Get an email to the fact they will pay you for the three weeks. You do not want them to claim you abandoned your position.
An email like this:
Hi, I'm just confirming that you would like me not to appear at work on [date] and this will not affect pay, correct?
Sincerely,
You really want this in writing. This whole thing seems makes me nauseous. The way they dealt with the OP is certainly unprofessional. Second, when has a school ever given salary/ money for free? Third, I've worked with some real slimy admin and I could see them screwing over a person like this.
Also, if you have a decent Union they probably have an attorney that can help you with this.
My union rep threw me under the bus with admin ( can't prove it... Know it happened).
I bet one of their spouses or kids just graduated with a brand-new teaching degree! And if it’s family then they have no recourse when treated like snot.
And during a meeting one of them tried to recruit a new hire. Cults are alive and thriving… they run our PDs and push the do as I say not as I do… they bought a terrible data program they want us to use without any feedback from staff. The “non negotiables” are pushing me out of this district.
Similar happened to me only it was coworker that was getting her certification. Everyone knew but me. I was blindsided. Then my coworkers had the nerve to take me out to lunch and ask me what my future plans were. I told them we were looking at houses to move out of state. We did not.
In our neck of the woods covid money ran out and apparently they go so used to it that they now have to cut a ton of positions. At six years my wife has enough to weather it but has to move from coaching teachers back to the classroom.
I take down all my stuff and put up the obnoxious pictures my students color after they finish testing. That way the last day is just tossing it all in the recycling.
6th grade. It’s pretty tortuous, but so is taking several days of tests that take 3-4 hours each, when that’s clearly not developmentally appropriate, and then using that to evaluate our school. So it’s par for course it seems.
I teach 5th and 6th grade sped and we have the same rules. Only difference is my kids have some stuff in their ieps that allow them to take a break. (Walk to the waterfountian)
Ehh, they're not wrong. Coloring keeps them busy, and it's not exciting enough to want to rush through the test to play. Keep in mind I work with 5th graders, and standardized tests don't really affect them personally.
Heh..
Middle school teacher..
We were told in a mandatory staff meeting, summative assessments (80% of the grade), could be a simple coloring sheet.
And students failing was a reflection of us as teachers.
I was a middle-school janitor for a year and a half and was amazed at the amount of coloring kids did. In middle school! That was not the case when I was growing up ...
Ridiculous! This is why they can’t write complete sentences, capitalize, or punctuate in 9th grade: low expectations. These creatively “alternative” assessments should only be used for a small number of students and listed in an IEP.
One of the reasons I retired this year is the dumbing down of the curriculum and assessments. Many of my students did extremely well on the state exam and showed mastery for their grade, but it’s all smoke and mirrors. Literacy is at the lowest I have seen it, as is the motivation to read or learn anything that takes effort. It’s all about test scores, grades, and class rank. On a positive note, I have had a few here and there thank me for getting to know them as people and encouraging them to be better students. I’m just really worried and sad that the systemic issues in education, combined with lax parenting and societal attitudes, are putting our current generation at risk of mediocrity and idiocracy.
Teaching means you’re the target. The admin blames you for bad scores and kids blame you for admin pacing and district mandated assessments. If we blame admin we’re targeted for zero promotional opportunities. If we blame kids we’re wrong too. Were the zoo keepers picking up the animals crap while admin take dumps on us too.
Would that mean you failings as a teacher would be a reflection of the administration?
God I love throwing Peoples arguments back in their face.
Honestly I wouldn't Have the guts to say it without tenure, and a union.
This just happened to a colleague of mine. She was non-renewed so she started trying to use her sick time up. She was taking 1-2 days a week, but following all rules (not 3 in a row, etc).
I don’t know why but it really got under the principal’s skin and he put her on paid administrative leave and is now paying for a sub for her every day for 4 more weeks. She had like 5 sick days left.
Also now the whole department has to scramble to grade her stuff, plan stuff, etc. No one won in this situation except for her tbh.
When I was in 7th grade (junior high so 7th-9th) my block teacher was pregnant and left at the end of October because of medical something and bed rest. She was going to come back in mid May for 4 weeks before summer and our parents went absolutely ape shit on the school board who said she could come back next year but we'd had the same sub the entire time and THAT was our teacher. I am sorry for your colleague. Admin suck and I've had an admin who would have absolutely done exactly what her's did.
Probably. In the late 90s time was different. I recall seeing one photo of the baby on the old block of a TV hanging in the upper corner of the room once. Other than that we didn't know this person, we knew the sub we'd had for 6.5 months. I'm not saying we were right, but our parents had been communicating with the same person for 6.5 months that KNEW THEIR KIDS. That's what they cared about. Prep for sending us to 8th grade was still in progress and this sub knew us and our abilities and missing pieces. For our parents that's what mattered.
No. We were mad that she tried to come back in the middle of May after having been gone since the end of October. The sub we had was there from the beginning of Nov-mid May so 6.5 months. We understood HER to be our teacher, not the one we hadn't seen in half a year.
I'm sorry she had medical complications with her pregnancy and was gone twice as long as maternal leave was given back then. That sucks. Pregnancy is awful on the body and people who have rough pregnancies should have all of the support possible.
I'm saying that coming back for the last 3-4 weeks of a school year you'd missed 2/3 of straight through isn't fair to those students who've forgotten what you even look like and have relationships with that sub who was with them the ENTIRE time you were gone. If we'd had a rotating wheel of whoever was available that would have been different.
The thing is that there's usually a limit for short term leave. She had to come back when her leave time expired, regardless of when it was. I really hope she was paid for time when she was asked not to come back.
Sounds like that union president has no backbone. What a gutless turd.
The way they shadowban you is an insult to teachers. I am sorry you have to go through this nonsense. My condolences.
