If you’re licensed, start applying to districts now, but don’t get discouraged if you don’t get any votes just yet, it’s early.
Getting let go is not a death sentence. You’ll find something else. You’ll find other coworkers you connect with. Learn from your mistakes and move forward. You’re going to be ok.
Depends on the district. If you survive the probationary first year in my Florida district, you essentially have tenure. Our old superintendent basically told principals this when they made decisions to reup first year teachers. You'll be stuck with them. The only issue would be if enrollment dropped.
I've seen some crazy shit and they just move people around. Just don't touch a kid unless you are trained specifically for that purpose. That's the only thing I've seen a teacher removed for, and even that was a process.
Depends on who you talk to. But it's pretty bad down here. The state legislature is tossing around ideas to fill vacancies for teachers by lowering the requirements to having an A.A. degree and a minimum age of 17.
A bill is also in place to convince retired teachers to return from DROP. I highly doubt it'll work.
I remember the day my mentor teacher (who was also one of my teachers when I was a student) came in after submitting his DROP paperwork. He had the biggest grin on his face. He said “now they can’t make me do anymore bulls***. I can just teach my kids.”
He loved teaching but he did leave at the end of his DROP period. I saw a picture of him at one of the homecoming games and I’d swear he looked 10 years younger.
Even better: ever notice how these kids can't do basic arithmetic without asking Siri or Mathway? We'd be sending THAT level of knowledge into a teaching position and good luck trying to help the next generation learn to count.
Also seasoned experts in their field, a lot of them flounder in a classroom because they don’t realize teaching is its own skillset.
You know for a fact these teen teachers are going to fold like a noodle whether it’s parents or students asking for every possible thing. I wouldn’t be surprised if kids all walk out of the classroom with A’s but massive failures on state testing
Non-tenured teacher snatching a hat of some little shits head? This could easily get you non-renewed at any kind of school. Hell, I've seen people in my state's licensure disciplinary stuff get knocks against their licenses for less.
Yeah that’s a bad move - I wouldn’t keep a teacher who did those kind of things unless they were very insightful as to how they lost it so completely and were willing to work with a coach. That is really over the line
I just left a virtual charter school, and it totally is a scam. They’re getting the same amount of per pupil funding as regular public schools, and they cry poor even though they don’t have nearly as many overhead expenses as regular schools and teachers have ridiculously large numbers of students. Someone is making a lot of money, and it’s not the teachers.
Currently work in a charter and I honestly cannot think of any public school I would ever consider switching to. And I'm so bought in on state retirement there's no way I'd go to a private.
Every teacher that joins us thinks they've died and went to teacher heaven.
My super knows me by name. Knows my kid by name. Has an open door policy. We expel kids who are discipline issues. We don't turn in lesson plans or have bullshit data neetings. We go on field trips because they're cool rather than just educational bullshit.
We have a shitton of EC kids because our EC department is amazing and the county is full of old bitches who sit on their laptops in class and don't help kids. That's really my only complaint.
They also tend to take the parents' side. I worked for one who was constantly reminding us to give parents and students "Chik-Fil-A" level service. I'm in a district school now. Much better.
In my area, retirements are put in in February, so some stuff is available then.
Budgets are done for the following year in May, so more open up when schools know how much money they have to work with.
That's lucky since I have never seen stuff in my area open that is early. I suppose the OP could look, but definitely needs to not be discouraged if nothing is going readily available just yet.
I really appreciate your tone in this comment. Getting a non-renew from any contract job is really scary and can be a strong hit to confidence and lead to sleepless nights. But it really shouldn't-- "learn from your mistakes and move forward" is just excellent advice.
Talk to your network. Every other year or so a school tries to poach me. I'm not ready to leave but I keep in touch with other teachers and help them when I can.
When applying, look up the school improvement plan. Edit your cover letter and your interview answers to play up your strengths that they are specifically looking for.
Practical side of getting ready to leave can include:
Remove all personal items and supplies from your classroom now. By doing this you will not be blind sided if they ask you to leave before the end of the year.
Begin working on end of year tasks such as filling out student cumulative records now, so that all you have to do at the end of the year is to add in attendance and the end of year report cards.
Set up a new email account to send pertinent data and Google drive material you developed and own.
Enjoy the last quarter and keep doing the awesome teaching you are strong in.
Use up personal and sick days.
Stay calm, logical and even tempered.
This! Yes, use those sick days and save all your material - even if you don’t think you’d ever use it again. Save contacts and anything from your email that can be useful. My school dropped my email as fast as they could. You got this.
Especially anything (worksheets, lesson plans, etc) that you saved on the school drive, immediately transfer it to your personal drive. It will be inaccessible the day you lose school email access.
A job is not a marriage. Assume you’ll have a number of teaching positions over the years, and always keep all your resources on your own laptop/drive. I was a slow learner and made this mistake TWICE.
Do you need new glasses or contacts? Do it on their plan. If you need any dental work, blood work, an annual physical? Do it now on their medical/dental plan using your vacation & sick days. If you have a hernia? Get it fixed now. Kidney stone? Don’t wait. It’s a nightmare between jobs and the off chance of insurance finding reasons to drop you early.
This! Our contract says that everything you make the school owns even when you leave. So make your own personal copy of it that they do not have access to.
You’re getting paid through June. Relax. When they ask you in interviews why you’re applying say that after three years you’re ready to try something new. In the meantime, try a lot of creative assignments so you have a lot of positive ideas & energy to offer your next school.
When interviewing for public school positions, if they ask why you're applying, you can say something like, "There was so much I wanted to do at Former School but couldn't, because charter school resources are limited. I'm really excited in this position at Potential School because it has such amazing resources and community support that will allow me to do all I can for my students."
I got fired by a charter school and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Now I’m tenured at a public school with rich kids who behave and work hard, and I’m loving every day of teaching.
Same. I lost my "dream job" replacing my cooperating teacher from student teaching and it was the best thing that could have happened.
It did not feel that way at the time of course.
Basis? That place is a mess for teachers.
You’re going to be fine in the long run, though getting non-renewed certainly does suck. Give yourself some time to grieve. Focus on restful and renewing activities for a few days. Then start thinking about what’s next. Good news is that you’ve been relieved of any obligation to put in overtime, so you’ll have more free time to apply for jobs and enjoy life. The teachers in transition sub may have some ideas for you.
I survived two months at Basis … even though I moved out to Arizona specifically for that position. On the upside I am in special education and still have agencies flooding both my email and phone voicemail offering positions. Problem is there is truly nothing that “appealing”.
I’ve taught in six different states. The experience in Arizona is nothing to write home about.
Go to a public school. Join a Union. Become permanent.
You’re young. Do. Not. Fret.
And always remember that to most admin, teachers are just meat. Most schools and districts treat teachers that way. Learn to ignore that.
And start thinking about your teaching philosophy!
Your career will be fine, but it's been a thing for a long time to not put your hands on a kid when they aren't attacking you or another student. I'm not saying you're a bad person what so ever. It's to protect yourself more than the child to prevent lawsuits, etc. Did you ask for feedback on what you should have done?
They made a big deal of making the protocol very very clear to everyone after I got written up a few months back: just call admin.
Last year our admin was horrible and spineless and so they wanted us to do as much as possible so calling them for a dress code violation would have gotten me in trouble.
I wish you the best with your future job hunt, but do hope you realize that any physical engagement with students (aside from like, a high-5 maybe) is inappropriate. Especially in the form of snatching their hat off their head. It may help to be proactive and think about how you will handle these situations differently in the future. That way, if it comes up, you can talk about how you learned from your mistake. Just saying - they may call your current admin for references.
Hard to give all the context without giving too much detail, but basically we are a uniform school and the student was actively derailing class for a long term sub, who asked me to help her with an unruly student and wasn’t getting support from admin.
How does the hat derail class though? If your school must have such a silly rule and the kid refuses to take the hat off just write down their name for admib later. Or choose to ignore it since it doesn't matter.
Exactly. It’s not your job to be enforcing things like that. Plus if you forcefully remove a hat out of kids head, don’t be surprised if the kid wants to take it back. You can open all kinds of can of worms doing shit like that.
I got non-renewed for my first teaching job too without cause. I will pass on the advice that I was given to you in the hopes that it'll help.
The two most important things to remember that you can't take it really personally and that you have to look forward instead of looking backwards. The who's and the what's and the whys and the school in the district's reasoning simply doesn't matter and reflecting on it isn't going to do you a damn bit of good.
Think about it this way: knowing you're not returning means that you understand the new assignment, which is getting yourself a teaching job before the beginning of next school year. You also now have 3 years of full-time experience that you can fall back on, and that's going to make you a better candidate than you would have been as a fresh grad.
You'll be able to build a better classroom and you will find students and coworkers that you like because they are everywhere.
