unpopular option

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He or she left the field. We’re all under contact- this person will never teach again.

What nonsense. I don’t believe for a second you are actually a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He or she left the field. We’re all under contact- this person will never teach again.

What nonsense. I don’t believe for a second you are actually a teacher.

I am a teacher, and I actually have personal experience with this. School systems see this as a very black-and-white thing. You simply cannot break contract.

[Anonymous]

It happened to two of my kids, and both times, I knew the reason for the teacher leaving. They honestly had no other choice. However, the dynamic of education, where parents are supposed to be partners with the school and the teachers in educating their child, is undermined when teachers leave without explanation mid-year. Teaching really isn't like any other profession. Parents help teachers out in the classroom at school, send in supplies, have special appreciation events, but then are shut out completely from knowing anything about extended absences or abrupt departures. I understand these things are confidential, but it's a tough pill to swallow. In fact, it feels like a slap in the face. If confidentiality prohibits saying anything, then the departure could be for something trivial. There is no way of knowing. And kids, especially younger kids, which mine were when their teacher left during winter break, tend to feel abandoned and even responsible.

I do understand wanting some information, but consider why a teacher might take the extreme position of leaving mid-year--it really is, at least in the DMV area, uncommon because it impedes future employment options.
"Hi families, I am dealing with a stillbirth. I am letting you know I am leaving because I am suicidally depressed."


"Families, I have to undergo breast cancer treatment and need to go on medical leave for the rest of the year."


"Hi, I am so stressed out by teaching that I am pulling my hair out, so I've decided to leave the field entirely rather than come in every day." (though in that example, the teacher did stay until the end of the year).

[Anonymous]

OP, go on YouTube and watch the dozens of new videos every day posted by teachers who have recently quit. They explain why. Usually, it's overbearing administration, no creativity left in teaching, helicopter parents, maladapted students who are acting out. Put yourself in the teacher's shoes. They are doing a hero's job in many cases right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He or she left the field. We’re all under contact- this person will never teach again.

What nonsense. I don’t believe for a second you are actually a teacher.

I am a teacher, and I actually have personal experience with this. School systems see this as a very black-and-white thing. You simply cannot break contract.

How current is your experience? Things are very desperate right now

[Anonymous]

I have a family member that resigned a contract midway through the year. The stress she was under was so bad she lost a ton of weight, was constantly sick, and given her medical conditions could have very well threatened her life if she stuck it out. She was the latest in a long string of teachers who had the job for a year and quit. The difference is she couldn’t make it the full year. I like to think her admin learned something about employee relations when she got stuck holding the bag, but that’s generally not how the education system works. The people often put in charge seemingly have no idea how to run their organizations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He or she left the field. We’re all under contact- this person will never teach again.

What nonsense. I don’t believe for a second you are actually a teacher.

I am a teacher, and I actually have personal experience with this. School systems see this as a very black-and-white thing. You simply cannot break contract.

How current is your experience? Things are very desperate right now[/quote

Have you seen anyone whose broken contract get re-hired?

[Anonymous]

Sometimes life means you can’t wait. It does suck for the kids but nobody has to choose a job over their own personal life. Your kid will manage the last quarter which is eaten up with testing and activities just fine.

[Anonymous]

If you leave mid year you can certainly teach again. You can’t leave mid contract to go to another teaching job but the following year you can be hired by someone else. “Never teach again”?. That’s completely untrue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you leave mid year you can certainly teach again. You can’t leave mid contract to go to another teaching job but the following year you can be hired by someone else. “Never teach again”?. That’s completely untrue.

You just have to wait one year. You claim you had long covid and boom you’re back in the classroom in the county next door.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you leave mid year you can certainly teach again. You can’t leave mid contract to go to another teaching job but the following year you can be hired by someone else. “Never teach again”?. That’s completely untrue.

You just have to wait one year. You claim you had long covid and boom you’re back in the classroom in the county next door.

Well, we need teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you quit your teaching job doing spring break you’re selfish. My DD 8th grade ELS resigned over break and she isn’t coming back some days other teachers have to fill in because of her actions. Just FYI if you quit wait till June please.

Sure, that annoy me, but I wouldn't blame the teacher. She gets to quit a job if she wants.


Maybe blame the school itself, not the individual teacher. What have they done? What has APS done?
All that covid money - if they had given decent raises or bonuses to teachers and then spent a lot of the money to hire more teachers or even just teacher aids in some classrooms, wow, that would have been amazing. And really helped students. and teachers. But they didn't. So maybe it's not the teachers fault. Maybe it's your fault for not being willing to speak up more and for getting others to speak up more. Few parents if any engage with APS or the board or demand or ask for anything of substance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes life means you can’t wait. It does suck for the kids but nobody has to choose a job over their own personal life. Your kid will manage the last quarter which is eaten up with testing and activities just fine.

What a strange attitude. And new, too.

Maybe the pandemic has broken all of us.

[Anonymous]

You all forget that many teachers are parents themselves. THEIR kids come first so if their job teaching your kids negatively impacts parenting their kids (e.g. long hours and too much after-hours work, inability to take sick leave due to no available subs, stress from administration and unappreciative parents...), they are NOT going to worry so much about leaving your kids in a bind mid-year!!!

As others said, you don't know what is going on in teacher's life. Teacher likely left to spend more time with a child (may be identified as special need) or a sick parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes life means you can’t wait. It does suck for the kids but nobody has to choose a job over their own personal life. Your kid will manage the last quarter which is eaten up with testing and activities just fine.

What a strange attitude. And new, too.

Maybe the pandemic has broken all of us.

Uh yeah. It made us realize how precious health and family are. I hope it lasts