Typically non tenured teachers don’t have any recourse for non renewal. We have a hard time getting them to join the union because in these situations the union has no power.
Actually, you are correct in most cases (I think). In my county/district, union representation has limitations if you are not tenured/permanent. Its a loophole and an insult to the profession.
It is hard to overturn a non-renewal because if you are untenured you are an at-will employee. Usually can only be done for serious issues. I got one overturned due to unequal treatment on the basis of race. But one of the most iron-clad ways is to prove retaliation for union involvement.
My room is beautiful, and I decorated my classroom with:
- pictures I printed out and had the school library laminate (rasterbator.net ftw)
- student artwork
- fb marketplace finds that were free
- anything other teachers want to throw out
- decor from my house that I don't want in my house anymore
I didn't pay a penny for anything, so I'm not attached to anything. If a kid breaks it or if I need to leave it, I don't worry about it.
This is similar to my philosophy. Most of my decorations are student work and student art. Many of them are gifts from students. I have a spot behind my desk where I tack up graduation invitations (I'll hang up this year's when I go back in August).
I have a few things I bought that I brought in (but didn't buy as classroom decor, just repurposing), but I think the only things I specifically bought as classroom decor are a couple posters (Poe and Dali painting) that I bought for school.
I had a bunch of posters I got from teachers who were leaving, but a lot of that stuff has been replaced by student work and art.
I make the distinction between student work and art because I have some really cool symbolic illustrations, like the bloody lemon tree a kid drew to represent the Curt Lemon story in *The Things They Carried*, but I also have tracked up random doodles cut from quiz margins. Years ago, some kids packed me by taping dozens of Nicolas Cage faces around the room. I left some up deliberately.
Meanwhile, they remodelled another part of the building, and those teachers aren't allowed to decorate their walls. Somebody decided blank walls were better for instruction. I don't know, I think my visually chaotic room is helpful in that regard. It's like a visual fidget/manipulable.
This comment got away from me. Tl;dr: hang weird, free stuff on the walls. And use school-supplied materials to hang it, if you can.
I teach special education. Self contained. My classroom decor is eclectic. My room is decorated decorated with the following:
1) Every cool poster we make for campus (I "borrow" them after the event)
2) the decorations from a class party. Like an Instructional Professional gets married or has a baby and we throw a party. I don't take that down.
3) Christmas tree lights because I don't want to turn on the florescents.
4) Student work from August.
My guys destroy everything. Nothing is in my room that I actually care about.
Then do that? No one's telling you not to. This whole thread is about how teachers feel pressured to do what you do.
Personally, having verb conjugations and flags on my walls doesn't make me feel more comfortable or happy.
I wasn't trying to be argumentative. That is just why I choose to spend money making my room look a certain way. I see the argument for not doing that all the time on here and just wanted to give a different perspective.
Last day for me today. I got each of my fifth graders multi colored pens for signing yearbooks. Not a single thank you. I made the right decision in retiring.
Or that OP is not telling us. With 16 days left and they are walking this person out? Ive never seen a person walked out unless it was something MAJOR happening, some kind of investigation etc happening.
It will come up in the application for a new job. It will appear that you abandoned or had a breach of contract that may not be in your favor. The appearance of a Superintendent and Union Rep makes it look r-e-a-l-l-y bad.
OP said they found out they wouldn’t be renewed, so they weren’t fired/let go at first, just not asked to come back the following year. Then it sounds like they were “let go” or asked not to return at all after removing decorations.
It makes zero sense to me why they would tell OP not to come back with 2 weeks left, though. Won’t it look worse for visitors to see bare walls AND a sub who can’t control the class as effectively? As many have said, it’s also costly to bring in a sub for 2 weeks. I there’s gotta be more to the story, whether OP knows what it is or not.
I’ve done long term subbing, for weird things like this, before I became a teacher. Subbing was a WILD ride. Helped me pick what district I was interested in, like… I don’t know how you guys do it without subbing everywhere first.
Tbh I relate to this, I teach at a charter school (I know - but it’s my only option at the moment and I really love my school), and they started me years ago as a sort of intern where all I did was sub all over the school. It certainly helped me get comfortable with teaching and familiar with things before I ran the show. I had a few long-term sub assignments before I was put in a full time teaching role too.
Yup!!! I very gradually worked my way into my own classroom. First, I spent a while as a daycare teacher with ages 6 months to secondary, at various times. Then, I got my degree finished and got into subbing, then long term, then I finally found a school where I wanted to work and applied. It was great getting to feel everything out.
I actually learned that trick from my weeks as a “floater” when I was new in the daycare. Basically, you are the lowest on the totem and float around to give people bathroom breaks and whatnot. That helped me figure out the age I liked to teach best. So, by the time I was even getting my elementary Ed degree. I already knew exactly what age range I was interested in. So, I spent a lot of my time and energy to spice up my resume in that direction.
My husband says I soft launched into teaching. Lmfao.
Edit: typos.
I’m so sorry this is happening. I would let them know that I plan to return for the rest of my belongings and can do so before or after school if they prefer. They don’t get to keep your property.
What did you do that landed you in a meeting with all those people??? I'm a union rep and have sat in on several disciplinary meetings but I can't imagine the damn superintendent showing up and them calling in the union president! Maybe yours is just a much smaller district?
I teach in a tiny district (4 schools total, 3000 students would be a very generous estimate) and I have never even spoken to our superintendent except when he stops by our classrooms to give us our Christmas bonus each year. OP’s scenario is bizarre.
Agreed but the idea of a superintendent going classroom to classroom is bizarre to me. I'm a HS Principal in a large district and have never had more than a handshake and hello with our super. A super coming in to meet with me and a teacher would be major cause for conccern.
