It Ain't My Fault
Remember the school district I said was a long drive from here that offered me a job? The principal is the one who called and asked me what I had been wearing at my interview, because she wasn't sure she had the right person. Yeah, those nutsos. (One of the posts I wrote about it is here.)
If you recall, I never officially accepted the position but their central office called and told me I had been recommended anyway. The principal offered me the job, told me to let her know if I wanted it, and the very next day I got a call from someone at the superintendent's office saying she was writing my contract and needed to verify how long I've been teaching. I wanted some time to pursue another job, so I told her I wouldn't be able to come sign the contract for two weeks. She said, "There's nothing to sign. The job is yours." That made no sense to me. Teachers work under contract. There most certainly is something to sign.
I never really wanted this position, especially once I met the principal. When they were the first to offer me a job, I put them on the back burner while I stirred the other pots. Comprende?
When I finally secured the job that I did want (which also happens to not be 75 miles away), I tried to call the principal of the other school to tell her I had accepted a position elsewhere. I left two messages to tell the principal that I needed to speak with her about the position. She never called back. I tried calling the personnel lady at the central office, but she didn't call back either.
After a couple of weeks had passed, I assumed they had probably given the job to someone else--- and if they didn't? Tough. My butt is covered. If hers is feeling particularly exposed, she might try to return a phone call.
Welllllllll...............today I received a letter from their central office. It congratulated me on my new position with their district, and informed me that I was required to attend a new teacher orientation session a couple of weeks from now.
I immediately sat down and wrote a letter explaining that I had attempted to contact them several times, and that I had accepted another position, and I faxed it to them right away.
I wonder if I'll hear anything back. Someone's gonna be pissed when they realize it's July 10 and they've got an empty position that they thought was filled. I never signed a contract, but I did sign a letter of intent when I applied for the job. Still, it's not binding. My biggest concern is that they're going to try to say I was committed. I'm worried about that because the lady said, "There's nothing to sign" when I mentioned the contract. How can there be nothing to sign? They're notoriously incompetent. I hope they're not also shady enough to try to wreck my reputation or claim I signed something.
Ah well. I'm sure I'm being silly. Considering the number of incompetent people I have encountered at various district offices across this state, I'm sure this happens all the time. It's one more example to support my theory that the problems with the educational system in this state really lie with the administrators and their supporting staff-- not the teachers.
If you recall, I never officially accepted the position but their central office called and told me I had been recommended anyway. The principal offered me the job, told me to let her know if I wanted it, and the very next day I got a call from someone at the superintendent's office saying she was writing my contract and needed to verify how long I've been teaching. I wanted some time to pursue another job, so I told her I wouldn't be able to come sign the contract for two weeks. She said, "There's nothing to sign. The job is yours." That made no sense to me. Teachers work under contract. There most certainly is something to sign.
I never really wanted this position, especially once I met the principal. When they were the first to offer me a job, I put them on the back burner while I stirred the other pots. Comprende?
When I finally secured the job that I did want (which also happens to not be 75 miles away), I tried to call the principal of the other school to tell her I had accepted a position elsewhere. I left two messages to tell the principal that I needed to speak with her about the position. She never called back. I tried calling the personnel lady at the central office, but she didn't call back either.
After a couple of weeks had passed, I assumed they had probably given the job to someone else--- and if they didn't? Tough. My butt is covered. If hers is feeling particularly exposed, she might try to return a phone call.
Welllllllll...............today I received a letter from their central office. It congratulated me on my new position with their district, and informed me that I was required to attend a new teacher orientation session a couple of weeks from now.
I immediately sat down and wrote a letter explaining that I had attempted to contact them several times, and that I had accepted another position, and I faxed it to them right away.
I wonder if I'll hear anything back. Someone's gonna be pissed when they realize it's July 10 and they've got an empty position that they thought was filled. I never signed a contract, but I did sign a letter of intent when I applied for the job. Still, it's not binding. My biggest concern is that they're going to try to say I was committed. I'm worried about that because the lady said, "There's nothing to sign" when I mentioned the contract. How can there be nothing to sign? They're notoriously incompetent. I hope they're not also shady enough to try to wreck my reputation or claim I signed something.
Ah well. I'm sure I'm being silly. Considering the number of incompetent people I have encountered at various district offices across this state, I'm sure this happens all the time. It's one more example to support my theory that the problems with the educational system in this state really lie with the administrators and their supporting staff-- not the teachers.
Labels: Bureaucratic Incompetence, professional screw-ups, teacher life
But if they weren't there to administrate, how would anything ever get done?
Posted by
Stewed Hamm |
1:54 AM
Apparently, from your experience with this school, not much DOES.
Posted by
Anonymous |
6:43 AM
Here in our lovely state, not declining a job in writing is the same as signing a contract. Lesson learned by Mr.Coach this summer! He never signed his contract with the school he was at, but since he didn't formally resign until he found another job, he was under contract with his last school. The school board had to meet to determine whether or not to let him out of his "contract", they did.
Posted by
Queen Of Cheese |
8:20 AM
mrscoach-- That is crazy!!! I don't think they could've held him to it if they'd tried.
Posted by
Mommy Needs a Xanax |
1:36 AM