Leaving teaching

[Anonymous]

In most jobs, two weeks notice seems pretty standard. I'm leaving my teaching job. If you are a principal or administrator in a school, does 4 weeks notice seem like enough?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In most jobs, two weeks notice seems pretty standard. I'm leaving my teaching job. If you are a principal or administrator in a school, does 4 weeks notice seem like enough?

Mid year? Jesus.

[Anonymous]

No, there is absolutely no chance we could hire a replacement within 4 weeks. We’d be very, very lucky if we could find a halfway decent long term substitute within that amount of time.

That being said, 4 weeks is much better than 2 weeks.

I assume you’re okay with breaking your contract and knowing you will not be able to return to teaching again as a result? Will you owe any leave you haven’t yet accrued back to the school district?

[Anonymous]

Can you at least teach through December? It's going to be hell trying to fill your position.

[Anonymous]

Less is better due to potential retaliation and hard feelings across staff and admin. If you were important to them they would have done more to keep you to begin with. Move on, don’t look back. Don’t burn bridges either though, leave everything in order, cross your T’s dot your I’s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, there is absolutely no chance we could hire a replacement within 4 weeks. We’d be very, very lucky if we could find a halfway decent long term substitute within that amount of time.

That being said, 4 weeks is much better than 2 weeks.

I assume you’re okay with breaking your contract and knowing you will not be able to return to teaching again as a result? Will you owe any leave you haven’t yet accrued back to the school district?

You can always return to teaching. Or you can get hired on somewhere that contracts teachers to work in school but isn’t directly affiliated with the school system. You havemuch more control when you don’t have to get wrapped up in public school politics where students are secondary. Usually pays better too.

[Anonymous]

Retired principal here. Years ago, I had a French teacher leave for a better paying job with two weeks' notice. I was able to find a teacher - luckily - to take the class (and she turned out to be a great long termer). A couple years after this happened, I was talking with a few of the students in the class (they were seniors by then) and they were still angry about that first teacher walking out on them -- they took it very personally (they were a great class).

This is a dramatic story, I know, but the kids are almost always negatively impacted. Leaving at a natural break (quarter, semester, holiday, etc.) if always better when possible.

[Anonymous]

OP I've worked both in and out of teaching. The two week standard exists in a different universe from teaching. I assume you'll be breaking a contract when you leave? Are you planning to leave at the end of a semester, term, or the calendar year?

You know it's a tough year for hiring. Tell us what grade level and subject and we can tell you the predicted time to replace you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, there is absolutely no chance we could hire a replacement within 4 weeks. We’d be very, very lucky if we could find a halfway decent long term substitute within that amount of time.

That being said, 4 weeks is much better than 2 weeks.

I assume you’re okay with breaking your contract and knowing you will not be able to return to teaching again as a result? Will you owe any leave you haven’t yet accrued back to the school district?

Not necessarily true. My DW teaches math in the upper elementary. At a part-time job she does she recently chatted with an administrator from another county (some type of assistant superintendent I believe). She had said she is going to take the Praxis and try to move to the secondary level. He said he’d hire her before even taking the Praxis. When she said she’s currently employed by her current district he said it didn’t matter. He’d hire her to start in October.

She can transfer to another county a certain amount of unused leave.The rest she would forfeit anyhow, which would happen to all unused leave if she just resigned or retired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Retired principal here. Years ago, I had a French teacher leave for a better paying job with two weeks' notice. I was able to find a teacher - luckily - to take the class (and she turned out to be a great long termer). A couple years after this happened, I was talking with a few of the students in the class (they were seniors by then) and they were still angry about that first teacher walking out on them -- they took it very personally (they were a great class).

This is a dramatic story, I know, but the kids are almost always negatively impacted. Leaving at a natural break (quarter, semester, holiday, etc.) if always better when possible.

Experienced teacher (15+ years) looking for another job right now-
I understand the impact my abrupt departure may have on my students. I’m a pretty well-loved teacher. The problem is I am absolutely miserable right now. I can’t work 60-65 hour weeks anymore. I can’t put my work over my family anymore. I can’t cover for my admin anymore, taking on every little thing they need me to do.

The “my students will suffer” idea kept me in this job for years. It can’t anymore. My own children are suffering. I am suffering. I know I have leverage now because of teacher shortages, so the threat of losing my license doesn’t really scare me. If I can find a better placement, I’m going to take it. I’ll feel bad that I’m leaving my students, but I won’t feel bad because of what it does to admin. Admin is why I’m trying to leave.

