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I'm curious as to opinions of teachers quitting after the school year starts. There are always two waves of hiring for teachers. One in April/May for the next year and one in August/September for the current year once schools have firm numbers. Obviously, if you're hired in September, you may have already accepted another position that you will leave. Do you think it's ethical for a teacher to take a better opportunity that comes along after they've accepted a position?
In industry, there's no question. You take the better job. No one would consider someone obligated to continue at a lesser job once offered a better one. If one employer isn't willing to pay somoene and the next one is, it's considered the employers problem since one option is to match the offer (which doesn't happen in schools). Does the same apply to teachers? Why or why not?
Let's say a teacher has accepted a low paying position with lousy benefits because she just hasn't been offered anything else and a district (with great pay, benefits and a retirement plan) wants to interview her just days before school starts. Is she obligated to turn down the better job, if an offer is made, because of the one she's already accepted (at will contract)? The position will not wait for her and she may not get another opportunity to get into this district if she's offered the position and turns it down.
[mod cut: fixed title typo for you]
Last edited by uptown_urbanist; 09-01-2009 at 01:15 PM..
Reason: fixed typo
I'm curious as to opinions of teachers quitting after the school year starts. There are always two waves of hiring for teachers. One in April/May for the next year and one in August/September for the current year once schools have firm numbers. Obviously, if you're hired in September, you may have already accepted another position that you will leave. Do you think it's ethical for a teacher to take a better opportunity that comes along after they've accepted a position?
In industry, there's no question. You take the better job. No one would consider someone obligated to continue at a lesser job once offered a better one. If one employer isn't willing to pay somoene and the next one is, it's considered the employers problem since one option is to match the offer (which doesn't happen in schools). Does the same apply to teachers? Why or why not?
Let's say a teacher has accepted a low paying position with lousy benefits because she just hasn't been offered anything else and a district (with great pay, benefits and a retirement plan) wants to interview her just days before school starts. Is she obligated to turn down the better job, if an offer is made, because of the one she's already accepted (at will contract)? The position will not wait for her and she may not get another opportunity to get into this district if she's offered the position and turns it down.
ARRRRGGG (noticed I typed an apostrophe in the title where one does not belong after I hit post and I can't edit the title)
In many/most PUBLIC districts you have broken your contract by leaving during the year without being released. Depending on the state there may be built in sanctions including the possible suspension of your certification. Also many states have agreements within the districts not to hire someone who has broken their contract. Coming from private can be very different. It just depends. Before doing so one needs to research what the sanctions if any might be. Usually moving X distance will get you released.
In many/most PUBLIC districts you have broken your contract by leaving during the year without being released. Depending on the state there may be built in sanctions including the possible suspension of your certification. Also many states have agreements within the districts not to hire someone who has broken their contract. Coming from private can be very different. It just depends. Before doing so one needs to research what the sanctions if any might be. Usually moving X distance will get you released.
That's true of union districts when the teacher belongs to the union here. As far as I know, the state doesn't sanction teachers who leave one job for another, regardless of the circumstances. The union is another matter. The "contract" in question is an at will contract though it's "assumed" that it's for the year. Legally, this contract isn't worth the paper it's written on as evidenced by the fact this employer reduced benefits twice last year as a cost save, in spite of existing contracts, which was the equivalent of a pay cut for the teachers because they had to pay for benefits they were given before or just do without .)
This isn't really an issue of contracts or asked because of one. It's an ethics issue. The question is, once a teacher has accepted a position are they obligated to pass on better positions that might come along that they didn't know about when they signed their contract because of the assumption a teacher will be there a year at a time? Or are they like any other employee and free to find better employment whenever it may come along? It is not unusual in industry to take one job until another better job comes along. Do teachers have the same right? Or are they held to a higher standard that says they have to sacrifice their own families futures once they accept a position. That only positions that are offered at the right time of the year can be accepted. Are they required to remain unemployed until the right job comes along? Or is it ok to take a job to make do until a better job comes along?