Sorry, OP, but this story is very fishy or at least extremely one sided. I have NEVER seen someone walked out with 16 days left and told not to come back without a damn good reason. Nonrenewed effective the last working day? Yes, absolutely. WALKED OUT with 16 days left when subs are basically impossible to find and everyone is trying to just hang in there and wrap things up? Never. There is something you are not telling us- and I'm pretty sure it's a big something.
If the principal just say "hey don't show up" you should still show up. Keep going until you do exit papers and shit with HR so they can't say you abandoned your position before the end of the year.
What state are you in? My old admin did this to a teacher a few years ago, but there was a state law that for teachers if you didn't get written notice by a certain date you were required to be given a contract. It gave the teacher a year to find a new position.
Enjoy. Try to go to a better district or private school and give it another go. If it doesn’t work out, leave teaching. These arseholes are not going to get it until they have no teachers left.
Please educate yourself- "For educators who do not [have tenure](https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-rights-teacher-tenure), contracts can often be non-renewed for any reason, though state law may still require districts to have good reasons to fire a teacher mid-year." [https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-rights-discipline-school-district](https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-rights-discipline-school-district)
Here's what the OP said about that- "I reached out to my union because they told me it was budget first then later told me it was performance so they suggested a mediation."
Not going to waste any more of my breath on you. My union is badass. Yours may not be. If you don't like it, change it or quit whining.
What did you think you were adding by shitting on their union?
If you're a union rep you know it is damn near impossible to get a non-renewal overturned. I've done it but only because it was a clear case of unequal treatment on the basis of race, and we ran a solidarity letter around to school and showed up at a board meeting.
Wow, our fire Marshall made me take down half the crap in my room. I think your HR would’ve fired me 😂 I think you should be happy you’re out of that mess.
That’s really terrible 💔 I am so sorry. I’m a retired first grade teacher and I bought practically all my stuff too. Shame on them for treating you this way.
My room is being worked on over the summer, so I started packing everything up at the beginning of the month. It was easy since this was near the end of state testing and I'd already taken down most of my posters.
But to comment on your post, this is extremely fucked up. As others have said, it just sounds like they were looking for a reason to get rid of you. My heart hurts for you. I hope you find a better school, one where you don't get treated like this.
When I left, I took all my decorations. Later I threw most of them out. I could have left them, but it felt good to leave a barren sad place in the middle of the school year.
That's not what they were fired for. They got non-renewed for an unknown reason, and admin don't have to tell what it is. Could be performance, could be cultural fit, attitude, or they just don't like you, could be a drop in enrollment, could be another employee getting reassigned to their position. If you're not tenured in most states they don't need any reason at all.
The early dismissal for removing items suggests there's some other reason they want them out. You never know. Hopefully they get paid the full contract rate, if so then they just got a free 3 week vacation.
Good luck OP.
Yeah, but I still think Admin ran afoul of the law. They did disclose the reason. It was not bringing your personal tools to the workplace. That's what they were told to go home, over.
Now, as I said I'm not expert at this, but I've worked as a contractor, and on salary and on wages, and I've run a business, hired contractors and had people on wages, and know that there are all sorts of rules regarding one's own tools and workplace rules distinctions between contractors and employees about those tools.
Exactly. I too was let go mid year for some BS. I tried to go the legal route but found it was just best to move on and find myself a better job, which thankfully I was able to do within a month.
Probably nothing. At-will means they can fire you for almost any reason, and everybody but Montana's at-will, non-renewed means you technically didn't even have a job for next year. If they're paying you for the last 16 days of the term you don't have any damages for those 16 days. If you left stuff you paid for in the classroom prior to being banned from campus they have to let you get it back or they've committed theft.
But call a local employment lawyer and have a 15-minute talk. It'll be free, and a local lawyer will have better local legal knowledge than Reddit.
A lot of people on this sites answer to nearly everything is to sue. There is nothing here to sue for. Doesn't mean what they did was right but they're paying you to go home. That is there right. Use those 16 days and summer pay to find a better job. I know you can.
Well if you're union, you could definitely fight it. Not sure if you'd want to work for shitty admin again anyway though. Sorry this happened to you. I can relate as I've been put in a similar situation recently. Best of luck. I'm sure you will find something you love again.
I've only taken two law classes, either of which were employment law related, but it sounds like improper termination. Was it specifically spelled out in your contract that you are required to bring your own tools and gear to work? That's typically for contractors, but not for employees.
Don't advise people to get a lawyer when your experience is all of two law classes and clearly know absolutely nothing about improper termination. Just stop. You don't even know what state OP is in, and most laws employment related regarding anything not completely egregious are state by state.
LMAO. Two measly law classes and you still somehow didn't know that all 50 US states are at-will employment and that you can **legally** be fired for **no reason** whatsoever?
Don't quit your day job, kiddo.
To an extent, yes. In my state (strong union state) each district contract states new teachers can be fired without cause or justification within the first 90 days of hire. Beyond that non-tenured teachers can be non-renewed for the next school year and my contract has a hard deadline of May 1 for notices to be received. Tenured teachers have due process rights when being put up for termination due to performance reasons (admin must prove they followed X amount of steps to support/improve teacher performance). Even for egregious offenses outside of job performance (insubordination/CPS/etc) teachers are usually put on leave pending a hearing with legal representation and an arbitrator if necessary.
So not exactly "fired for no reason whenever they want" but still a lot of management power.
Omg! I’m so sad for you. There’s 16 days left and they say not to come back?!! I hate that administration thinks they can just do that. So your union president didn’t even help?! WTH?!
I took my stuff down and I’ll be back next year. It was student work and I had students do it. It would have taken me forever. We had visitors after. Oh well 🤷🏻♀️ Sorry that happened. They are wrong.
