Jobs in Education and Resignation (employee, applying, secretaries, interview)

[GSDFan]

Hi. Haven't posted here in awhile. I posted here last that I had a didn't have a good evaluation on the first evaluation. Since then my last 2 evaluations were good so my job in this district is secure.

I'm not posting about that though. Although I hate the current school I work at in terms of my coworkers and administration (there's office mobbing and yes I already have been in touch with the union). While I could probably transfer to a different school before the 15-16 school year starts, I ended my lease and hired a mover to go back closer near my family (it's unrelated to my work thing).

I've been applying for a ton of jobs near my family but have only had 1 interview and didn't get it. Because I hate living in my current town so much (gave it 2 years) and hate being away from family, I decided to throw in the towel and move back home when the school year ends even without having a job lined up (I haven't yet resigned from this school district and no one has any idea I'm looking to leave altogether).

I'm now getting cold feet... I know you aren't supposed to quit any job without having a job lined up. I get that, however in education does that apply? While I am not a teacher, I still have a contract.

What do teachers do when they plan to relocate? Just resign in the summer and then hope to get a job, or resign once they do get a job and break their contract?


I live in a city that is not meant for single professionals. I'm an outgoing person and social but after 2 years, I've made 0 friends. This is a very family oriented city and not for me. I'm turning 31 soon and never thought I would say this, but I would like to meet someone for a relationship and think about starting a family. In this town, the odds of that are slim because most people already have a family here, or they are retired. In the past I would never relocate to increase the likeliness of me meeting someone but now I would.

[fushiaspyker]

It's typical, practical advice for most people to say that you should have a job before you leave. However, it is not always possible. In education, a lot of districts won't hire you if you are still under contract somewhere else. You either have to lie and take your chances, find someone who will slip you into another school without mentioning anything to your current boss, or just leave(resign) and hope for the best.

Regarding the single life in a town where everything is geared towards family, I understand your thought process. I dont blame you for moving back home. At 31 it is perfectly normal to want a family for yourself. I have no suggestions for that, but wish you the best!

[mostlysunny1]

Sounds like summer would be the time to quit a school job unless you have a multi-year contract.

You could consider talking to an attorney about 'hostile work environment' to see if your workplace is meeting criteria. You will also need to EAP at work and go get a mental counseling to show your workplace is affecting your health (without discussing obvious desire to move)....Then you tell your managers 'hostile work environment', let them scramble around for a couple weeks disciplining the office bullies & giving attitude adjustments, and then you give notice, file for unemployment coverage and you are free....EAP at work probably will let you get attorney advice for free....You can sometimes even get a settlement $$$ for these situations...This may get you out of your contract.

Then, when you move you can go to unemployment office in your city & ask for worker retraining. You can get 2 more years of work training in another area or finish old degree area, get unemployment check whole time and govt pays for school too....

So unfortunately, some cities employment situations are almost a city-wide plethera of scams, sexual harassments, hostile work environments, business screwing each other out....This is almost the 'new' workplace as corporate cultures as taken to flighting amongst employee cliques even out-screwing each other, while smaller business is not as toxic in most places as long as you are one of 'us'...Lots of people left employment without another job lined up & even used up some of their retirement accounts for a while. Expect to pay 30% in taxes/penalities if you have to cash in...But if some workers are ruining new women in office for mistresses, you will be the happiest woman ever to be able to walk away from it with a little money, let attorney handle rest & even be able to put your mistakenly-purchased home on market & walk away from that mistake....

Be well. Good luck to you...Once you get re-settled. I HIGHLY recommend you skimp to save 9 months of expenses to be able to deal with these situations if you find another one...These mentally ill younger than 40 year old workers are a real office mistake-handful and single women need to be prepared to deal with passive-aggressives & aggressors....Some offices are SO bad, this is point where woman is forced to get married to someone she barely knew in order to stay in a good job. It is the office hustle, even in good govt employment so money to walk away is your life-line to freedom instead of abusive relationship situation....AFter learning this goes on, I would never stay where I did not know at least some good relationship men. Some of the women in ****ty cities track the good guys' availability on Facebook as females cannot be alone long after being dumped in some cities without a middle-age male predator trying to pick her up by force if she stays alone long....

Some women are even ruined for trying to move to a new city alone to work...Employer will fire anyone who has any problems start at new job, locals target these ladies.... Really need to have a local contact to navigate some cities or you move in with a roommate/relationship...There was no way to get these off of anyone in town due to dirty cops/courts & women just had to dump all housing/work & leave. Other TERRIBLE BUT TRUE. If you want to transfer employers, talk to the office workers in the office to see what she thinks about local city...These can give you HUGE amount of data about local problems...

CRAZY BY FRIGHTENINGLY TRUE.

[mostlysunny1]

I highly recommend you explore the 'budget repayment' or sliding fee student loan payments ... Diversion of payments is not worth the effort in my opinion...If you can adjust your student loan payments so you can afford it while working at Walgreens, hardware store or Dollar General, plus car insurance, cell phone & food/gas, you will be able to make any job change you need to if you have to look up family or friends to leave any employment mistakes...

Time to rework your possessions too so you can easily leave anything....Own very little belongings...

