Vent

katiekessler123 · March 2015

Sorry, all, I just need to vent for one quick minute about my work. I am a teacher and have been at the same school for 4 years. We get 10 sick days a year and 2 personal days each year. As of this year, I have 38 sick days built up a 4 personal days, so that gives you an idea of how infrequently I call off. I have never been late to work and have never once left early. Yesterday we had an emergency at our house and I had to leave work early. I missed only my last period class and they got a sub that was already in the building to cover it. Our school secretary told me to go and that she would get coverage because my principal was in a meeting when this happened. This morning I was called to the principal's office and reamed out for leaving early. They are making me take a personal day for the one class that missed. In addition, my principal told me that I overacted and if she had known about this yesterday, she would not have let me leave early. Really?!!

novella1186 · March 2015

katiekessler123 said:
Sorry, all, I just need to vent for one quick minute about my work. I am a teacher and have been at the same school for 4 years. We get 10 sick days a year and 2 personal days each year. As of this year, I have 38 sick days built up a 4 personal days, so that gives you an idea of how infrequently I call off. I have never been late to work and have never once left early. Yesterday we had an emergency at our house and I had to leave work early. I missed only my last period class and they got a sub that was already in the building to cover it. Our school secretary told me to go and that she would get coverage because my principal was in a meeting when this happened. This morning I was called to the principal's office and reamed out for leaving early. They are making me take a personal day for the one class that missed. In addition, my principal told me that I overacted and if she had known about this yesterday, she would not have let me leave early. Really?!!

Wow. I'm sorry that happened. They have some damn serious HR issues going on.

thisismynickname2 · March 2015

Vent away, that's total bullshit.

Was it not in the secretary's purview to let you leave? The fact that there was already a sub in the building to handle things makes me think everything should have been ok.

Maggie0829 · March 2015

You overreacted because you had an emergency at your home? Your principal is a bitch.

climbingsingle · March 2015

Well, that's freaking crazy.

novella1186 · March 2015

I'm really naive about how the teaching industry works, but aren't all teachers part of a union? Is there someone you could contact about this?

This makes me ragey for you. I would be so pissed in those circumstances.

buttercup1958 · March 2015

I don't know why anyone would want to be a teacher. There's hardly any pay, not a lot of people respect you, and there is so much pressure. Sorry, your principle is a douchcanoe. Hope your day gets better!

theycallmelinz · March 2015

Wow that really sucks! I agree, your principal is a bitch

southernbelle0915 · March 2015

What's the protocol for leaving early? Can the secretary technically give you permission?

I would appeal having to use a personal day. Cite your high quality attendance record, the fact that it was in fact an emergency, the principal was unavailable, you worked through the appropriate channels to get your last period covered, and you notified the right people (if you did).

Fuck that noise. Your principal sounds like a total jerk.

kvruns · March 2015

Do you have a handbook or anywhere where the "rules" about leave are written? Does leave have to be taken in a full day increment or is there another way to account for the lost time? I would definitely check with the district HR person to understand the rules better and not bring it up with the principal directly, at leas not yet, as it sounds like you won't get a clear answer from her

katiekessler123 · March 2015

Thanks all. I am part of a union and am going to check our contract when I get home today. We have a new principal this year that is clearly trying to "make an impact". In the past, the secretary was always the one that gave you the go-ahead to leave if needed, but apparently things have changed.

It's just really frustrating when you feel like you go above and beyond but still get reamed out for these little things. I run a school talent show totally on my own (no extra pay), am in charge of student council (no extra pay), and tutor three students free of charge. Basically I stay after school every single day for at least an hour if not more and do it all of the kindness of my heart. Not that I'm the best person in the world, but this kind of stuff just makes you feel like...what's even the point of trying to help out and do a little extra?!!!

allispain · March 2015

katiekessler123 said:
Thanks all. I am part of a union and am going to check our contract when I get home today. We have a new principal this year that is clearly trying to "make an impact". In the past, the secretary was always the one that gave you the go-ahead to leave if needed, but apparently things have changed.
It's just really frustrating when you feel like you go above and beyond but still get reamed out for these little things. I run a school talent show totally on my own (no extra pay), am in charge of student council (no extra pay), and tutor three students free of charge. Basically I stay after school every single day for at least an hour if not more and do it all of the kindness of my heart. Not that I'm the best person in the world, but this kind of stuff just makes you feel like...what's even the point of trying to help out and do a little extra?!!!

I hear you. DH is a K-12 teacher, and the stories he comes home with sometimes make me very glad that I'm at the college-level (though that's no picnic right now either... especially not in WI...).

I hope it helps to look through your union contract - or maybe you could talk to your building/local rep to see what s/he has to say about it. Personally, I think that schools treat their teachers' personal days in the craziest of ways - they try to make you use them for all sorts of things (DH's school tried to make him use a personal day for a mandatory workshop he was required to attend that conflicted with one of his classes. Ummm. No. Luckily the union stepped in and shut that down).

novella1186 · March 2015

I have 2 close friends who are elementary school teaches, and the horror stories I hear from them absolutely astound me. The ones about the administration are always much worse than the ones about the students.

Teachers absolutely don't get paid enough to compensate for the amount of work they put in, and the amount of BS they have to deal with. And then their budgets get cut so much that they're paying out of pocket for basic classroom supplies. The whole thing is so fucking stupid.