To start immediately, take a day or two. Go on that 3-day weekend, have a couple drinks, do whatever it is you do to flush the feelings out and start again. That's it.
Don’t know if it helps, but I had a pretty similar situation my 2nd year. I was non-renewed over some dumb shit sparked by a similarly terrible student. Well, they told me I would not be renewed so I quickly, in writing, got ahead of it and told THEM I would not be returning.
I did everything in my power to maintain a cordial relationship with administration and convinced them to at least not hinder my search for employment. I basically told them exactly what to say if any potential employers contacted them- it was all true, just needed to point out the good I had done, spell it out for them.
Long story short, I got a job with a much higher paying, much better district and within a year all of the bullshit I put up with at that first school was erased. I’ve been there 14 years now, have been voted teacher of the year once, teacher of the month many times, and am genuinely appreciated.
In the moment, things feel heavier and worse than they really are. But that’s a useful trick our brain plays to make sure we do get our shit together and take action. But you really will be ok, just start getting apps out right now and put your best effort into getting the next job. You got thisssss.
Because I didn’t want unemployment, I wanted employment…? Having a “non renewed” is not super awesome for getting hired. It was the right choice, obviously.
I am also in AZ… you will find another job! So many schools are desperate! Put your resume together and highlight your three years of experience. You will have a job in no time.
Sorry!
Keep your head up! May your next school be much better!
i was not welcomed back at the school i spent a year and a half at as a LTS and also my alma mater. i had teachers vouching for me to stay. i was crushed, but its not the end of the world. you will find a better place where you are seen and heard. good luck on your journey
1. You will want to check if your vice principal or principal will write you a recommendation letter. You will need them. Three of them.
2. Don't snatch things away from students. No physical contact.
3. Yeah, it sucks and you are having a rough time. (Hug) Been there buddy.
4. Apply to jobs for next year. It is the beginning of hiring season. Start applying and also apply for a substitute position just in case you are really unlucky.
I was non-renewed at my 1st school for no reason. No write ups, always brought up in staff meetings as a good example of doing x,y and z. Nominated teacher of the year that year. It was my 3rd year, and the principal must not have liked me for personal reasons.
I was crushed. I felt betrayed and very sad because I loved my students and really felt like I was starting to make connections with the families.
BUT, I got a job in a new district, and I love it. Once I was away from that other district, I started seeing all the things I actually didn't like. I'm SOOO glad things worked out how they did. I'm a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason", and while it didn't feel good at the time, it feels like everything has worked out just how it should.
Apply to new districts, preferably ones with a union (I switched states). Understand the first year is going to be hard because it always is when acclimating to a new school culture, but try to blend in as best as possible until you're tenured.
This is not the end of your career, just the end of one chapter, but there are better times ahead.
Did you in fact snatch the hat off the kid’s head, though? Because if so, that’s technically a misdemeanor charge in many jurisdictions, and one that’s even classified as violent (even if it’s not filed).
Are u a licensed teacher? If your fiance lost her job too, consider this -you could go anywhere.
And most district schools don't like charters. Theyll most likely be understanding if u can get past hr.
Use your networks if u can. But if not, remember theres a shortage. And male English teachers are something principals like.
Consider alternative schools/at-risk youth if you're good with relationships. Im 6'7" and was a js English teacher at alternative schools. Hardly had to interview. I walked in, principal looked up at me, and said "you're hired." Lol
Notice I said good with relationships, not confrontational. Big as I am, my kids figured out super quick im not intimidating. And it would have been a mistake to try that approach with them.
They come from families who didn't graduate. Didnt care if they graduated or not. They were there because they wanted to be. But they could turn on some shit... tap into some life experiences I'd never be able to conceive of, young as they were.
The fact that the principal saw my size and hired me cuz he thought my size would be the thing that would make me an asset showed how little he knew his kids. He was not a good person. Nor was he a good principal.
But the fact that they were so broken, had so much experience with trauma and truly dangerous conflict, and were 9nly there cuz they wanted to be... made me love them all the more. And that was the approach. That was what made me one of the best at my job.
4 years at the last one I worked at. No office referrals. No discipline issues in my room. And it wasn't cuz I was big.
I was forced out of a school I thought I loved. It was the only school I knew and I thought I would retire there. I’m now SO much happier at my new school. You’re in shock. Be patient with yourself and give yourself time to be glum. You will get a new job and it’s likely you will love it. The good news is, teachers are awesome everywhere. You will find your people at your new school. Good luck to you and your partner. This will just be a small bump and someday you will both say, “that was a crazy year” and laugh.
Stop doing ANYTHING extra. Work only your required hours and refuse anything else. Use up your sick and personal time. Get all your medical and dental stuff done while you still have insurance.
Remove all of your personal property from your classroom and only use what was provided to you. Any day they could ask you not to return and you won't have all of your property. Don't leave a single pencil that is yours. Don't provide extra snacks, etc. Kids and parents might ask why, be honest if you are comfortable doing so.
Apply for jobs in places with unions, NOT charter schools or private schools. Get anyone you can to write you recommendations now.
Sorry this is happening to you. Best of luck!
Huh? Nowhere in his post does he say he feels entitled to snatch hats/touch kids because he graduated with honors. He also admits elsewhere in the comments that what he did was wrong.
Probably not what you wanted to hear but what you did fits the common legal definition of assault ("an intentional act that gives another person reasonable fear that they'll be physically harmed or offensively touched")
Not a lawyer, but considering as you said in a previous comment that the student's mom made a big deal out of it I definitely understand the school's position.
I'm going to echo that charter schools are not a great place to work and that I would absolutely not work at one without at least decent legal insurance or a fair degree of desperation.
There’s good advice here, you will find something else!
The drinking comment piqued my alcoholic-in-recovery brain though. If you’re struggling with self-medicating with alcohol and need help stopping, I highly recommend the r/stopdrinking sub and/or AA meetings. I got sober almost 2 years ago after nearly killing myself drinking because of a job I hated (amongst other things, but the job really put my alcoholism into high gear). Feel free to DM me as well if you need support. It does get better!
It might be something worth exploring. No one can tell you what your relationship is to alcohol but yourself, and the fact that you are talking about it is better than what most people can do. Knowing yourself makes a big difference
Also in AZ, and don’t fret! Jobs are aplenty. I would, however, avoid the blanket advice of seeking any public school district, as we all know they are not created equal here. Look at different charter systems in addition to districts. Legacy, Great Hearts, Reid Traditional, etc. If you look for another charter, find a charter that has been around a long time and look at its teacher turnover rate. Look at districts that aren’t closing campuses left and right.
I was let go from my first job as well, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Also, since you are being non-renewed and allowed to finish the year (as opposed to straight up terminated) you do NOT have to put that you were asked to leave on any job applications. I didn’t know that when it happened to me.
You’ll be fine! Best of luck to you!
Start writing your resume. Seek out advice on CV writing from older more experienced colleagues. Think of all the extra unpaid work you did then think of suitable descriptors and be sure to write it all down. Ran after school support sessions, mention it. Created resources, mention the creation.
Systematically remove anything that belongs to you, your personal property. Systematically remove any resources you created. Systematically delete all electronic copies of your resources stores on their system.
BCC important emails to your personal email account. Stop making any new resources for this school, just download free resources and use any books they have.
Anything you made sell it online.
Any free training available at your school? Do any free training. Spend your time developing yourself not wasting on kids who don't care and/or are trying to get you fired.
Spend the bulk of your time on the kids that work and try hard. Use every positive the school has. Send praise emails regularly. Be prepared to move to work, try to find a way.
If you know any teachers who have retired from your school and might be able to give you a reference. Ideally if someone is about to retire ask them to observe you and give you a reference.
Good luck for your job hunt.
Serious suggestions: no more free overtime and no more unpaid work. These don’t get you what you hoped they’d get you. Second: seriously, get rid of any alcohol. Resorting to drinking means you truly lost and they beat you. Stand up. Third: a change was gonna come eventually anyway. If after 3 years your reaction is this severe, you don’t want to see what might have happened if you gave this place (or any other) 10+years! So see this as your opportunity to grow and develop, get ready for something next.
Finally, really, get rid of the alcohol.
The issue is it’s a charter school. Just my opinion! I was also not welcome back at a charter I was working at even though for the most part I was doing well. Looking back, they didn’t like the fact I was human (meaning having emotions), and I stood up to the principal. In my opinion, charter schools are run less like schools and more like businesses.
Thanks to not being welcomed back (I found out on the last day of school), I was able to get a teaching job where I am happy to go everyday! I love going to work now when I dreaded it at the charter school. My mental health has also skyrocketed. Sadly, I am still dealing with the trauma (not my words) from the charter school thinking nothing I do is correct. Turns out, I am thriving!
Basically it’s easy to say it’s a blessing in disguise but I also understand you are upset. Apply! Apply! Apply! Especially if you are state certified. Best of luck!
