My teaching position is changing without my permision. What can I do?

The first thing I would do in this situation is check the contract and see what it says. If that doesn’t help, go to the president or vice president of your union and talk to them about it. They usually know your contract pretty well since they helped write it and would be able to tell you if you are able to decline the position. Another area to explore is highly qualified…with NCLB you have to be highly qualified to teach in particular areas. If you are not highly qualified, then that could be your way out of this position.

I am a middle school math teacher and I teach both inclusion and regular math. Being an inclusion math teacher isn’t as bad as you think, but it could be different in your building. Your test scores won’t be as high with them, but they can be some really great kids.

Administrators usually ask for volunteers when a position opens. If no one volunteers, the next step is to assign someone to that position and it is usually the person with the least seniority. Yes, they are permitted to do this. The other option would be let someone go, usually the person with the least seniority and hire another person. You are hired to teach at a certain school, but are not guaranteed the grade level that you will teach. The administration can place you in any position for which you are qualified at that school that they wish, especially if you are a new teacher. (They can also place you out of field for a year.)

Since you had an extremely successful first year, the administration might feel that you will be successful in the new position. Take this as a challenge and show them that you can do it and be successful! If you really feel that you cannot handle this position, it is possible that they would allow you to transfer to another school in the district before this school year starts. The more flexible you are at the school, the more you will be valued and after you have a few years under your belt you will be able to ask for the position you want when one becomes available.

I know it is not what you want. When I started teaching I wanted to teach the intermediate grades; after one year I was transferred to the primary grades…and I’m still there many years later because I came to love the little ones. Give it a chance, you may decide that you like it!

A good friend of mine had this same situation happen to her. She taught a successful first year of 2nd grade, then after she renewed her contract, they told her she would be teaching 3rd grade this next year.

Do you have a copy of the contract you signed? It may state in the contract that they have the right to move you wherever they see fit. It also can state that basically they can add extra duties on to you whenever needed. It’s almost like those ‘fine print’ documents you need to look extremely close at.

The thing is, you can look over the contract and if it does not state you can be moved around each year, and you are a member of your Texas teachers association or NEA, you can sit down and have a talk about the wrong doing. You may have a legitimate case there. But, if the contract is vague and does not give specifics of your job title or duties, and you do not have a membership in a teaching society that offers insurance, you may not have a lot of options but to do what they ask.

I hate to say this but what they are doing is very common. There are positions that the school has to fill, so they either find new teachers straight out of college who are desperate and will take anything, or they find teachers who they feel may leave them, and they play musical rooms with their jobs.

I don’t think there’s anything you can do legally. To say you don’t want to teach inclusion to the point that you’d actually LEAVE shows that you’re not really in it for the right reasons. You said it’s a job that nobody wants, but that doesn’t mean the job will go away. Students with special needs will always be a part of education. You might as well chalk this up to an upcoming learning experience for YOU. You may find that it’s more rewarding than you’d think.

Kindergranny stated it pretty well.

It would have been polite for the principal to ask you first, but realize everyone has to do there time. You don’t know the circumstances. Did someone else get your old position? Obviously, they feel you can handle it, or they would not have given it to you. You do not want to cause a rift that can stain your reputation forever. Stand up for yourself, but remain professional. I was recently put in this position also, but refused to give up my class for a teacher that was a new hire. What’s worse this job, or NO job? Do your time and get a few years experience under your belt. You just have to roll with the punches.

Sure, if they’re already on the field and in the game. Look at some of the absurd shofts that managers put on for pull hitters, putting the third baseman over towards second, or having the shortstop playing a shallow centre. I doubt the umpires would look kindly on switching catchers and taking the time for transferring equipment from player to player, but the positioning of the seven fielders is entirely arbitrary and traditional. There is no rule that says you must have a shortstop, and no rule that says the player in centrefield may not move anywhere else on the field.

Not sure about Texas but in Ohio to resign from a teaching position after July requires Board action and approval. If you don’t get it, they can put a hold on your license and keep you from teaching elsewhere. You are pretty much stuck, unfortunately that is the way it is. Odds are your Board needed a new football coach and they offered him your old position because he wouldn’t do inclusion math.

In the state of California teachers are hired on a probationary basis for 2 years. They can request tenure after 2 years. It’s really up to your school district on this issue. The superintendent has the right to choose your teaching assignment based on enrollment and need. Unfortunately, it sounds like this is a seniority issue as well.

If you are worried about being employed next year, I would keep my concerns to myself until you have another job.

Good luck to you!

It depends on your contract. I avoided a reassignment one time because the principal didn’t follow our contract which required him to discuss the switch with me prior to making it official. He was actually moving me to a pretty nice position, but it was 3 grade levels away from where I’d been teaching. Our school never had much money for supplies and I had invested several thousand dollars (of my own money) in supplemental books and supplies for the room. That was information he should have had prior to the switch, thus the provision in the contract.

Your contract spells out specifically what you can and cannot do. I am a fifteen year teacher (going on 16)If I went in this week and they said my assignment has changed, I owuld be upset but there really is nothing I can do about it. I agreed by contract to teach kids.

not specific kids

not in specific room

not in a specific program

I teach based on the needs of the kids.

Last year we were overstaffed in one area, the teacher was given a choice (after the school year started)

choice was change grade and subject or be released. (she was probationary.. 2nd yer teacher like yourself.)

I know its upsetting, but try it out. You said your year was successful, you will have another one!

same great kids

its all about your attitude. You can do this!