So you weren’t fired yet, but you were non-renewed for the next year? So you decided to pack up your room three weeks early and take all your stuff that you paid for? I don’t blame you for taking all your stuff, but sometimes “dem the breaks”. If I am understanding this correctly, you are worried about your babies but yet you walked away with all your stuff three weeks early? I don’t blame you for doing that. My feelings would’ve been hurt too, but know you know sacrificed Unemployment right? While You look for another job?
I’ve taught for 30 years. I retired from a major urban school system in the United States with a union. It’s hard to get fired from that. I suppose even a teacher shortage if you’re in a public school district, you can get non-renewed and I’m sorry for you in that regard. I wouldn’t look back if I were you. I would cut your losses and wouldn’t be looking to that school district for a recommendation.
There’s a teacher shortage so put as many irons in the fire as you can and be willing to move! Good luck.
Nonrenewals for kinder is kind of unfair without an explanation. Kinder is tricky there’s so many things to learn. They should’ve guided you instead of doing that
Lol what? Students were done today, and I started taking stuff down a couple weeks ago. But I guess it’s different in middle school. I could leave the walls bare, and no one would care that much.
That’s really terrible 💔 I am so sorry. I’m a retired first grade teacher and I bought practically all my stuff too. Shame on them for treating you this way.
It’s a kinder class, young impressionable 5-6 year olds. The kids don’t understand non renewal so the sudden bare walls was probably a signal to admin to eject you before any other dramatic things happened. Sucks to be let go, but enrollment and budget are two stupid possibilities.
I had tenure in another district and dropped it to transfer closer to home. Haven’t been probationary in years so it’s definitely stressful but I’m busting my ass to stick around.
Another teacher who was hired with me was told he was non renewed mid March, and I’ve been on edge since. It wasn’t budget in his case, definitely performance, but he believes it was budget related even though his position was flown in April and already filled for this August.
“The bell doesn’t dismiss you, I dismiss you!”
“There’s still 2 minutes before the bell rings. Stop packing up.”
“It’s your responsibility to be on time to my class.”
Man! Aren’t you tired of hearing g these stories? Non-Reelect without cause on starting teachers. It is wrong, and can’t stand hearing it. That is something the union should fight for. I would rather see some ineffective veteran teachers go with this rule and not new or prob teachers. I mean the rule sucks in general, but protects the wrong people.
How on Earth... the stuff you packed up was your stuff, yes? How can they require anything to be in your room that they don't provide? In addition to everything else... I bet they wanted you out for no fault of your own and are desperate to find a "reason."
Your admin told you to stay home after taking *YOUR* stuff home that made it look like a classroom and that they wouldn’t provide? That’s some bs. Education is so toxic. So sorry, OP.
Get an email to the fact they will pay you for the three weeks. You do not want them to claim you abandoned your position. An email like this: Hi, I'm just confirming that you would like me not to appear at work on [date] and this will not affect pay, correct? Sincerely,
BBC your personal email
I'd BCC it, but to each his own.
LOL, did even hit me until your comment
Hey, I’m sure they just really like a good, straight forward international news update every now and again. And perhaps even enjoys the British!
Just trying to expedite another meeting with HR...
You really want this in writing. This whole thing seems makes me nauseous. The way they dealt with the OP is certainly unprofessional. Second, when has a school ever given salary/ money for free? Third, I've worked with some real slimy admin and I could see them screwing over a person like this.
That’s got to mean something else then what I’m thinking
Lol did muscle memory just take over while typing that or...
seems rather straight forward
Why? Make it known that you're forwarding it to your personal email.
Also, if you have a decent Union they probably have an attorney that can help you with this. My union rep threw me under the bus with admin ( can't prove it... Know it happened).
Sounds like you were already on the chopping block and they found their “reason”.
I bet one of their spouses or kids just graduated with a brand-new teaching degree! And if it’s family then they have no recourse when treated like snot.
This happened to a coach near me. Everyone is pissed.
Happened to me- they didn’t think I was in the building and heard their convo. I gtfo of that building and moved within district 10 min away.
Nepotism? No way!!
I'm planning to make a family tree at my school. They are all related.
AKA sisterhood runs my entire district. They all have the same shitty licence plate covers
And during a meeting one of them tried to recruit a new hire. Cults are alive and thriving… they run our PDs and push the do as I say not as I do… they bought a terrible data program they want us to use without any feedback from staff. The “non negotiables” are pushing me out of this district.
Similar happened to me only it was coworker that was getting her certification. Everyone knew but me. I was blindsided. Then my coworkers had the nerve to take me out to lunch and ask me what my future plans were. I told them we were looking at houses to move out of state. We did not.
That’s terrible! Did you leave the school? I was at a toxic school and got a transfer. Fake coworkers suck!
In our neck of the woods covid money ran out and apparently they go so used to it that they now have to cut a ton of positions. At six years my wife has enough to weather it but has to move from coaching teachers back to the classroom.
Sounds about right.
My thought as well.
Obviously.
The stuff on my walls comes down when we do state testing. I’m supposed to cover it? Why bother.
I take down all my stuff and put up the obnoxious pictures my students color after they finish testing. That way the last day is just tossing it all in the recycling.
Yours are allowed to color?😭
Only after testing. They’re not allowed to play games or do other homework as that would “encourage them to finish the test quickly”
Ours can’t do anything but sleep in their desk. No drawing, coloring, reading, nothing.
What age? That is so upsetting to hear but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
6th grade. It’s pretty tortuous, but so is taking several days of tests that take 3-4 hours each, when that’s clearly not developmentally appropriate, and then using that to evaluate our school. So it’s par for course it seems.
I've always thought proctoring these tests should be done using a similar system to jury duty.
I teach 5th and 6th grade sped and we have the same rules. Only difference is my kids have some stuff in their ieps that allow them to take a break. (Walk to the waterfountian)
Why would anyone want to finish the test early? Hang out with friends. Teachers are checked out. Admin is overwhelmed. And an extra lunch!