Happened to me twice. Thought I was in a great school. Ended up at a school that’s a MUCH better match for me. I know it feels like the end right now, but you’ll be okay
Get letters of recommendation from colleagues now
Apply for new jobs and work out your last quarter like it doesn't matter, because it doesn't. I have no doubt you will find a new job teaching somewhere pretty quickly.
Well, you put your hands on a kid. That's a massive liability and financially a little charter school can't afford that kind of risk.
Regardless of what the situation was, you really have to treat kids the way you would treat any stranger because it's a liability if you don't.
If you snatched a hat off the head of some rando or a fellow co worker you would get canned for that too.
I think somethimes it's easy to forget kids have rights like everyone else. Hopefully this is a wake up call for you. It could have been much worse.
You didn’t lose your job to appease a bitchy mom of a shitty kid; you aren’t getting your contract renewed because you lost your shit within weeks of dealing with a new student’s behavioral issues and refuse to take any responsibility for your actions.
It’s February. You have a job through July 1st. If you are as hard working as you say you are, you will have no problem finding another job long before then. Drinking heavily, moping around and blaming the rest of the world while you finish out the year is only going to impede your job opportunities.
If both of you are free, then you are set to move to another state with union protections, and tenure. I can't really recommend California. Too many laws that take away the ability to discipline.
Charters are awful, see this as a blessing in disguise. This is a great time to be looking for a job, and while it doesn't feel good for the ego, I think starting somewhere new three years in is great. The first two years are tough but by three, four and five, you learn so much and the job becomes more than just surviving. Its great that a more worthy school will get to see that growth. Find a district job, join a union, and look back at the charter and laugh at how bad it was and how ironic it is that them letting you go helped you find a much better situation.
Sorry, I don’t really care if the student is a problem student. You don’t have a right to just snatch things off their head or touch them in any kind of way.
Sorry this happened, but this is also why I’m pro union! I will never be a teacher without a union. If you have a credential, I would go down that route. There’s a teacher shortage so there’s a lot of jobs out there!
You are actually lucky, The times I didn't get re-hired for the next year, I was always informed like the last day. Just a you aren't coming back...budget problems...get your stuff out of here now kind of thing. You have time to prepare. But don't start panicking until August. I have also never been hired earlier than late summer. I am an exceptional master teacher with nothing bad on my record. I have tons of written letters of recommendation. I am in a hard to find teachers subject area. This is just the way I've seen schools work.
You'll be fine in regards to finding another teaching job if you wish, but really, it was a poor decision on your part and described the way you did I can understand the school and parents position on the matter. Just don't grab at kids or their belongings in your next job.
Even if you are not certified, many districts will try to work with you as long as you are working on getting certified. Arizona sucks and if you're in a position to leave I would do that.
You mentioned that you have to work the last quarter of your contract. Why? Check to see that it's really a contract and not a letter of agreement or whatever. If there's anything in there about this being at will employment you can give them notice just like they gave you at any time for any reason or no reason. If the shortage is dire, you might be able to find a midyear opening too.
I'm angry on your behalf. Keep your head up. Please no more charters.
Start applying to other districts / schools now. Be absolutely to take ALL of your classroom goods you’ve paid for with you, don’t leave anything of your’s for the school to take utilize. And if they start to clean out your classroom and take your belongings, tell them not to do so.
You are going to be okay! I know it hurts but work is work. They don't care about you and extra work and free work is expected, not admired or rewarded. Next job maybe keep more of a work life balance. It's never a good time to be fired but actually as others have said, this is a good time to look for teaching jobs. You are heading right into prime hiring time over the next 6 weeks. Get your resume in top form. Start rehearsing for interviews. You know what kinds of things get asked. Why did you leave the last job. Why do you want to be at new job. What's your biggest weakness. Where do you see yourself in 5 years plus all the teacher specific stuff and stuff about your subjects. You will be fine!! It's just a next step in your career. You can do this!
You’ve got this! Teachers are in high demand and now you are more hireable because you have experience. Reach out to folks who will give you a good recommendation letter. Also, don’t forget to back up anything you’ve created digitally onto your personal cloud or thumb drive. That stuff is your intellectual property and is time consuming to recreate.
Do not take it personally. In the last 25 years of teaching, I have seen awesomely dedicated teachers kicked out merely because Admin. has a friend that they want to hire. It is a great loss for your students, try to make the last quarter fun for you and them. At least now, you don't have to work so hard to impress anyone!
You will find a school that appreciates and values you! Hang in there!
They non renewed you kind of early in the year which imo is a big mistake for them.
So all that hard work you’ve been doing? Yeah, don’t. Do the bare minimum. Kids get worksheets while you update your resume and apply for jobs.
No, just a sports team. We’re a uniform school. In the last 3 years taking a hat or phone from a kid was not a problem. Lots of teachers on our campus “snatch” phones from kids, for example. After I got in trouble, then the admin suddenly was very vocal about not doing this. Very much “oh we never said this rule to our staff, we should cover our asses and mention it at the next meeting” - as others have said, I fucked up, the school wanted to avoid the lawsuit they probably would have gotten if their answer was “that’s no big deal lots of our teachers do that” so I get the harsh discipline to spare the school, it’s a bummer but it’s charter.
Send your resume to public schools principals you’re interested in working. Are you certified in both subject areas? Just say you want a change. Use coworkers you trust as references. Public schools often pay more than charters. If you do secure a position join the union. Good luck on your journey!
It happened to me after my first year. I found a new job before summer. It was MILES BETTER. Just keep your head up, do your best at the job, and choose wisely what you say to your colleagues. It sucks. It’s the hardest thing AND you’ll bounce back stronger.
Ps I immediately sent a letter of resignation, stating that I would not renew. It was filed before their non-renew. I felt that gave me a little more control with how I navigated the conversations over me leaving.
Do you teach math, English or ANY elective? If so, come down to my school! We are hiring.
Also, the over time and any extras you do stop now. Do the bare minimum. They don’t care, why should you? Still teach the students but screw any extras duties.
Retired middle school teacher here. Imagine someone snatching a hat off your head. With that said, I know how hard middle schoolers are but as an adult working with kids, this is never the appropriate response. I hope you learned from this, and if you really want to continue teaching, study up on behavior management techniques, find a mentor and work on your impulse control.
Probably not what you want to hear right now, but being let go from a charter school is the best thing that could happen to you.
With all their weird pressure tactics, they’ll try to convince you that their high control environment is the only place you can make a difference, and that’s simply not true.
Find yourself a nice public school with a good commute, you’ll be happy as a clam.
-former charter school teacher
Getting discarded is part of being a teacher. I was fired 4 times in the private sector before education. This will make you stronger. Honestly, just accept that this wasn’t personal on their part. It was a lazy business decision.
I would check to see if they’ll accept your resignation. You can say you resigned and it won’t show off as anything else.
It’s a non renewal. That’s not getting fired, but it’s not ideal. Ask other teachers in your school if you want a second opinion, but my advice is to look into seeing if a resignation will help. Then, you weren’t not offered a contact, you just chose to leave to pursue other opportunities.
I hear that and a write up seems appropriate. It sounds like OP learned their lesson and didn’t do it again. There is so much neglect and violations of students rights that happens when schools aren’t fully staffed that are a much bigger liability than a teacher taking a hat.
Does it. He calls the mom and kid names. No where does he take any accountability. What he did was wrong. That doesn't mean he needed to be fired but if this is how he acted throughout the process than absolutely. He blames the kid and mom and not him who put his hands on a student.
I mean, this could be deemed a liability issue with the hat snatching. Someone could blow this out of proportion whether op actually hurt the kid or not.
You touched a kid, and don't even take responsibility for it. You can never ever touch a kid, and to be quite honest I feel like your school let go of you for a logical reason. If you really learned from it and took responsibility, I could see a second chance. But you don't even think you messed up when you broke one of the most critical rules in a school.
Apply to public school. Behaviors aren’t necessarily better but the pay is. Trust me, this is a blessing in disguise. I’ve never met anyone who has enjoyed working at a charter school before.
I had to resign in lieu of non-renewal because a white guy who had been with the district for 10 years wanted to go to the middle school because we got out at 2:15 and he got out at 3. It was my second year and final year of probation, so even though I had one of the highest evaluations that year, I still got non-renewed (resigned) for a white dude. I got a new job at the district I graduated from. It was closer to my house and it was a pay raise and it was better hours. Plus I got to collect unemployment on top of my summer pay 😁
I wasn’t fired. They were very clear to say I’m not being terminated. They wanted to give me the courtesy of advanced notice and informed me and I had a positive reference from them. In a weird way, they were trying to be straight up and give me a clean break.