[mostlysunny1]

I have background in classified tech support work for school district. I never saw mobbing, only the office crazy who was let go on unwanted new hires...Endless numbers of new hires while this office nut retained his employment while harassing lots of people.

What was cause of the mobbing in your office? Personal problem for employee, overly assertive, offensive personality, needed to retire, sex harassment or mobbing against anyone who stood up to the office dominant? Did they just mob one person or anyone? Do you work at college level? (I now stay out of college-employment here, it is open season here on females -- employees or students. Only the males employees are retained, female employees are conditional upon whatever demands the management decides to wield. Eventually whole departments of female employees were fired to cover up dominant male coworker's desires...) What is age group involved?

I've only seen the mobbing in church....

I would love a little more info on the trend.

[GSDFan]

Originally Posted by fushiaspyker

It's typical, practical advice for most people to say that you should have a job before you leave. However, it is not always possible. In education, a lot of districts won't hire you if you are still under contract somewhere else. You either have to lie and take your chances, find someone who will slip you into another school without mentioning anything to your current boss, or just leave(resign) and hope for the best.

Regarding the single life in a town where everything is geared towards family, I understand your thought process. I dont blame you for moving back home. At 31 it is perfectly normal to want a family for yourself. I have no suggestions for that, but wish you the best!

What do you think is the best thing for me to do? If I didn't work in education I would wait until I have a job lined up and then move but I don't yet.

My original plan was just to quietly resign over the summer and hope for the best, but I'm getting very nervous I won't have a full time job for the upcoming school year. Assuming the worst, if I don't get a job in education for the year how do I explain a gap in my resume? I relocated to be near family and couldn't secure a job in my field? Financially I am lucky to be able to afford to take the chance, but I'm just very scared it will hurt chances of future employment (I do like my job, I just don't like my current location or my site).

[GSDFan]

In regards to the last 2 posts, I knew something was up in my current job when there were downright lies in October where a group of my coworkers lied about where I was (they stated I was not with them and they had no idea where I was). This was mentioned to the principal and even the assistant principal took a part of the mobbing. I stated that they could watch the video tape in the camera that is outside the hall because I wanted to clear my name and that I was not lying about my whereabouts. 5 of my coworkers had lied and stated I wasn't with them despite me HELPING them in the room we were in! I have NEVER experienced anything like that.

I've also accidentally seen emails between coworkers talking about me. My admin has railroaded me on evaluations (despite them being good) stating her plans for me the next school year. The extra duties she is giving me has never been assigned to any of my coworkers in the same position.

I've had (this is according to the principal) multiple staff complain to her about me despite never saying a word to me over the same thing since the first evaluation. When my principal brought that up in the 2nd evaluation, I called bs (well I didn't use that term exactly lol) because I hadn't done at all what they said I did previously unless an admin told me to do it! The principal just gave me a blank look and changed the subject.

Two of my coworkers in weekly meetings with admin regularly tell me a duty I have to do, despite them never doing it.

People in the office have gone to admin saying I'm not doing certain things which logically I cannot do in the time frame that the secretaries want because admin has me placed doing testing or going into classrooms. When they want me to go to students' homes, I cannot do that without our coordinator going with me as per admin, and our coordinator rarely responds to my calls or emails stating we need to go to a student's house ASAP.

During my 2nd evaluation my principal said to me that it's clear I don't fit in and that the staff is disrespectful to me. When I asked her if I have a job there next year she said yes but that it may be a good idea for me to try to go to a school where I fit in. She then added that it's not her job to tell people to be nice to me. I've asked her on 3 occasions if she can write me a letter of recommendation and she said yes but it's been months and I have no letter.

I don't know what I did to this staff to make them hate me this much to basically push me out. I hate saying this because I don't want to seem like I have an ego or anything but I think it's because I am significantly younger than them, attractive, blonde, and single. All of them are middle aged and up, married, and have kids. I've had 2 male coworkers say to me that it's the "younger attractive woman" thing as did a guy I met at another school so I'm going with that.

This is a small school district. Everyone is friends with everyone in higher places (but me). Our union rep is awful and is good friends with the principal and repeats info that we have given her to her friends. When I've called up the union, they ask for our names and they know the admin at my school.

This town is very much a have kids young and get married young (some anyway...). Very few young, single professionals like me with no kids.

[seasick]

I so doubt it's because you are younger, because this type of behavior is seen towards all ages.

You don't seem to be a good fit with the school, district, and town. Cut your losses and leave, and see if you find a place you enjoy more and that is suitable for "young, single professionals" like yourself.

[davidv]

I am assuming that you will get paid over the summer. Save as much of that money as possible.

If you can afford a year off working as a sub and doing other jobs in your town, then do it. Do not sign a contract for next year and turn in a letter of resignation instead. Tell them you are grateful for the opportunity and that you have decided to move away to be closer to your family.

Hopefully, you will get a letter of recommendation, but if you don't, don't worry too much. Use your older references. When a potential school district asks why you left, tell them that you moved back home because the school "wasn't a good fit." Do not elaborate from there.

As for other actions, I would let things be. Suing the government is not worth the trouble. If you do choose to take action, you could probably use a FOIA request to get ahold of all emails about you.

[KathrynJeanStacy]

Any chance you would be interested in a job teaching English in China? Great oppertunity to travel and see the world.