Not to go off on a tangent. It's just something that bugs me.

teddygirl9 · March 2015

I don't know how it is with your unions, but where I live, you can request to have a union rep with you during any sort of 'sit down' conversations with your supervisor/manager. They then argue on your behalf, and do all that sort of leg work for you. I would def get in contact with them asap. Sometimes the managers can even get in trouble for talking to you w/o a union rep present, I'd probably try to push for that too haha. Anyways, it doesn't sound like you did much wrong, I hope it gets worked out for you. If anything, I'd say settle for taking half a sick day, but still on principle its wrong.

banana468 · March 2015

I'd apologize for leaving early without the notice. While you said it was an emergency, does your handbook state what qualifies for emergencies? I say this because plenty of people in my former job would get calls from spouses saying "This is an emergency," that would be frequent. Well, you can't always have an emergency and "baby has the sniffles" isn't one. So I would also make sure that you DID meet the criteria.

Then I would make sure you have backup at hand so you can state what you will and won't be taking off. You're in a union but are you salaried? Check your books. I'm on the exempt payroll and they can't dock me for leaving early.

larrygaga · March 2015

I'm a social worker and I think the teaching jobs suck, if that puts it into perspective.

Thank you for what you do. It's so incredibly important and so self sacrificing. You deserve more respect, demand that from your principal.

katiekessler123 · March 2015

Thanks everyone, you really did make me feel a lot better! Banana468- I don't believe our handbook specifies what an emergency is- but we had a burst pipe in our house and we literally had sewage coming up through our drain in our basement. I'd say that's an emergency! I truly do not think I overacted in any way. I actually called my husband first to see if he could leave work, but he was in a meeting and didn't have his phone on him (found that out later, obviously). The only reason we even knew about it was because we had people at our house repairing an issue with our ceiling and they happened to be there when it happened. I am salaried...honestly, it's not even the half personal day I care about, it's the fact that I got reamed out for something that I shouldn't have, when I feel like 99% of the time I'm an A plus teacher and employee.

jenna8984 · March 2015

I agree with looking over your contract. If it does not state anything about using a full day for one period- file a grievance. My husband is in a union (not a teacher) and he has absolutely no problem filing grievances all the time. That's what it's there for- so you are treated fairly and to exactly what's in your contract.

banana468 · March 2015

katiekessler123 said:
Thanks everyone, you really did make me feel a lot better! Banana468- I don't believe our handbook specifies what an emergency is- but we had a burst pipe in our house and we literally had sewage coming up through our drain in our basement. I'd say that's an emergency! I truly do not think I overacted in any way. I actually called my husband first to see if he could leave work, but he was in a meeting and didn't have his phone on him (found that out later, obviously). The only reason we even knew about it was because we had people at our house repairing an issue with our ceiling and they happened to be there when it happened. I am salaried...honestly, it's not even the half personal day I care about, it's the fact that I got reamed out for something that I shouldn't have, when I feel like 99% of the time I'm an A plus teacher and employee.

Then I think it's time to talk to your union rep. I wouldn't go so far as to file the grievance yet. Talk to them and see what the rules are. Then I'd discuss those rules with the principal if she over-stepped them. A simple, "I apologize for not discussing the issue with you however there was a flood that was happening in my home that required my immediate attention. I understand that there is lost time however per section X in the handbook, this does not require a personal day."

She's trying to make a name for herself but you also don't want to get under her skin.

AlexisA01 · March 2015

I agree with pps and go talk to a union rep. That is crazy.

Liatris2010 · March 2015

katiekessler123 said:
Thanks all. I am part of a union and am going to check our contract when I get home today. We have a new principal this year that is clearly trying to "make an impact". In the past, the secretary was always the one that gave you the go-ahead to leave if needed, but apparently things have changed.
It's just really frustrating when you feel like you go above and beyond but still get reamed out for these little things. I run a school talent show totally on my own (no extra pay), am in charge of student council (no extra pay), and tutor three students free of charge. Basically I stay after school every single day for at least an hour if not more and do it all of the kindness of my heart. Not that I'm the best person in the world, but this kind of stuff just makes you feel like...what's even the point of trying to help out and do a little extra?!!!

In addition to following SouthernBelle's advice, I would mention all of this to the principal. You clearly work more than you are paid for. All of the time put in for these extras should more than outweigh leaving early one time. If the school is going to nickel and dime you, then why should you do anything other than the bare minimum?

Bubblegum5586 · March 2015

Thanks all. I am part of a union and am going to check our contract when I get home today. We have a new principal this year that is clearly trying to "make an impact". In the past, the secretary was always the one that gave you the go-ahead to leave if needed, but apparently things have changed.
It's just really frustrating when you feel like you go above and beyond but still get reamed out for these little things. I run a school talent show totally on my own (no extra pay), am in charge of student council (no extra pay), and tutor three students free of charge. Basically I stay after school every single day for at least an hour if not more and do it all of the kindness of my heart. Not that I'm the best person in the world, but this kind of stuff just makes you feel like...what's even the point of trying to help out and do a little extra?!!!

Karma. You sound like a great person and through trying times remember that you are part of the positive impact that the world needs!

Watch this video from SOJA called "I believe"

sophhabobopha · March 2015

Wow. Your principle is a

TOTAL CUNT

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