[Anonymous]

I'm a former HS teacher turned instructional designer.

I quit midyear with two weeks notice. They weren't able to find a replacement, but I at least gave them time to plan around my departure (unlike when other teachers quit without warning). I made sure all of the assignments were graded, I emailed information to all of the case managers to use for their IEPs/504s, and I left a detailed account of where we were leaving off in the event they found a long-term sub.

For three long years I tried finding a job during the summer, but it never worked out. Whenever an opportunity came up mid-year, I turned it down because I didn't want to abandon the kids - a lot of whom saw me as a stand-in parent. It got to a point where I couldn't tread water financially anymore. I heard all the threats about never teaching again and possibly being fined for breaking my contract.

Let me tell you, all of it was BS. My principal and central office emailed me to ask if I was interested in coming back. I've been a reference for many coworkers since then, and those principals asked if I was interested in coming back into the fold.

Do what works for you and your family. The kids may be disappointed, but there is no easy off-ramp to get out of teaching. Anyone who tells you to quit over the summer wouldn't dare quit their own job without having another one lined up. It's an unfortunate but necessary course of action. Don't become The Giving Tree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a former HS teacher turned instructional designer.

I quit midyear with two weeks notice. They weren't able to find a replacement, but I at least gave them time to plan around my departure (unlike when other teachers quit without warning). I made sure all of the assignments were graded, I emailed information to all of the case managers to use for their IEPs/504s, and I left a detailed account of where we were leaving off in the event they found a long-term sub.

For three long years I tried finding a job during the summer, but it never worked out. Whenever an opportunity came up mid-year, I turned it down because I didn't want to abandon the kids - a lot of whom saw me as a stand-in parent. It got to a point where I couldn't tread water financially anymore. I heard all the threats about never teaching again and possibly being fined for breaking my contract.

Let me tell you, all of it was BS. My principal and central office emailed me to ask if I was interested in coming back. I've been a reference for many coworkers since then, and those principals asked if I was interested in coming back into the fold.

Do what works for you and your family. The kids may be disappointed, but there is no easy off-ramp to get out of teaching. Anyone who tells you to quit over the summer wouldn't dare quit their own job without having another one lined up. It's an unfortunate but necessary course of action. Don't become The Giving Tree.

Can I have this post inscribed on gold plates, please?

Nobody ever does anyone any favors in the long run by being a martyr. It always works out badly long term.

OP, make the best decision for you and your family. Within that, stay as professional as you can, but don't drag it out.

The resounding message of the last few years that professionals weren't needed, could be easily replaced, and should just leave if they didn't like it was heard, received, and taken as not a lie.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you all.
I appreciate all the responses. Leaving mid year is not something I'm taking lightly, but it is the only course of action for me in my particular situation. I'm grateful to a principal who understands all the nuances of the situation who has offered to give me a glowing reference even though I'll be leaving mid year. I know it sounds crazy. I was prepared to not be able to use her as a reference, but she wouldn't have it. She outright said I was the best teacher she'd ever met and somebody deserved to have me, even if it wasn't her school or any school. She's mad as hell at the district for allowing the situation that's causing me to leave though. (and no, I won't go into the details here)

I plan to leave the room tidy, all grades entered, all curriculum and teacher manuals ready for someone else to use and copies made for the week after I leave. I started looking about three weeks ago and have had 4 interviews, 1 offer, a follow up interview for next week and a few initial interviews scheduled for next week.

[Anonymous]

didn't you sign a contract? I would lose my teaching license if I left mid year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all.
I appreciate all the responses. Leaving mid year is not something I'm taking lightly, but it is the only course of action for me in my particular situation. I'm grateful to a principal who understands all the nuances of the situation who has offered to give me a glowing reference even though I'll be leaving mid year. I know it sounds crazy. I was prepared to not be able to use her as a reference, but she wouldn't have it. She outright said I was the best teacher she'd ever met and somebody deserved to have me, even if it wasn't her school or any school. She's mad as hell at the district for allowing the situation that's causing me to leave though. (and no, I won't go into the details here)

I plan to leave the room tidy, all grades entered, all curriculum and teacher manuals ready for someone else to use and copies made for the week after I leave. I started looking about three weeks ago and have had 4 interviews, 1 offer, a follow up interview for next week and a few initial interviews scheduled for next week.

I'm so, so happy for you, OP.