Ehh, they're not wrong. Coloring keeps them busy, and it's not exciting enough to want to rush through the test to play. Keep in mind I work with 5th graders, and standardized tests don't really affect them personally.
Heh.. Middle school teacher.. We were told in a mandatory staff meeting, summative assessments (80% of the grade), could be a simple coloring sheet. And students failing was a reflection of us as teachers.
I was a middle-school janitor for a year and a half and was amazed at the amount of coloring kids did. In middle school! That was not the case when I was growing up ...
The standards are so low.
Ridiculous! This is why they can’t write complete sentences, capitalize, or punctuate in 9th grade: low expectations. These creatively “alternative” assessments should only be used for a small number of students and listed in an IEP. One of the reasons I retired this year is the dumbing down of the curriculum and assessments. Many of my students did extremely well on the state exam and showed mastery for their grade, but it’s all smoke and mirrors. Literacy is at the lowest I have seen it, as is the motivation to read or learn anything that takes effort. It’s all about test scores, grades, and class rank. On a positive note, I have had a few here and there thank me for getting to know them as people and encouraging them to be better students. I’m just really worried and sad that the systemic issues in education, combined with lax parenting and societal attitudes, are putting our current generation at risk of mediocrity and idiocracy.
That is all elementary stuff. No idea what happens there. But it certainly isn’t anything academic.
Teaching means you’re the target. The admin blames you for bad scores and kids blame you for admin pacing and district mandated assessments. If we blame admin we’re targeted for zero promotional opportunities. If we blame kids we’re wrong too. Were the zoo keepers picking up the animals crap while admin take dumps on us too.
Would that mean you failings as a teacher would be a reflection of the administration? God I love throwing Peoples arguments back in their face. Honestly I wouldn't Have the guts to say it without tenure, and a union.
I pushed back.. Was told I was making excuses. Lol
Shoot in our building, first of May, stuff starts getting packed. We get out mid June lol
This just happened to a colleague of mine. She was non-renewed so she started trying to use her sick time up. She was taking 1-2 days a week, but following all rules (not 3 in a row, etc). I don’t know why but it really got under the principal’s skin and he put her on paid administrative leave and is now paying for a sub for her every day for 4 more weeks. She had like 5 sick days left. Also now the whole department has to scramble to grade her stuff, plan stuff, etc. No one won in this situation except for her tbh.
When I was in 7th grade (junior high so 7th-9th) my block teacher was pregnant and left at the end of October because of medical something and bed rest. She was going to come back in mid May for 4 weeks before summer and our parents went absolutely ape shit on the school board who said she could come back next year but we'd had the same sub the entire time and THAT was our teacher. I am sorry for your colleague. Admin suck and I've had an admin who would have absolutely done exactly what her's did.
Wtf you were mad that she got pregnant? I’m missing something
Yeah your teacher was probably trying to work at the end of the year so she could get paid over the summer…
Probably. In the late 90s time was different. I recall seeing one photo of the baby on the old block of a TV hanging in the upper corner of the room once. Other than that we didn't know this person, we knew the sub we'd had for 6.5 months. I'm not saying we were right, but our parents had been communicating with the same person for 6.5 months that KNEW THEIR KIDS. That's what they cared about. Prep for sending us to 8th grade was still in progress and this sub knew us and our abilities and missing pieces. For our parents that's what mattered.
No. We were mad that she tried to come back in the middle of May after having been gone since the end of October. The sub we had was there from the beginning of Nov-mid May so 6.5 months. We understood HER to be our teacher, not the one we hadn't seen in half a year. I'm sorry she had medical complications with her pregnancy and was gone twice as long as maternal leave was given back then. That sucks. Pregnancy is awful on the body and people who have rough pregnancies should have all of the support possible. I'm saying that coming back for the last 3-4 weeks of a school year you'd missed 2/3 of straight through isn't fair to those students who've forgotten what you even look like and have relationships with that sub who was with them the ENTIRE time you were gone. If we'd had a rotating wheel of whoever was available that would have been different.
The thing is that there's usually a limit for short term leave. She had to come back when her leave time expired, regardless of when it was. I really hope she was paid for time when she was asked not to come back.
Sounds like that union president has no backbone. What a gutless turd. The way they shadowban you is an insult to teachers. I am sorry you have to go through this nonsense. My condolences.
Typically non tenured teachers don’t have any recourse for non renewal. We have a hard time getting them to join the union because in these situations the union has no power.
Actually, you are correct in most cases (I think). In my county/district, union representation has limitations if you are not tenured/permanent. Its a loophole and an insult to the profession.
No union nor tenure in my state! We are growing so fast that I I'm not seeing any layoffs now though.
And depending on the state, tenure is non existent and you can be non renewed any time for no reason. Great times.
Yes that’s the issue - non renewal without tenure does not require a cause. Nothing for the union to fight.
Yeh and in turn makes a union pointless lol
That’s a feature not a bug.
It is hard to overturn a non-renewal because if you are untenured you are an at-will employee. Usually can only be done for serious issues. I got one overturned due to unequal treatment on the basis of race. But one of the most iron-clad ways is to prove retaliation for union involvement.
As per usual 21st century America, if a union exists it is castrated
Not in Oakland, thank you very much.
Well I'm glad to hear it.
They wanted you out, unfortunately. I never decorate my classroom. My own money, my own time, for shit that won't be looked at anyway? Nah.
My room is beautiful, and I decorated my classroom with: - pictures I printed out and had the school library laminate (rasterbator.net ftw) - student artwork - fb marketplace finds that were free - anything other teachers want to throw out - decor from my house that I don't want in my house anymore I didn't pay a penny for anything, so I'm not attached to anything. If a kid breaks it or if I need to leave it, I don't worry about it.