Right now, this is hypothetical but it looks like I'm going to be asked to interview for a math position in a district I could work for until I retire and be happy working for. Asking this question is putting the cart before the horse but I've seen teachers badmouthed, at this school, for quitting after the school year starts before. Unfortunately, sometimes that's when the opportunity to take a better job comes along. So, are teachers required to pass on better jobs that come along or are they like any other employee who has the right to take something better if/when it comes along? Legally, there is nothing binding. In fact, no employment contract is really binding. Lincoln freed the slaves so no one can make you work for them. In industry, it is not unusual to take a job to have a job while you continue looking for a better job. In fact, there is a saying that it's easier to find a job when you have a job. No one really bats an eye if someone jumps ship to take a better offer. In fact they kind of think you're nuts if you don't. You're supposed to think enough of yourself to go after the best job you can get unless there's good reason for settling for less. Does the same apply to teachers? Discuss the ethics....
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 09-01-2009 at 02:43 PM..
You teach in a charter, which from your posts has different guidelines than the charters I'm familiar with. Take the regular public math slot.
I normally wouldn't say this but you're unhappy where you are, it sounds as if the charter is poorly run anyway. It may even be in danger of losing it's accreditation. In MD charters have to have comparable equipment and funding as publics, but as I said I'm not sure about MI.
I think it all depends on what the contract says. If it's not a good solid contract with specifications for time of employment that's binding then it likely has a section addressing termination and resignation. If you follow that, then there shouldn't be any reason to consider it an ethical problem. It's not your personal problem if they have to hire another employee, not matter what the reason.
Very rarely are employers happy when an employee leaves them suddenly for a better job and you will always risk the negative talk later. However it really doesn't matter unless you are planning to go back to them if this one doesn't work out.
Replacing teachers who leave after the year starts isn't really a new thing and it actually happens fairly often. Teachers retire early, get ill and cannot work (or worse they die), move to another city/state, get into legal trouble and all sorts of other reasons, including getting a better offer, so it's not a new or rare thing.
Actually, this contract doesn't say anything about termination. It just says I'm contracting to work 200 days for $x pay. There are no penalties for termination either way.
I'm not worried about the contract. It's the ethics. A district job solves every issue I have with teaching. I can settle in for the long haul. I really like that idea. One thing I hate about this job is feeling like I can't grow roots because, one way or the other, I have to figure out how to pay the bills if not this year then next or the following. A district job won't be much more pay up front but there will be raises and living paycheck to paycheck when you know you have a future is different than doing it knowing it's permanent.
Teachers aren't priests. Just like in private industry, they can quit when they want to. If the school district wants to sue, go for it.
Actually, I think preists can quit too but I sure don't envy them having to tell their boss they quit...
We'll see if anything comes of this. Last time I interviewed for a math position, I was one in a field of 17. Given I'm a second year teacher, the odds are pretty good someone will be better than me but I do have someone in the district pulling for me so who knows. If they make an offer, I have to take it. I'd be doing my family a disservice and myself if I didn't. My family needs the security and I really need to be somewhere where I can put down roots. Where two years from now I'm teaching the little brothers and sisters of the kids I have today.
As a parent - particularly in the lower grades I hate it! My child becomes very attached to his teacher and its a great loss when they leave. I was particularly mad when one teacher got fertility treatments and left in APril after numerous leaves in my child's classroom. That being said - its still within their right and they have their lives to lead - why shouldnt they make decision in their best interest? They have every right to do what they need to and I just need to get over it and compensate at home.
I would feel incredibly guilty leaving mid-year and wouldn't do it (except of course for emergency situations). Actually, I freak out when I have to have a sub for even a day. I used to work with attachment disordered preschoolers, so am probably overzealous about the issue. But I figure that even in a mainstream kinder classroom, I'll have kids with histories and possible attachment issues.
But it happens the other way too - I also felt terrible for the kids when our enrollment grew so high that they pulled out 10 of my students and placed them with another teacher in November last year, with a day's notice. The kids did ok though.
Anyway... I guess I'd say it's within a teacher's rights to do what is best for themselves, as a person would in any career... but I'd also hope that a teacher would consider the effect a disruption like that would cause for the kids too, effects that are more than the inconvienences and practicality problems in other fields. That's my non-answer
Oh, but as for the OP, I would guess that most September hires, especially in these times, are teachers who didn't already have a position. And I've never worked in a school where a teacher left midyear for anything other than pregnancy or medical issues.
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