachers I know who have been canned and/or threatened were doing kind of half-assed jobs by the end. You might not think that, but it might be what other people see from the outside. Kick it into high gear for the next two months, and then you're done.
Walter
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Location: UK
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Re: Admin threatening contacting new job/removing entitlemen

Post by Walter »

@Dave This is called being a professional teacher:
"As for the rest of the year, kick into high gear. Wear professional dress daily. Plan assiduously. Provide feedback. Complete all paperwork early. Open your classroom door. Have nothing to hide."
But I understand why you might see it as "a lot of work with zero reward "...
sid
Posts: 1392
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

Re: Admin threatening contacting new job/removing entitlemen

Post by sid »

Ahh, PG, you assume I assume. But I don’t. I merely suggest that talking to the associate could be useful. Nor do I assume anyone knows how to judge quality teaching. Instead I point out that I personally do not find the argument compelling. It probably doesn’t really matter much at this point whether the OP’s admin can measure quality. What matters is the OP finding a pathway to a smooth end of year. It would be good for him, for students and even for leadership. Win win.

I do find your suggestion interesting, that the next school wouldn’t care about a runner. I laughed out loud. Schools care very much when teachers just run off.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Reply

Post by PsyGuy »

@Sid

Yes I did assume, thats what one does with incomplete or erroneous date. All claims have underlying assumptions.
Praying could be useful, and water is also wet, what you neglect is that discussing the matter with the associate could also be damaging. This IT already has a job, if they bury the current IS under the strong reference of the next IS it risks nothing. Whereas your advice has the potential to cause even more problems.

Smooth end of year being working harder, and more intensely trying to satisfy leadership that is would never be satisfied. Wheres the win-win? I see how the IS, leadership benefits wheres the benefit for the IT. Would you have us believe there is a Disney ending to this where all is well, the current leadership positively endorses the IT and the IT is a better educator because of it? Oh wait of course you do because all leadership is inherently good, and all people do the right thing for the betterment of all, and all that other nonsense of yours that if it were true this website would have no reason to exist, because as being a member of leadership yourself all leadership is of course benevolent.

Of course you laughed because the Oracle of Leadership bestows all knowledge and clairvoyance as well. This IT got their next position despite all efforts of the current IS, likely due to having a personal contact. Whats so unreasonable about an IS that would set aside everything else and appoint this IT but no a runner is a line to far? You dont know and neither do i which is why i advised the IT have a conversation about the current IS and explore options including a runner.

Yet despite what you claim ISs care about, runners happen and ITs dont end up with doomed careers, subbing/relief teaching back in their HORs. Again though you are in leadership, so that of course is the appearance you want to present, its called fear mongering.
sid
Posts: 1392
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

Re: Admin threatening contacting new job/removing entitlemen

Post by sid »

I’m out.
No interest in continuing any “conversation” containing this level of vitriol.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Comment

Post by PsyGuy »

@Sid

I consider my position sufficiently strong to withstand debate, the locust of that position being that a necessary condition of a Cost Benefit Ana1ysis requires that there be a benefit, preferably to the p@rty that must bear the costs.
Walter
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Re: Admin threatening contacting new job/removing entitlemen

Post by Walter »

@funny old Dave: "the locust of that position"
There are times, Dave, when you make it worthwhile waking up. By any chance, was Mrs Malaprop one of your forebears?
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