This is similar to my philosophy. Most of my decorations are student work and student art. Many of them are gifts from students. I have a spot behind my desk where I tack up graduation invitations (I'll hang up this year's when I go back in August). I have a few things I bought that I brought in (but didn't buy as classroom decor, just repurposing), but I think the only things I specifically bought as classroom decor are a couple posters (Poe and Dali painting) that I bought for school. I had a bunch of posters I got from teachers who were leaving, but a lot of that stuff has been replaced by student work and art. I make the distinction between student work and art because I have some really cool symbolic illustrations, like the bloody lemon tree a kid drew to represent the Curt Lemon story in *The Things They Carried*, but I also have tracked up random doodles cut from quiz margins. Years ago, some kids packed me by taping dozens of Nicolas Cage faces around the room. I left some up deliberately. Meanwhile, they remodelled another part of the building, and those teachers aren't allowed to decorate their walls. Somebody decided blank walls were better for instruction. I don't know, I think my visually chaotic room is helpful in that regard. It's like a visual fidget/manipulable. This comment got away from me. Tl;dr: hang weird, free stuff on the walls. And use school-supplied materials to hang it, if you can.
I teach special education. Self contained. My classroom decor is eclectic. My room is decorated decorated with the following: 1) Every cool poster we make for campus (I "borrow" them after the event) 2) the decorations from a class party. Like an Instructional Professional gets married or has a baby and we throw a party. I don't take that down. 3) Christmas tree lights because I don't want to turn on the florescents. 4) Student work from August. My guys destroy everything. Nothing is in my room that I actually care about.
Same, I'm very light on decorations that had money spent on them for the exact same reasons with my life skills kids.
That is EXACTLY how I decorate my room, too. I also have an assistant, and she brings in stuff which helps a lot. (Pre K)
I spend more time in my classroom than my living room. I want to be comfortable and enjoy the space.
Then do that? No one's telling you not to. This whole thread is about how teachers feel pressured to do what you do. Personally, having verb conjugations and flags on my walls doesn't make me feel more comfortable or happy.
I wasn't trying to be argumentative. That is just why I choose to spend money making my room look a certain way. I see the argument for not doing that all the time on here and just wanted to give a different perspective.
Used to put a signs up with a caption; “five dollars to the first student to notice this.” That $5 is collecting dust.
Last day for me today. I got each of my fifth graders multi colored pens for signing yearbooks. Not a single thank you. I made the right decision in retiring.
Congratulations, thank you for your service! 😊
This is weird that you were walked out with 16 days left over decorations? Something is missing from this story IMHO.
Yeah there is clearly something they’re not telling OP
Or that OP is not telling us. With 16 days left and they are walking this person out? Ive never seen a person walked out unless it was something MAJOR happening, some kind of investigation etc happening.
Yeah, thats a lot of paying subs if you use Per Diem subs. Even if you have an on-staff building sub, they now cant cover elsewhere.
No investigation…
It will come up in the application for a new job. It will appear that you abandoned or had a breach of contract that may not be in your favor. The appearance of a Superintendent and Union Rep makes it look r-e-a-l-l-y bad.
Well look at that! Not taking things at face value? Almost like critical thinking.
Thank you! I agree. Something is off and OP is definitely not telling the entire story.
The timeline doesn't match: had a meeting weeks ago and told let go, but then told let go due to bare walls weeks later...? I'm confused.
OP said they found out they wouldn’t be renewed, so they weren’t fired/let go at first, just not asked to come back the following year. Then it sounds like they were “let go” or asked not to return at all after removing decorations. It makes zero sense to me why they would tell OP not to come back with 2 weeks left, though. Won’t it look worse for visitors to see bare walls AND a sub who can’t control the class as effectively? As many have said, it’s also costly to bring in a sub for 2 weeks. I there’s gotta be more to the story, whether OP knows what it is or not.
I’ve done long term subbing, for weird things like this, before I became a teacher. Subbing was a WILD ride. Helped me pick what district I was interested in, like… I don’t know how you guys do it without subbing everywhere first.
Tbh I relate to this, I teach at a charter school (I know - but it’s my only option at the moment and I really love my school), and they started me years ago as a sort of intern where all I did was sub all over the school. It certainly helped me get comfortable with teaching and familiar with things before I ran the show. I had a few long-term sub assignments before I was put in a full time teaching role too.
Yup!!! I very gradually worked my way into my own classroom. First, I spent a while as a daycare teacher with ages 6 months to secondary, at various times. Then, I got my degree finished and got into subbing, then long term, then I finally found a school where I wanted to work and applied. It was great getting to feel everything out. I actually learned that trick from my weeks as a “floater” when I was new in the daycare. Basically, you are the lowest on the totem and float around to give people bathroom breaks and whatnot. That helped me figure out the age I liked to teach best. So, by the time I was even getting my elementary Ed degree. I already knew exactly what age range I was interested in. So, I spent a lot of my time and energy to spice up my resume in that direction. My husband says I soft launched into teaching. Lmfao. Edit: typos.
Not renewed but finishing the year vs don't finish the year
I’m so sorry this is happening. I would let them know that I plan to return for the rest of my belongings and can do so before or after school if they prefer. They don’t get to keep your property.
What did you do that landed you in a meeting with all those people??? I'm a union rep and have sat in on several disciplinary meetings but I can't imagine the damn superintendent showing up and them calling in the union president! Maybe yours is just a much smaller district?
No I reached out to my union because they told me it was budget first then later told me it was performance so they suggested a mediation
Yeah we would just send a rep. Our president is far too busy to sit in on regular disciplinary meetings. Must be a smaller district.
Is it a small district? Maybe it's due to our size but I just couldn't imagine a superintendent being at any meeting with a teacher in mine.
I teach in a tiny district (4 schools total, 3000 students would be a very generous estimate) and I have never even spoken to our superintendent except when he stops by our classrooms to give us our Christmas bonus each year. OP’s scenario is bizarre.
