Contracts

[smithmt]

I just started working for Duval schools in Jacksonville FL this semester, and I found out that I can't expect to get my contract for next school year until next school year. Now what sense does this make? I've workied in several schools and a couple school districts, but this is the first time I have to wait through a summer to find out if I have a job next year. :shootme: Were I principal, I would want to know who I have to replace should someone just randomly not show up day one. A touch of a head start would be nice. I don't know, maybe this is standard practice, what are your thoughts?

[lynn bambusch]

I can't imagine that! In my district we aren't laying anyone off, but we are moving staff around. I know I will be at the Junior High (grades 7-8) instead of the Middle School (grades 5-6). That means I will spend the summer learning a whole new curriculum but at least I know I have a job. They're really leaving you hanging, is that normal iin this district or a sign of the economy?
Good luck!

[dsmms]

I just started working for Duval schools in Jacksonville FL this semester, and I found out that I can't expect to get my contract for next school year until next school year. Now what sense does this make? I've workied in several schools and a couple school districts, but this is the first time I have to wait through a summer to find out if I have a job next year. :shootme: Were I principal, I would want to know who I have to replace should someone just randomly not show up day one. A touch of a head start would be nice. I don't know, maybe this is standard practice, what are your thoughts?

That is exactly the way it is in the district I work. If you are hired after June 15 (or so) then you are considered an interim teacher. You are basically a long term sub. The benefit is that unless you have no idea what you are doing, you will be hired the next year - not necessarily in the same position. It is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. This district is famous for waiting until the day before (such as my case) to hire a teacher. What a scramble to get your class set up, teach, and deal with 130 students that are new to middle school. And they wonder why teachers burn out in 3 to 5 years!!!! It made it much harder than it had to be. Then I got to do it again the next year! Yea!

[David]

Luckily contracts haven't made it to Australia yet but I can see them coming in the near future. It seems to me that contracts give a principal too much power especially if there is a good teacher who he just doesn't get on with.

[Spectre]

sounds like something they might pull in NC, but as poorly as we are treated here, I have not seen nor heard of that.

It could be the next horror to come down the pike, along with all the others issued by our general assembly almost daily.

I thought y all had collective bargaining in Florida. How can they do that kind of thing to you???

[Brit]

I'm a long-term occasional teacher right now, and have yet to see an elusive contract. Every spring, I have to put together my application package and go knocking on doors to find a job for the fall. So right now, I have job applictaions and interviews to worry about, I have to empty out my classroom, finish reports, and still teach full days.

More and more of us here are getting stuck with this situation, because our board doesn't want to have to garantee anyone a job for the following year -- so we're hired on as occasional staff, but do a full-time job.

you ask me, it's a sign of the times, but it's also rather disrespectful. Happily, I've come up with a solution. If we were to close all of our provincial teachers colleges for, say, 5 years, maybe the market would not be so glutted and they wouldn't treat us like disposable teachers. alas, they just keep opening new schools. I'm al for higher education, but dude, don't go into education right now!!

[Just ducky]

I will not sign my contract until fall, but our contract requires that we be given tentative assignments in writing by a given date (May 1??)--although come to think of it that was not done this year. (Verbal was given.) This is not a guarantee of that position because population shifts could allow them to move teachers, but it is a reasonable expectation for us.

We all know that we have jobs for the fall although the contract is not signed. A current contract teacher who is not going to have a contract renewed in the fall, must be notified by a date in the early spring.

We do have school systems that use temporary contracts. This sounds similar to what you are dealing with. That position is one that the administration did not have reasonable thought that the employment would continue beyond that school year. Many use this for filling maternity leaves or long term illness leaves.

I have a friend teaching/ administrator in Florida and thought the set-up was similar. Are you not sure you have a job or not sure of the position for the fall?

[smithmt]

No, turns out they are either too lazy to get around to printing them, or they are hoping everyone looks for another job during the summer so they can hire someone with fewer years experience.

I'm use to one year contracts, but usually they're signed and done with before May is over, and that's two other states experience... once working with the Bureau of Indian Education.

Spectre, yes there is collective bargaining which is why before a teacher who is three years vested in the school can be fired (for any reason short of an arrest for school-related issues) they have to have a one year "surplus" position and the the district can also play games and juggle around teachers as they see fit. Typically if there are fluctuations in student size, they can move the teachers where they are needed... but if say elementary art teacher positions are closed across the board, then the oldest teachers get to be reassigned to positions where they are keeping art (middle and high school grades) bumping the staff that hasn't been there as long. :drink:

My dad once said "The union... if you're in it you love it, if your not, you don't"

Well, I'm in it, and I don't. They seem to have allowed the school board-centric district to remain as such. and that's just my personal quibbles, lets not get into the developmental psychology they obviously have no clue about...

"What's a Pavlov, and where can I get one for my dog?"

[silvana]

In England contracts in taching ...unless stated otherwise are permanent so as long as you do your job appropriately you have a job in that Local education authority as long as you like. We do put new teachers on one year temporary contracts but thats only to ensure they can do their jobs .....if they are ok they get a permanent contract if not they are terminated. I can't imagine what year contracts would do to our system...plus I really do not see unions letting it happen anytime soon
Good luck though!