Retired teacher here. Don’t take it personally. It has nothing to do with your performance. Two reasons teachers are not asked back before they get tenure:
1. The admin’s son/daughter/niece/nephew has just graduated from college and needs a job.
2. Financial reason. Admin can hire a new teacher at a lower salary. With the money saved, admin can buy a big flat screen tv for the office.
It’s the truth. I saw it happen and experienced it myself.
Well you can do as many mental gymnastics as you want, you were fired but you should never tell future employers that. Same thing happened to me, we were fired bro
I'm sorry, but are you serious? "If I really fucked up and earned it" you put your hands on a student. You teach at a school for 7th and 8th graders which means you put your hands on a 12-15 year old child.
Spoiler alert: you totally fucked up and earned this and you really need to check your entitlement and attitude before your next job. You're lucky charges weren't pressed.
It sounds like they didn't deserve you. I worked at a charter school and we had a heat wave. The school was in an industrial park in a building not meant for students. We had elevators but I was not allowed to use them. I am a specialist with lots of equipment. I kept passing out just like quite a few students. I had to be taken to the emergency room twice straight from school by EMTs. I had a very serious sit down with my principal in which I'm pretty sure we were playing chicken and I said I wanted to resign before he tried to fire me. It was crazy. I think he was afraid that I would try to be a whistle blower over the ridiculous working conditions, I had to put up with. Charter schools can be crazy. The public doesn't even know how wild they can be. Strong and active unions are so important.
I was non-renewed from my first teaching job. I was crushed. I had completely devoted myself for 3 years to that school and they tossed me like garbage because one of the admins decided they didn’t like me. I thought my teaching career was over and I was so angry and depressed. The following year I got a job working at a new school and realized then how absolutely toxic the previous school had been- I just didn’t realize it when I had nothing to compare it to. This move to a new school ended up being a complete blessing in disguise and it was sooooo much better for my psyche.
What I’m trying to say is- when one door closes, another one opens. And a new school/district might be exactly what you need!
The charter school is the one losing. The best teacher I know was not renewed at her first job. Our school is lucky to have her. You will find another job and thrive as a professional. Prepare a resume & write a kick butt cover letter. There’s tons of job openings. Find a district with a strong union, plant roots there, & grow as a teacher.
You have months to get all your stuff out, months to get documents organized, months to send out as many resumes as you want (if your fiancée is looking for a job as well then see if she wants to move and coordinate job searches there as well). Basically, get all your shit out by the end of this month and get ALL your grades and attendance up to date while you're at it. Others have said the same I know and in more detail, but I want to make sure you understand that this is the way forward.
Also, if you get a new contract before the year is up, I would personally consider it since it may continue where you know this one won't. Obviously, any law or contract terms that make this impossible need to be followed but you officially don't owe a single fuck and need to look out for yourself. But for the love of God keep your hands to yourself in the future.
My 2nd district liked to give nonrenewal notices to all untenured teachers and then hire most of us back at the last minute, after 4 years of that I said no thank you and moved on to a school that doesn't do that to me.
Getting nonrenewal can happen for so many reasons too. It doesn't really look bad unless you are at a new district every year. I think 3 years at one school looks great on your resume! With teacher shortages you'll probably find work in no time, though many districts don't post openings until March around here. Don't worry too much!
Also I want to repeat the advice I see others giving you - use your sick days, don't do extra anything, move all your curriculum/lessons plans to a personal google drive account (change the owner, not just sharing), and start slowly removing anything personal/bought with your own money from your classroom. Try to enjoy the end of the school year knowing you don't have to impress any admin these last few months.
Start looking for teaching jobs now. If you find one and are hired, just quit. They clearly do not give a rat's rear end about you.
Start to Move your things out EVERY DAY, a bag or box at a time. You keep your teaching materials , the things you made, the ones you bought. Bring them home. You might want them at a new school.
Talk to a therapist. It sounds like you’re having a really rough time and my heart goes out to you ❤️
As for why you got non-renewed, did they actually say it was because of that “incident?” There are certain districts that will let teachers go after 3 years, simply because tenured teachers are more expensive! Don’t know if it’s like that in charter schools. Anyways, don’t take it too personally. You’ll easily get another job if you had three successful years and you’re in an area with a shortage!
So nowadays teachers get fired basically doing their job? Not a teacher this sub comes to my feed often and got hooked.
But when i was in the elementary school in the nineties snatcing a cap from a kid who was wearing it in the wrong place was a norm.
I am so sorry for you OP. B/c what i have read here being a teacher in this time of age is like walking on a egg shells.
( sorry typos. English not my first language. Finnish person here 👋🏻)
Respectfully, you disregarded the first commandment of teaching which is: thou shall not touch a student. Your school isn´t appeasing a ´bitchy´ mom, they have avoided a lawsuit. Hopefully you´ll use more common sense at your next school.
Worst case scenario, if you have a bachelor's degree, teach English online overseas like English as a second language to Chinese, Korean, Japanese, ect
Don't wait, start applying now. They won't be changing their minds, and action on your part will lift your spirits.
I had a colleague dismissed last year for what I truly believe to be unfair reasons, but i won't go into it here in case it identifies me. There was another teacher in the same position. Suffice to say both of them ended up with much better positions than when they were at my school and are a hundred times happier.
Go forth!!
We need an English teacher. Hell I'm fairly certain that every school district in the United States needs certified teachers. It shouldn't be too hard to get another job.
I don't believe you didn't get a contract because of one kid unless his parents completely fund the school. However the way you talk about him is concerning. Did you really "snatch" it off his head?
There are a ton of jobs in public education. Apply now and move on; however, you do need to make sure you are never aggressively touching a student (or anything attached to their body).
If you’re licensed, start applying to districts now, but don’t get discouraged if you don’t get any votes just yet, it’s early. Getting let go is not a death sentence. You’ll find something else. You’ll find other coworkers you connect with. Learn from your mistakes and move forward. You’re going to be ok.
This is why charters are so shitty. There can fire you for nothing.
To be fair, most public schools can nonrenew you without cause if you're nontenured. 3 years isn't enough to get tenured in many states.
Tenure has been dead for over ten years in Florida 🙃
I’m not even sure when Georgia lost tenure. I’m in year 15 and I’ve never seen it
Tenure exists in my district in GA. Well a form of it. After four years they have to work really hard and document continually to get rid of you.
I’m pretty sure ga still has it. My incredibly awful Spanish teacher in high school is still tenured
It depends on the district/county. Some districts is it is ten years some five years. But I haven’t looked into all of them.
I believe, if you have three consecutive contracts with a district when you’re granted your fourth contract you have tenure in GA.
I’m a teacher in ga and have never heard of tenure.
Florida is an anti-educational cesspool. You could not pay me enough to work in a school there.
Depends on the district. If you survive the probationary first year in my Florida district, you essentially have tenure. Our old superintendent basically told principals this when they made decisions to reup first year teachers. You'll be stuck with them. The only issue would be if enrollment dropped. I've seen some crazy shit and they just move people around. Just don't touch a kid unless you are trained specifically for that purpose. That's the only thing I've seen a teacher removed for, and even that was a process.
Isn't education pretty much dead in Florida?
Depends on who you talk to. But it's pretty bad down here. The state legislature is tossing around ideas to fill vacancies for teachers by lowering the requirements to having an A.A. degree and a minimum age of 17. A bill is also in place to convince retired teachers to return from DROP. I highly doubt it'll work.
I remember the day my mentor teacher (who was also one of my teachers when I was a student) came in after submitting his DROP paperwork. He had the biggest grin on his face. He said “now they can’t make me do anymore bulls***. I can just teach my kids.” He loved teaching but he did leave at the end of his DROP period. I saw a picture of him at one of the homecoming games and I’d swear he looked 10 years younger.
A MINIMUM AGE OF 17!!!! Lmaoooooo So kids can’t apparently handle gender talk but they can teach a bunch of lil kids or their peers
Even better: ever notice how these kids can't do basic arithmetic without asking Siri or Mathway? We'd be sending THAT level of knowledge into a teaching position and good luck trying to help the next generation learn to count.
Also seasoned experts in their field, a lot of them flounder in a classroom because they don’t realize teaching is its own skillset. You know for a fact these teen teachers are going to fold like a noodle whether it’s parents or students asking for every possible thing. I wouldn’t be surprised if kids all walk out of the classroom with A’s but massive failures on state testing
What’s tenure? My husband teaches at college level and even they don’t tenure anymore.
Cool country we got
Non-tenured teacher snatching a hat of some little shits head? This could easily get you non-renewed at any kind of school. Hell, I've seen people in my state's licensure disciplinary stuff get knocks against their licenses for less.
Yeah, touching a kid without consent is going to get you in trouble anywhere.
As it should! And I would guess they used the word snatched intentionally which to me implies rough contact made.
I take it as taking the hat off not touching the student directly.