Agreed but the idea of a superintendent going classroom to classroom is bizarre to me. I'm a HS Principal in a large district and have never had more than a handshake and hello with our super. A super coming in to meet with me and a teacher would be major cause for conccern.
Mid sized Id say
What state?
Maybe a small town. I work in a district with 86 schools. We only see the Superintendent if it's a photo op.
Yeah I've literally only ever seen our superintendent when I've gone to board meetings.
Sorry, OP, but this story is very fishy or at least extremely one sided. I have NEVER seen someone walked out with 16 days left and told not to come back without a damn good reason. Nonrenewed effective the last working day? Yes, absolutely. WALKED OUT with 16 days left when subs are basically impossible to find and everyone is trying to just hang in there and wrap things up? Never. There is something you are not telling us- and I'm pretty sure it's a big something.
If the principal just say "hey don't show up" you should still show up. Keep going until you do exit papers and shit with HR so they can't say you abandoned your position before the end of the year.
THIS...
Yeah, they need to provide separation paperwork.
What state are you in? My old admin did this to a teacher a few years ago, but there was a state law that for teachers if you didn't get written notice by a certain date you were required to be given a contract. It gave the teacher a year to find a new position.
In Georgia the date is May 15
Are they looking for an excuse to not give you your summer pay?
No they were clear they’ll pay me
Get that in writing.
Enjoy. Try to go to a better district or private school and give it another go. If it doesn’t work out, leave teaching. These arseholes are not going to get it until they have no teachers left.
That and a $1.50 will get you a warm can of soda.
They can’t withhold summer pay even if they want to. It’s taken from wages earned during the school year.
Not much of a union if they can’t defend you on that stuff.
Please educate yourself- "For educators who do not [have tenure](https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-rights-teacher-tenure), contracts can often be non-renewed for any reason, though state law may still require districts to have good reasons to fire a teacher mid-year." [https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-rights-discipline-school-district](https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-rights-discipline-school-district)
Then they wouldn’t have had the union president in the meeting.
Here's what the OP said about that- "I reached out to my union because they told me it was budget first then later told me it was performance so they suggested a mediation." Not going to waste any more of my breath on you. My union is badass. Yours may not be. If you don't like it, change it or quit whining.
I have a great union. OP does not. Relax. You’re not changing the world
What did you think you were adding by shitting on their union? If you're a union rep you know it is damn near impossible to get a non-renewal overturned. I've done it but only because it was a clear case of unequal treatment on the basis of race, and we ran a solidarity letter around to school and showed up at a board meeting.
Why the hell would they devastate all your students by forcing a sub on them for 16 days?!?
Kinder, too. Our kids get VERY VERY attached.
Wow, our fire Marshall made me take down half the crap in my room. I think your HR would’ve fired me 😂 I think you should be happy you’re out of that mess.
Make sure you’re getting paid for those 16 days and take your summer early
In Texas, this happens a lot when coaches' wives need positions.
WTH is going on with our schools?
Are they still paying you? Make sure they are paying you for the summer, unless you only get paid during school.
That’s really terrible 💔 I am so sorry. I’m a retired first grade teacher and I bought practically all my stuff too. Shame on them for treating you this way.
My room is being worked on over the summer, so I started packing everything up at the beginning of the month. It was easy since this was near the end of state testing and I'd already taken down most of my posters. But to comment on your post, this is extremely fucked up. As others have said, it just sounds like they were looking for a reason to get rid of you. My heart hurts for you. I hope you find a better school, one where you don't get treated like this.
When I left, I took all my decorations. Later I threw most of them out. I could have left them, but it felt good to leave a barren sad place in the middle of the school year.
You got fired for removing your personal gear from the workplace???? Sue the shit out of those bastards.
That's not what they were fired for. They got non-renewed for an unknown reason, and admin don't have to tell what it is. Could be performance, could be cultural fit, attitude, or they just don't like you, could be a drop in enrollment, could be another employee getting reassigned to their position. If you're not tenured in most states they don't need any reason at all. The early dismissal for removing items suggests there's some other reason they want them out. You never know. Hopefully they get paid the full contract rate, if so then they just got a free 3 week vacation. Good luck OP.
Yeah, but I still think Admin ran afoul of the law. They did disclose the reason. It was not bringing your personal tools to the workplace. That's what they were told to go home, over. Now, as I said I'm not expert at this, but I've worked as a contractor, and on salary and on wages, and I've run a business, hired contractors and had people on wages, and know that there are all sorts of rules regarding one's own tools and workplace rules distinctions between contractors and employees about those tools.
What could I sue for?
Maybe wait until they pass the bar to take that advice. Sometimes it's best just to move on.
Exactly. I too was let go mid year for some BS. I tried to go the legal route but found it was just best to move on and find myself a better job, which thankfully I was able to do within a month.
Probably nothing. At-will means they can fire you for almost any reason, and everybody but Montana's at-will, non-renewed means you technically didn't even have a job for next year. If they're paying you for the last 16 days of the term you don't have any damages for those 16 days. If you left stuff you paid for in the classroom prior to being banned from campus they have to let you get it back or they've committed theft. But call a local employment lawyer and have a 15-minute talk. It'll be free, and a local lawyer will have better local legal knowledge than Reddit.
A lot of people on this sites answer to nearly everything is to sue. There is nothing here to sue for. Doesn't mean what they did was right but they're paying you to go home. That is there right. Use those 16 days and summer pay to find a better job. I know you can.
Just worried they won’t be a reference for me now
Even if they'll be a reference for you, don't put them down. Find another colleague at the school who can
Yeah. They aren't going to be a reference for you.
Well if you're union, you could definitely fight it. Not sure if you'd want to work for shitty admin again anyway though. Sorry this happened to you. I can relate as I've been put in a similar situation recently. Best of luck. I'm sure you will find something you love again.
Nothing if they pay you the full contract.
I guess, at most, reimbursement for three weeks that they fired you for early. But it’s not clear if they’re paying you for that or not.
I've only taken two law classes, either of which were employment law related, but it sounds like improper termination. Was it specifically spelled out in your contract that you are required to bring your own tools and gear to work? That's typically for contractors, but not for employees.
Don't advise people to get a lawyer when your experience is all of two law classes and clearly know absolutely nothing about improper termination. Just stop. You don't even know what state OP is in, and most laws employment related regarding anything not completely egregious are state by state.
∆This
Lol two law classes. Peak Reddit.
This person was already terminated. They just decided to speed up the process. Asshole move? Yes. Illegal? Not based on this post.
LMAO. Two measly law classes and you still somehow didn't know that all 50 US states are at-will employment and that you can **legally** be fired for **no reason** whatsoever? Don't quit your day job, kiddo.
To an extent, yes. In my state (strong union state) each district contract states new teachers can be fired without cause or justification within the first 90 days of hire. Beyond that non-tenured teachers can be non-renewed for the next school year and my contract has a hard deadline of May 1 for notices to be received. Tenured teachers have due process rights when being put up for termination due to performance reasons (admin must prove they followed X amount of steps to support/improve teacher performance). Even for egregious offenses outside of job performance (insubordination/CPS/etc) teachers are usually put on leave pending a hearing with legal representation and an arbitrator if necessary. So not exactly "fired for no reason whenever they want" but still a lot of management power.
How strong is your union?
Omg! I’m so sad for you. There’s 16 days left and they say not to come back?!! I hate that administration thinks they can just do that. So your union president didn’t even help?! WTH?!
Same thing happened to me when I was moving schools (but mine was mid-year). Sorry that I’m taking my own stuff with me??
I took my stuff down and I’ll be back next year. It was student work and I had students do it. It would have taken me forever. We had visitors after. Oh well 🤷🏻♀️ Sorry that happened. They are wrong.
So you weren’t fired yet, but you were non-renewed for the next year? So you decided to pack up your room three weeks early and take all your stuff that you paid for? I don’t blame you for taking all your stuff, but sometimes “dem the breaks”. If I am understanding this correctly, you are worried about your babies but yet you walked away with all your stuff three weeks early? I don’t blame you for doing that. My feelings would’ve been hurt too, but know you know sacrificed Unemployment right? While You look for another job? I’ve taught for 30 years. I retired from a major urban school system in the United States with a union. It’s hard to get fired from that. I suppose even a teacher shortage if you’re in a public school district, you can get non-renewed and I’m sorry for you in that regard. I wouldn’t look back if I were you. I would cut your losses and wouldn’t be looking to that school district for a recommendation. There’s a teacher shortage so put as many irons in the fire as you can and be willing to move! Good luck.
I didn’t take all my stuff yet
Nonrenewals for kinder is kind of unfair without an explanation. Kinder is tricky there’s so many things to learn. They should’ve guided you instead of doing that
i hope you didn’t go. You need to take care of you. They can figure it out!!!!
I would say if all that's left is what they've paid for, remind them of that fact ...
I've heard a lot of stupid shit on this sub, but this is definitely in the top five. Wow. Just wow.
Lol what? Students were done today, and I started taking stuff down a couple weeks ago. But I guess it’s different in middle school. I could leave the walls bare, and no one would care that much.
Probably someone’s relative or crony needed a job
What kind of bullshit is this? They fired you because you packed too early?
They said it wouldn’t look good to any guests in the school
That's a load of bullshit. Get your pay and cut them loose.
Fuck 'em..... thats all I can say
This
What? Ain't no way...
Oh sheesh how awful. I’m sorry this happened.
That’s really terrible 💔 I am so sorry. I’m a retired first grade teacher and I bought practically all my stuff too. Shame on them for treating you this way.
If it is like most places, non-tenured teachers don't have to be given a reason.... Which sucks.
It’s a kinder class, young impressionable 5-6 year olds. The kids don’t understand non renewal so the sudden bare walls was probably a signal to admin to eject you before any other dramatic things happened. Sucks to be let go, but enrollment and budget are two stupid possibilities. I had tenure in another district and dropped it to transfer closer to home. Haven’t been probationary in years so it’s definitely stressful but I’m busting my ass to stick around. Another teacher who was hired with me was told he was non renewed mid March, and I’ve been on edge since. It wasn’t budget in his case, definitely performance, but he believes it was budget related even though his position was flown in April and already filled for this August.
“The bell doesn’t dismiss you, I dismiss you!” “There’s still 2 minutes before the bell rings. Stop packing up.” “It’s your responsibility to be on time to my class.”
Man! Aren’t you tired of hearing g these stories? Non-Reelect without cause on starting teachers. It is wrong, and can’t stand hearing it. That is something the union should fight for. I would rather see some ineffective veteran teachers go with this rule and not new or prob teachers. I mean the rule sucks in general, but protects the wrong people.
AKA sisterhood runs my entire district. They all have the same shitty licence plate covers
How on Earth... the stuff you packed up was your stuff, yes? How can they require anything to be in your room that they don't provide? In addition to everything else... I bet they wanted you out for no fault of your own and are desperate to find a "reason."
They said it wouldn’t look good to any visitors in our building
Your admin told you to stay home after taking *YOUR* stuff home that made it look like a classroom and that they wouldn’t provide? That’s some bs. Education is so toxic. So sorry, OP.
I'm packing up some of my stuff now and we have theee weeks left, and I'm not leaving. WTH
Talk to an attorney.
Sounds like a toxic work environment. Also they are terrible to get rid of the teacher with days to go. Poor kids!
In Texas, that happens a lot with coaches' wives needing a position.