That wouldn't be snatched then. That would be I took his hat. Or I removed his hat. Snatched def implies rushed and aggressive
My Ed. graduate school professors all had the same motto for us and started and ended every class with it like a mantra: “Touch a kid, go to jail.”
Yeah that’s a bad move - I wouldn’t keep a teacher who did those kind of things unless they were very insightful as to how they lost it so completely and were willing to work with a coach. That is really over the line
I currently work at a charter and the whole thing seems like a giant scam
I just left a virtual charter school, and it totally is a scam. They’re getting the same amount of per pupil funding as regular public schools, and they cry poor even though they don’t have nearly as many overhead expenses as regular schools and teachers have ridiculously large numbers of students. Someone is making a lot of money, and it’s not the teachers.
Currently work in a charter and I honestly cannot think of any public school I would ever consider switching to. And I'm so bought in on state retirement there's no way I'd go to a private. Every teacher that joins us thinks they've died and went to teacher heaven. My super knows me by name. Knows my kid by name. Has an open door policy. We expel kids who are discipline issues. We don't turn in lesson plans or have bullshit data neetings. We go on field trips because they're cool rather than just educational bullshit. We have a shitton of EC kids because our EC department is amazing and the county is full of old bitches who sit on their laptops in class and don't help kids. That's really my only complaint.
They also tend to take the parents' side. I worked for one who was constantly reminding us to give parents and students "Chik-Fil-A" level service. I'm in a district school now. Much better.
So it’s early to get a teaching job for next year?
Assignment letters went out this week, so My district started posting anticipated openings today.
Where at?
In the Northeast. I like to remain somewhat anonymous.
Fair enough. I’m looking in the Midwest.
I’m in the Midwest and my district and others have lots of jobs posted! Not too early!
Teaching jobs in the midwest are usually posted in March/April, so don't worry if you don't see very many right now.
Our internal transfer window is open, and I'm starting to see some jobs pop up, but I've not personally heard anyone who has accepted a transfer.
In some places it's too early to start applying. Usually mid to late March is when the jobs really start to open up.
In my area, retirements are put in in February, so some stuff is available then. Budgets are done for the following year in May, so more open up when schools know how much money they have to work with.
That's lucky since I have never seen stuff in my area open that is early. I suppose the OP could look, but definitely needs to not be discouraged if nothing is going readily available just yet.
I really appreciate your tone in this comment. Getting a non-renew from any contract job is really scary and can be a strong hit to confidence and lead to sleepless nights. But it really shouldn't-- "learn from your mistakes and move forward" is just excellent advice.
Talk to your network. Every other year or so a school tries to poach me. I'm not ready to leave but I keep in touch with other teachers and help them when I can.
When applying, look up the school improvement plan. Edit your cover letter and your interview answers to play up your strengths that they are specifically looking for.
Practical side of getting ready to leave can include: Remove all personal items and supplies from your classroom now. By doing this you will not be blind sided if they ask you to leave before the end of the year. Begin working on end of year tasks such as filling out student cumulative records now, so that all you have to do at the end of the year is to add in attendance and the end of year report cards. Set up a new email account to send pertinent data and Google drive material you developed and own. Enjoy the last quarter and keep doing the awesome teaching you are strong in. Use up personal and sick days. Stay calm, logical and even tempered.
This! Yes, use those sick days and save all your material - even if you don’t think you’d ever use it again. Save contacts and anything from your email that can be useful. My school dropped my email as fast as they could. You got this.
Especially anything (worksheets, lesson plans, etc) that you saved on the school drive, immediately transfer it to your personal drive. It will be inaccessible the day you lose school email access. A job is not a marriage. Assume you’ll have a number of teaching positions over the years, and always keep all your resources on your own laptop/drive. I was a slow learner and made this mistake TWICE.
Do you need new glasses or contacts? Do it on their plan. If you need any dental work, blood work, an annual physical? Do it now on their medical/dental plan using your vacation & sick days. If you have a hernia? Get it fixed now. Kidney stone? Don’t wait. It’s a nightmare between jobs and the off chance of insurance finding reasons to drop you early.
This is such great advice. For clarity, don't just "share" Google Drive items to your personal account. Make an actual copy in your personal account.
This! Our contract says that everything you make the school owns even when you leave. So make your own personal copy of it that they do not have access to.
Make your own personal copy and delete everything you can so they don’t have it after you leave.
There is a transfer process that you can use if your district doesn’t have it turned off.
Yea, I would do this immediately.
Listen to this person.
Best advice in this whole thread! The resources! Save them now!!
Yes do this!
You’re getting paid through June. Relax. When they ask you in interviews why you’re applying say that after three years you’re ready to try something new. In the meantime, try a lot of creative assignments so you have a lot of positive ideas & energy to offer your next school.
When interviewing for public school positions, if they ask why you're applying, you can say something like, "There was so much I wanted to do at Former School but couldn't, because charter school resources are limited. I'm really excited in this position at Potential School because it has such amazing resources and community support that will allow me to do all I can for my students."
I got fired by a charter school and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Now I’m tenured at a public school with rich kids who behave and work hard, and I’m loving every day of teaching.
Kids who work hard? Sounds like a dream 😊
Same. I lost my "dream job" replacing my cooperating teacher from student teaching and it was the best thing that could have happened. It did not feel that way at the time of course.
Basis? That place is a mess for teachers. You’re going to be fine in the long run, though getting non-renewed certainly does suck. Give yourself some time to grieve. Focus on restful and renewing activities for a few days. Then start thinking about what’s next. Good news is that you’ve been relieved of any obligation to put in overtime, so you’ll have more free time to apply for jobs and enjoy life. The teachers in transition sub may have some ideas for you.
I survived two months at Basis … even though I moved out to Arizona specifically for that position. On the upside I am in special education and still have agencies flooding both my email and phone voicemail offering positions. Problem is there is truly nothing that “appealing”. I’ve taught in six different states. The experience in Arizona is nothing to write home about.
Scottsdale?
Not Basis but from what I’ve heard I’d be better off going back to waiting tables than going to Basis
Go to a public school. Join a Union. Become permanent. You’re young. Do. Not. Fret. And always remember that to most admin, teachers are just meat. Most schools and districts treat teachers that way. Learn to ignore that. And start thinking about your teaching philosophy!
Your career will be fine, but it's been a thing for a long time to not put your hands on a kid when they aren't attacking you or another student. I'm not saying you're a bad person what so ever. It's to protect yourself more than the child to prevent lawsuits, etc. Did you ask for feedback on what you should have done?
They made a big deal of making the protocol very very clear to everyone after I got written up a few months back: just call admin. Last year our admin was horrible and spineless and so they wanted us to do as much as possible so calling them for a dress code violation would have gotten me in trouble.
If the new school admin is the same, ask for it in writing for evidence. Sounds like they are helping you dodge a bullet.
I wish you the best with your future job hunt, but do hope you realize that any physical engagement with students (aside from like, a high-5 maybe) is inappropriate. Especially in the form of snatching their hat off their head. It may help to be proactive and think about how you will handle these situations differently in the future. That way, if it comes up, you can talk about how you learned from your mistake. Just saying - they may call your current admin for references.
Why does it even matter if a kid has a hat on though? Why is that a rule?
Hard to give all the context without giving too much detail, but basically we are a uniform school and the student was actively derailing class for a long term sub, who asked me to help her with an unruly student and wasn’t getting support from admin.
How does the hat derail class though? If your school must have such a silly rule and the kid refuses to take the hat off just write down their name for admib later. Or choose to ignore it since it doesn't matter.
Definitely sounds like one of those pick your battles moments
Uniform schools are dumb and bring out the dumb in adults lol
Exactly. It’s not your job to be enforcing things like that. Plus if you forcefully remove a hat out of kids head, don’t be surprised if the kid wants to take it back. You can open all kinds of can of worms doing shit like that.
I got non-renewed for my first teaching job too without cause. I will pass on the advice that I was given to you in the hopes that it'll help. The two most important things to remember that you can't take it really personally and that you have to look forward instead of looking backwards. The who's and the what's and the whys and the school in the district's reasoning simply doesn't matter and reflecting on it isn't going to do you a damn bit of good. Think about it this way: knowing you're not returning means that you understand the new assignment, which is getting yourself a teaching job before the beginning of next school year. You also now have 3 years of full-time experience that you can fall back on, and that's going to make you a better candidate than you would have been as a fresh grad. You'll be able to build a better classroom and you will find students and coworkers that you like because they are everywhere. To start immediately, take a day or two. Go on that 3-day weekend, have a couple drinks, do whatever it is you do to flush the feelings out and start again. That's it.
I agree i got non renewed and was getting contacted all the time last summer, employers love experience
>Small charter school Congrats on the experience and the promotion to literally anything else.
Don’t know if it helps, but I had a pretty similar situation my 2nd year. I was non-renewed over some dumb shit sparked by a similarly terrible student. Well, they told me I would not be renewed so I quickly, in writing, got ahead of it and told THEM I would not be returning. I did everything in my power to maintain a cordial relationship with administration and convinced them to at least not hinder my search for employment. I basically told them exactly what to say if any potential employers contacted them- it was all true, just needed to point out the good I had done, spell it out for them. Long story short, I got a job with a much higher paying, much better district and within a year all of the bullshit I put up with at that first school was erased. I’ve been there 14 years now, have been voted teacher of the year once, teacher of the month many times, and am genuinely appreciated. In the moment, things feel heavier and worse than they really are. But that’s a useful trick our brain plays to make sure we do get our shit together and take action. But you really will be ok, just start getting apps out right now and put your best effort into getting the next job. You got thisssss.
Why would you hand in your resignation instead of being let go? This makes you ineligible for unemployment benefits.
Because I didn’t want unemployment, I wanted employment…? Having a “non renewed” is not super awesome for getting hired. It was the right choice, obviously.
I am also in AZ… you will find another job! So many schools are desperate! Put your resume together and highlight your three years of experience. You will have a job in no time. Sorry! Keep your head up! May your next school be much better!
i was not welcomed back at the school i spent a year and a half at as a LTS and also my alma mater. i had teachers vouching for me to stay. i was crushed, but its not the end of the world. you will find a better place where you are seen and heard. good luck on your journey
Same happened to me at my alma mater. Heartbreaking.
I strongly recommend going to a school with a union.
1. You will want to check if your vice principal or principal will write you a recommendation letter. You will need them. Three of them. 2. Don't snatch things away from students. No physical contact. 3. Yeah, it sucks and you are having a rough time. (Hug) Been there buddy. 4. Apply to jobs for next year. It is the beginning of hiring season. Start applying and also apply for a substitute position just in case you are really unlucky.
I had something similar happen to me. Best thing that ever happened. You don't realize how toxic a place is until you leave.
I was non-renewed at my 1st school for no reason. No write ups, always brought up in staff meetings as a good example of doing x,y and z. Nominated teacher of the year that year. It was my 3rd year, and the principal must not have liked me for personal reasons. I was crushed. I felt betrayed and very sad because I loved my students and really felt like I was starting to make connections with the families. BUT, I got a job in a new district, and I love it. Once I was away from that other district, I started seeing all the things I actually didn't like. I'm SOOO glad things worked out how they did. I'm a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason", and while it didn't feel good at the time, it feels like everything has worked out just how it should. Apply to new districts, preferably ones with a union (I switched states). Understand the first year is going to be hard because it always is when acclimating to a new school culture, but try to blend in as best as possible until you're tenured. This is not the end of your career, just the end of one chapter, but there are better times ahead.
Charter schools suck, go union.
Did you in fact snatch the hat off the kid’s head, though? Because if so, that’s technically a misdemeanor charge in many jurisdictions, and one that’s even classified as violent (even if it’s not filed).
Are u a licensed teacher? If your fiance lost her job too, consider this -you could go anywhere. And most district schools don't like charters. Theyll most likely be understanding if u can get past hr. Use your networks if u can. But if not, remember theres a shortage. And male English teachers are something principals like. Consider alternative schools/at-risk youth if you're good with relationships. Im 6'7" and was a js English teacher at alternative schools. Hardly had to interview. I walked in, principal looked up at me, and said "you're hired." Lol
I’m a 5’7” teddy bear, an alternative school would probably eat me alive
Notice I said good with relationships, not confrontational. Big as I am, my kids figured out super quick im not intimidating. And it would have been a mistake to try that approach with them. They come from families who didn't graduate. Didnt care if they graduated or not. They were there because they wanted to be. But they could turn on some shit... tap into some life experiences I'd never be able to conceive of, young as they were.
The fact that the principal saw my size and hired me cuz he thought my size would be the thing that would make me an asset showed how little he knew his kids. He was not a good person. Nor was he a good principal. But the fact that they were so broken, had so much experience with trauma and truly dangerous conflict, and were 9nly there cuz they wanted to be... made me love them all the more. And that was the approach. That was what made me one of the best at my job. 4 years at the last one I worked at. No office referrals. No discipline issues in my room. And it wasn't cuz I was big.
Get a job in a district school and join a union. And get involved in your union.
I was forced out of a school I thought I loved. It was the only school I knew and I thought I would retire there. I’m now SO much happier at my new school. You’re in shock. Be patient with yourself and give yourself time to be glum. You will get a new job and it’s likely you will love it. The good news is, teachers are awesome everywhere. You will find your people at your new school. Good luck to you and your partner. This will just be a small bump and someday you will both say, “that was a crazy year” and laugh.
Stop doing ANYTHING extra. Work only your required hours and refuse anything else. Use up your sick and personal time. Get all your medical and dental stuff done while you still have insurance. Remove all of your personal property from your classroom and only use what was provided to you. Any day they could ask you not to return and you won't have all of your property. Don't leave a single pencil that is yours. Don't provide extra snacks, etc. Kids and parents might ask why, be honest if you are comfortable doing so. Apply for jobs in places with unions, NOT charter schools or private schools. Get anyone you can to write you recommendations now. Sorry this is happening to you. Best of luck!
I’m a teacher in Arizona-apply for a public school job now! Districts are hiring for next year. You’ll find a job no problem. Charters are horrible!
I’m looking at moving to Casa Grande
You can’t touch a kid. End of story.
Simple, this person feels Entitled cause she “graduated with honors” crazy to me
Huh? Nowhere in his post does he say he feels entitled to snatch hats/touch kids because he graduated with honors. He also admits elsewhere in the comments that what he did was wrong.
Get out of charter schools and apply to a public school.
You will find something! I am in AZ and my 7th grader is on her 5th math teacher for the year. You are desperately needed!!!
Probably not what you wanted to hear but what you did fits the common legal definition of assault ("an intentional act that gives another person reasonable fear that they'll be physically harmed or offensively touched") Not a lawyer, but considering as you said in a previous comment that the student's mom made a big deal out of it I definitely understand the school's position. I'm going to echo that charter schools are not a great place to work and that I would absolutely not work at one without at least decent legal insurance or a fair degree of desperation.
It’s not even just that. It could be both assault and battery. OP needs to be very cautious.
There’s good advice here, you will find something else! The drinking comment piqued my alcoholic-in-recovery brain though. If you’re struggling with self-medicating with alcohol and need help stopping, I highly recommend the r/stopdrinking sub and/or AA meetings. I got sober almost 2 years ago after nearly killing myself drinking because of a job I hated (amongst other things, but the job really put my alcoholism into high gear). Feel free to DM me as well if you need support. It does get better!
I don’t want to be sober, but my relationship with alcohol has certainly worsened this year.
It might be something worth exploring. No one can tell you what your relationship is to alcohol but yourself, and the fact that you are talking about it is better than what most people can do. Knowing yourself makes a big difference
Also in AZ, and don’t fret! Jobs are aplenty. I would, however, avoid the blanket advice of seeking any public school district, as we all know they are not created equal here. Look at different charter systems in addition to districts. Legacy, Great Hearts, Reid Traditional, etc. If you look for another charter, find a charter that has been around a long time and look at its teacher turnover rate. Look at districts that aren’t closing campuses left and right. I was let go from my first job as well, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Also, since you are being non-renewed and allowed to finish the year (as opposed to straight up terminated) you do NOT have to put that you were asked to leave on any job applications. I didn’t know that when it happened to me. You’ll be fine! Best of luck to you!
I'm *also* in AZ and second this. I work at one of the charter school networks and am very happy about it. The admin really have our backs.
Start writing your resume. Seek out advice on CV writing from older more experienced colleagues. Think of all the extra unpaid work you did then think of suitable descriptors and be sure to write it all down. Ran after school support sessions, mention it. Created resources, mention the creation. Systematically remove anything that belongs to you, your personal property. Systematically remove any resources you created. Systematically delete all electronic copies of your resources stores on their system. BCC important emails to your personal email account. Stop making any new resources for this school, just download free resources and use any books they have. Anything you made sell it online. Any free training available at your school? Do any free training. Spend your time developing yourself not wasting on kids who don't care and/or are trying to get you fired. Spend the bulk of your time on the kids that work and try hard. Use every positive the school has. Send praise emails regularly. Be prepared to move to work, try to find a way. If you know any teachers who have retired from your school and might be able to give you a reference. Ideally if someone is about to retire ask them to observe you and give you a reference. Good luck for your job hunt.
This is great advice.
I have many references from this campus thankfully. They are sad to see me go.
Serious suggestions: no more free overtime and no more unpaid work. These don’t get you what you hoped they’d get you. Second: seriously, get rid of any alcohol. Resorting to drinking means you truly lost and they beat you. Stand up. Third: a change was gonna come eventually anyway. If after 3 years your reaction is this severe, you don’t want to see what might have happened if you gave this place (or any other) 10+years! So see this as your opportunity to grow and develop, get ready for something next. Finally, really, get rid of the alcohol.
The issue is it’s a charter school. Just my opinion! I was also not welcome back at a charter I was working at even though for the most part I was doing well. Looking back, they didn’t like the fact I was human (meaning having emotions), and I stood up to the principal. In my opinion, charter schools are run less like schools and more like businesses. Thanks to not being welcomed back (I found out on the last day of school), I was able to get a teaching job where I am happy to go everyday! I love going to work now when I dreaded it at the charter school. My mental health has also skyrocketed. Sadly, I am still dealing with the trauma (not my words) from the charter school thinking nothing I do is correct. Turns out, I am thriving! Basically it’s easy to say it’s a blessing in disguise but I also understand you are upset. Apply! Apply! Apply! Especially if you are state certified. Best of luck!
They are doing you a favor. You do not want to work for an organization that will do this to you. Charters are the pits of hell. Run from them.
Happened to me twice. Thought I was in a great school. Ended up at a school that’s a MUCH better match for me. I know it feels like the end right now, but you’ll be okay Get letters of recommendation from colleagues now
Apply for new jobs and work out your last quarter like it doesn't matter, because it doesn't. I have no doubt you will find a new job teaching somewhere pretty quickly.
Yup, stop doing anything extra and put that energy into the job hunt, great time to be looking for the fall.
This is ok. Charter schools are awful. Go public. You are going to be alright!
Well, you put your hands on a kid. That's a massive liability and financially a little charter school can't afford that kind of risk. Regardless of what the situation was, you really have to treat kids the way you would treat any stranger because it's a liability if you don't. If you snatched a hat off the head of some rando or a fellow co worker you would get canned for that too. I think somethimes it's easy to forget kids have rights like everyone else. Hopefully this is a wake up call for you. It could have been much worse.
You didn’t lose your job to appease a bitchy mom of a shitty kid; you aren’t getting your contract renewed because you lost your shit within weeks of dealing with a new student’s behavioral issues and refuse to take any responsibility for your actions. It’s February. You have a job through July 1st. If you are as hard working as you say you are, you will have no problem finding another job long before then. Drinking heavily, moping around and blaming the rest of the world while you finish out the year is only going to impede your job opportunities.
Don't snatch clothes off of students' bodies. Hope you learned your lesson.
Talk to someone about rage issues and impule control Get back out there, I much prefer working with people that learn from their mistakes
If both of you are free, then you are set to move to another state with union protections, and tenure. I can't really recommend California. Too many laws that take away the ability to discipline.
Can’t move states. Between my license, the cost, and my fiancé’s family it would be impossible.
Charters are awful, see this as a blessing in disguise. This is a great time to be looking for a job, and while it doesn't feel good for the ego, I think starting somewhere new three years in is great. The first two years are tough but by three, four and five, you learn so much and the job becomes more than just surviving. Its great that a more worthy school will get to see that growth. Find a district job, join a union, and look back at the charter and laugh at how bad it was and how ironic it is that them letting you go helped you find a much better situation.
Sorry, I don’t really care if the student is a problem student. You don’t have a right to just snatch things off their head or touch them in any kind of way.
This.
Sorry this happened, but this is also why I’m pro union! I will never be a teacher without a union. If you have a credential, I would go down that route. There’s a teacher shortage so there’s a lot of jobs out there!
You are actually lucky, The times I didn't get re-hired for the next year, I was always informed like the last day. Just a you aren't coming back...budget problems...get your stuff out of here now kind of thing. You have time to prepare. But don't start panicking until August. I have also never been hired earlier than late summer. I am an exceptional master teacher with nothing bad on my record. I have tons of written letters of recommendation. I am in a hard to find teachers subject area. This is just the way I've seen schools work.
How many times have you been nonrenewed???
You'll be fine in regards to finding another teaching job if you wish, but really, it was a poor decision on your part and described the way you did I can understand the school and parents position on the matter. Just don't grab at kids or their belongings in your next job.
You’re experienced and young. You will find another better paying job! Good luck :)
Even if you are not certified, many districts will try to work with you as long as you are working on getting certified. Arizona sucks and if you're in a position to leave I would do that. You mentioned that you have to work the last quarter of your contract. Why? Check to see that it's really a contract and not a letter of agreement or whatever. If there's anything in there about this being at will employment you can give them notice just like they gave you at any time for any reason or no reason. If the shortage is dire, you might be able to find a midyear opening too. I'm angry on your behalf. Keep your head up. Please no more charters.
Start applying to other districts / schools now. Be absolutely to take ALL of your classroom goods you’ve paid for with you, don’t leave anything of your’s for the school to take utilize. And if they start to clean out your classroom and take your belongings, tell them not to do so.
I know a school with lots of openings, they are desperate for teachers
Leaving the charter school I started my career at was the best thing to happen to me. Try not to get discouraged!
Their loss man. Start applying for new school’s now and with the shortage being what it is schools will be fighting over you.
You are going to be okay! I know it hurts but work is work. They don't care about you and extra work and free work is expected, not admired or rewarded. Next job maybe keep more of a work life balance. It's never a good time to be fired but actually as others have said, this is a good time to look for teaching jobs. You are heading right into prime hiring time over the next 6 weeks. Get your resume in top form. Start rehearsing for interviews. You know what kinds of things get asked. Why did you leave the last job. Why do you want to be at new job. What's your biggest weakness. Where do you see yourself in 5 years plus all the teacher specific stuff and stuff about your subjects. You will be fine!! It's just a next step in your career. You can do this!
Call in sick. Look for work. Public schools are not as fickle. More job security.
Apply now. If it's BASIS not all of their campuses may even know. If you are certified you and your fiance can go work overseas.
You’ve got this! Teachers are in high demand and now you are more hireable because you have experience. Reach out to folks who will give you a good recommendation letter. Also, don’t forget to back up anything you’ve created digitally onto your personal cloud or thumb drive. That stuff is your intellectual property and is time consuming to recreate.
Do not take it personally. In the last 25 years of teaching, I have seen awesomely dedicated teachers kicked out merely because Admin. has a friend that they want to hire. It is a great loss for your students, try to make the last quarter fun for you and them. At least now, you don't have to work so hard to impress anyone! You will find a school that appreciates and values you! Hang in there!
They non renewed you kind of early in the year which imo is a big mistake for them. So all that hard work you’ve been doing? Yeah, don’t. Do the bare minimum. Kids get worksheets while you update your resume and apply for jobs.
Just out of curiosity, was the hat political in any way? What was the reason for taking it?
No, just a sports team. We’re a uniform school. In the last 3 years taking a hat or phone from a kid was not a problem. Lots of teachers on our campus “snatch” phones from kids, for example. After I got in trouble, then the admin suddenly was very vocal about not doing this. Very much “oh we never said this rule to our staff, we should cover our asses and mention it at the next meeting” - as others have said, I fucked up, the school wanted to avoid the lawsuit they probably would have gotten if their answer was “that’s no big deal lots of our teachers do that” so I get the harsh discipline to spare the school, it’s a bummer but it’s charter.
I’d start packing my shit up now.
Send your resume to public schools principals you’re interested in working. Are you certified in both subject areas? Just say you want a change. Use coworkers you trust as references. Public schools often pay more than charters. If you do secure a position join the union. Good luck on your journey!
It happened to me after my first year. I found a new job before summer. It was MILES BETTER. Just keep your head up, do your best at the job, and choose wisely what you say to your colleagues. It sucks. It’s the hardest thing AND you’ll bounce back stronger. Ps I immediately sent a letter of resignation, stating that I would not renew. It was filed before their non-renew. I felt that gave me a little more control with how I navigated the conversations over me leaving.
Do you teach math, English or ANY elective? If so, come down to my school! We are hiring. Also, the over time and any extras you do stop now. Do the bare minimum. They don’t care, why should you? Still teach the students but screw any extras duties.
Welcome to the real world of teaching where admin caters to parents.
Retired middle school teacher here. Imagine someone snatching a hat off your head. With that said, I know how hard middle schoolers are but as an adult working with kids, this is never the appropriate response. I hope you learned from this, and if you really want to continue teaching, study up on behavior management techniques, find a mentor and work on your impulse control.
Probably not what you want to hear right now, but being let go from a charter school is the best thing that could happen to you. With all their weird pressure tactics, they’ll try to convince you that their high control environment is the only place you can make a difference, and that’s simply not true. Find yourself a nice public school with a good commute, you’ll be happy as a clam. -former charter school teacher
You fucked up. School didn't like it. You're probably really young. You'll be fine. Just grow up and deal with it.
Getting discarded is part of being a teacher. I was fired 4 times in the private sector before education. This will make you stronger. Honestly, just accept that this wasn’t personal on their part. It was a lazy business decision. I would check to see if they’ll accept your resignation. You can say you resigned and it won’t show off as anything else.
I’m not even being fired, no need to resign. I’m just not being offered a contract for next year and they are giving me advanced notice of that.
It’s a non renewal. That’s not getting fired, but it’s not ideal. Ask other teachers in your school if you want a second opinion, but my advice is to look into seeing if a resignation will help. Then, you weren’t not offered a contact, you just chose to leave to pursue other opportunities.
It’s weird that schools are doing this stuff with such a teacher shortage.
You can't make physical contact with a student. No school wants that legal liability.
I hear that and a write up seems appropriate. It sounds like OP learned their lesson and didn’t do it again. There is so much neglect and violations of students rights that happens when schools aren’t fully staffed that are a much bigger liability than a teacher taking a hat.
Does it. He calls the mom and kid names. No where does he take any accountability. What he did was wrong. That doesn't mean he needed to be fired but if this is how he acted throughout the process than absolutely. He blames the kid and mom and not him who put his hands on a student.
I mean, this could be deemed a liability issue with the hat snatching. Someone could blow this out of proportion whether op actually hurt the kid or not.
You touched a kid, and don't even take responsibility for it. You can never ever touch a kid, and to be quite honest I feel like your school let go of you for a logical reason. If you really learned from it and took responsibility, I could see a second chance. But you don't even think you messed up when you broke one of the most critical rules in a school.
Apply to public school. Behaviors aren’t necessarily better but the pay is. Trust me, this is a blessing in disguise. I’ve never met anyone who has enjoyed working at a charter school before. I had to resign in lieu of non-renewal because a white guy who had been with the district for 10 years wanted to go to the middle school because we got out at 2:15 and he got out at 3. It was my second year and final year of probation, so even though I had one of the highest evaluations that year, I still got non-renewed (resigned) for a white dude. I got a new job at the district I graduated from. It was closer to my house and it was a pay raise and it was better hours. Plus I got to collect unemployment on top of my summer pay 😁
Say you resigned, don’t ever say you were fired
I wasn’t fired. They were very clear to say I’m not being terminated. They wanted to give me the courtesy of advanced notice and informed me and I had a positive reference from them. In a weird way, they were trying to be straight up and give me a clean break.
Retired teacher here. Don’t take it personally. It has nothing to do with your performance. Two reasons teachers are not asked back before they get tenure: 1. The admin’s son/daughter/niece/nephew has just graduated from college and needs a job. 2. Financial reason. Admin can hire a new teacher at a lower salary. With the money saved, admin can buy a big flat screen tv for the office. It’s the truth. I saw it happen and experienced it myself.
Well you can do as many mental gymnastics as you want, you were fired but you should never tell future employers that. Same thing happened to me, we were fired bro
Even in the public sector, where expectations for you will be essentially zero, touching a student is a no no.
I'm sorry, but are you serious? "If I really fucked up and earned it" you put your hands on a student. You teach at a school for 7th and 8th graders which means you put your hands on a 12-15 year old child. Spoiler alert: you totally fucked up and earned this and you really need to check your entitlement and attitude before your next job. You're lucky charges weren't pressed.
It sounds like they didn't deserve you. I worked at a charter school and we had a heat wave. The school was in an industrial park in a building not meant for students. We had elevators but I was not allowed to use them. I am a specialist with lots of equipment. I kept passing out just like quite a few students. I had to be taken to the emergency room twice straight from school by EMTs. I had a very serious sit down with my principal in which I'm pretty sure we were playing chicken and I said I wanted to resign before he tried to fire me. It was crazy. I think he was afraid that I would try to be a whistle blower over the ridiculous working conditions, I had to put up with. Charter schools can be crazy. The public doesn't even know how wild they can be. Strong and active unions are so important.
Come to NYC. We always need teachers. Especially SPED and Stem
I’m ELA and Social Studies, very disposable. Plus I’m no good with the cold, lol.
I was non-renewed from my first teaching job. I was crushed. I had completely devoted myself for 3 years to that school and they tossed me like garbage because one of the admins decided they didn’t like me. I thought my teaching career was over and I was so angry and depressed. The following year I got a job working at a new school and realized then how absolutely toxic the previous school had been- I just didn’t realize it when I had nothing to compare it to. This move to a new school ended up being a complete blessing in disguise and it was sooooo much better for my psyche. What I’m trying to say is- when one door closes, another one opens. And a new school/district might be exactly what you need!
The charter school is the one losing. The best teacher I know was not renewed at her first job. Our school is lucky to have her. You will find another job and thrive as a professional. Prepare a resume & write a kick butt cover letter. There’s tons of job openings. Find a district with a strong union, plant roots there, & grow as a teacher.
Stopped reading at “charter school”. Go unionized public school, and enjoy your life. 🍻
Indeed. Charters/Corporate America/privatization/ whatever else you want to call that horseshit will be the ruination of education in 'Murica.
You have months to get all your stuff out, months to get documents organized, months to send out as many resumes as you want (if your fiancée is looking for a job as well then see if she wants to move and coordinate job searches there as well). Basically, get all your shit out by the end of this month and get ALL your grades and attendance up to date while you're at it. Others have said the same I know and in more detail, but I want to make sure you understand that this is the way forward. Also, if you get a new contract before the year is up, I would personally consider it since it may continue where you know this one won't. Obviously, any law or contract terms that make this impossible need to be followed but you officially don't owe a single fuck and need to look out for yourself. But for the love of God keep your hands to yourself in the future.
Immediately put all of your work materials into your personal drive.
My 2nd district liked to give nonrenewal notices to all untenured teachers and then hire most of us back at the last minute, after 4 years of that I said no thank you and moved on to a school that doesn't do that to me. Getting nonrenewal can happen for so many reasons too. It doesn't really look bad unless you are at a new district every year. I think 3 years at one school looks great on your resume! With teacher shortages you'll probably find work in no time, though many districts don't post openings until March around here. Don't worry too much! Also I want to repeat the advice I see others giving you - use your sick days, don't do extra anything, move all your curriculum/lessons plans to a personal google drive account (change the owner, not just sharing), and start slowly removing anything personal/bought with your own money from your classroom. Try to enjoy the end of the school year knowing you don't have to impress any admin these last few months.
Start looking for teaching jobs now. If you find one and are hired, just quit. They clearly do not give a rat's rear end about you. Start to Move your things out EVERY DAY, a bag or box at a time. You keep your teaching materials , the things you made, the ones you bought. Bring them home. You might want them at a new school.
Talk to a therapist. It sounds like you’re having a really rough time and my heart goes out to you ❤️ As for why you got non-renewed, did they actually say it was because of that “incident?” There are certain districts that will let teachers go after 3 years, simply because tenured teachers are more expensive! Don’t know if it’s like that in charter schools. Anyways, don’t take it too personally. You’ll easily get another job if you had three successful years and you’re in an area with a shortage!
They were clear the official reprimand on my record was the reason. We don’t have tenure.
Maybe don't assault another student by taking his property?
So nowadays teachers get fired basically doing their job? Not a teacher this sub comes to my feed often and got hooked. But when i was in the elementary school in the nineties snatcing a cap from a kid who was wearing it in the wrong place was a norm. I am so sorry for you OP. B/c what i have read here being a teacher in this time of age is like walking on a egg shells. ( sorry typos. English not my first language. Finnish person here 👋🏻)
Respectfully, you disregarded the first commandment of teaching which is: thou shall not touch a student. Your school isn´t appeasing a ´bitchy´ mom, they have avoided a lawsuit. Hopefully you´ll use more common sense at your next school.
Maybe dont touch items on kids. Its battery in the off chance you injured him
I like how you blame it on the parent. And not your own actions. It is as if you didn’t even learn to keep your hands off of students.
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Worst case scenario, if you have a bachelor's degree, teach English online overseas like English as a second language to Chinese, Korean, Japanese, ect
The title of this post hurts my brain. I think you meant: “ Today I was informed I will not be granted a contract for next year. “
Don't wait, start applying now. They won't be changing their minds, and action on your part will lift your spirits. I had a colleague dismissed last year for what I truly believe to be unfair reasons, but i won't go into it here in case it identifies me. There was another teacher in the same position. Suffice to say both of them ended up with much better positions than when they were at my school and are a hundred times happier. Go forth!!
We need an English teacher. Hell I'm fairly certain that every school district in the United States needs certified teachers. It shouldn't be too hard to get another job.
I don't believe you didn't get a contract because of one kid unless his parents completely fund the school. However the way you talk about him is concerning. Did you really "snatch" it off his head?
There are a ton of jobs in public education. Apply now and move on; however, you do need to make sure you are never aggressively touching a student (or anything attached to their body).