Do I have a right to be worried? (Full Version)

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luvsrickforever -> Do I have a right to be worried? (10/4/2009 10:35:39 PM)

I am a permanent substitute preschool teacher for Head Start in CT. I've been doing it since 1999. I like my job. However, the turn over is pretty great. I got a $1.00 raise last year and all the teachers fought for me to get it. I would imagine that most people would have quit when they didn't get a raise for all those years. Anyway, they hired a sub about 2 years ago. She's in her late 20's and has a 7 year old son. She was married but she's divorced. She likes to talk to me which is okay but some of what she tells me has me worried and I am sure no one in the higher ups or the people who hired her know this or she would not be working at my school. She tells me that all of her friends, mostly guys, are either drug dealers or drug users and I don't mean just smoking joints but the hard stuff. She was engaged to a man for about a year who she says she found out was a Nazi/Skin Head just before she broke up with him, who loved Hitler and he moved to Germany to be with people who are like him. Considering one of her best girlfriends is black, I can't believe she didn't know about him. She went to a club recently and she says she was maced by the cops when she was leaving the club even though she wasn't doing anything. Is that possible?

What I am worried about is what if she gets arrested? Hanging around all the time with drug addicts and drug dealers can't be a good thing. She may go to college and do it on the computer but she doesn't have a computer. A boyfriend smashed hers against the wall once. She says she may have to go to a lot of people's houses to do the college on the computer thing. She can't afford a computer. They have made her a permanent teacher, even though she isn't going to school yet. I wanted the job but they said I don't have the degrees, yet they give the job to her! Of course they don't know what I am telling you or she would not have gotten the job.

Another teacher says she is probably lying but if that's true, isn't that almost worse than what she is telling all of us? I told her that if she doesn't care about herself, that's her choice but to let drug dealers and drug addicts hang around her 7 year old son is wrong! She went to a Catholic School but says she not sure about God and she probably doesn't believe in him. She is sleeping with her boyfriend which she has told me and she has had lots of partners. She also texts a lot on her cell when she should be paying attention to the kids. They let go of a teacher who has been there since 1998 because she didn't have the degrees this year and they hired her. The other teacher is married and doesn't do any of the things this other one does. This other teacher is in her late 50's. She is a way better teacher and she came to school and they just told her you don't have a job anymore. I still can't believe they did that. They say we have no money in the budget and since 1999 this is first time they have laid off a teacher. I'm not allowed to be alone with any of the children but this woman was allowed even when she was a sub for a year and a half. When I asked why, they couldn't tell me because subs are not allowed to be alone with the kids.

Should I be worried and should I mention this to someone? Should I even care? What would you do? I don't know what I am worried but I am. They practically kiss my feet every time I come in and I know they know if they lost me, they would never find another sub like me. I come in every time they call me. The kids love me and the parents and other teachers do too.

Any help for me would be appreciated.



garsyt -> RE: Do I have a right to be worried? (10/4/2009 11:05:27 PM)

Yes you have a right to be worried.

To me it sounds like it's a money issue for the higher ups. They can't see paying you or the other teacher (the 50 year old with much more experience) what you are worth when they can get buy with paying this other person likely a LOT less. But right now all you have is hearsay. It's your word against hers and my guess is that if you do accuse her, she'll counter with something like "she's lying because she wants my job!"

Do your job. If she tries to talk to you about her outside of school activities - be blunt and tell her you don't want to know, unless she is aware that you feel an obligation to contact the appropriate authorities if you believe her child to be in danger or if her activities could affect her work with the kids in her care or go against school policy and then get a hard copy of those policies. If the higher-ups don't have or can't give you a hard copy of those policies, well I don't know if I would work in a place that doesn't have clear policies and a code of conduct for their teachers and staff.

If I were you - I'd put in applications at other locations. If things continue as they have been or the higher ups are unwilling to do anything about it - then as soon as you have another job to move to, if I were you, I'd take the new job.

My mother was a head start teacher for nearly 6 years when I was growing up, when my youngest 3 siblings were in the program.

Blessings,

Garsy



EsonTheSearcher -> RE: Do I have a right to be worried? (10/5/2009 8:40:40 AM)

Yeah...you just better mind your business. Schools nowdays are concerned about money. Just in the past month, the teacher I had at tech for for the last 2 years quit teaching after 24 years and moved up into an administrative position within the same school but at a different location. He had told me himself that he had refused the last five raises he had been offered.

Nowdays, expereince and/or advanced degrees are a double-edged sword; just recently in a county near me the school system recently let go several teachers. All they had in common was they had been there for 25 years and all had at least one Masters' degree. The school just simply let them becuase of the pay rate (the county paper had their salaries listed; the high-school football coach was making $83k per year!)
and hired graduates from UGA and elsewhere at probably half of their pay! It made money sense...but just seem fair.



luvsrickforever -> RE: Do I have a right to be worried? (10/8/2009 11:56:01 PM)

Thanks for all the replies guys. Hey I'm a poet and don't know it! LOL When I first started the job, I knew exactly what my job entailed. I knew they could call me to work at anytime, at 9 at night or 6:30 in the morning. I also knew that subs didn't get raises because they come and go all the time, which is so very true. Except for that teacher who they let go and one other teacher maybe, I have been their the longest as far as subs go. I have been their one year less than both of them but one I'm not exactly sure of. I couldn't believe my first year there how many reg. teachers and subs came and went and I stayed. I wish I didn't like my job cause then I wouldn't feel the way I do about everything. My second year there they made me a Permanent Sub and gave me a luncheon! I couldn't attend because I had Bronchitis and was contagious. I was told about it.

Every teacher who is there now and some who aren't fought for me to get a raise and I did, but it took me a long time. Everyone kept telling me subs come and go. Not kidding, but I haven't! If I want another raise, I guess I will have to ask for it again. Considering I don't work everyday, you would think they would give me one. I know we have been waiting for our Governor to sign a bill so we can get some money because, like you hear everywhere, there is no money in the budget. My last 2 jobs said that and they went out of business. I heard it was signed from one of the teachers but I will have to check.

The other day I needed a ride to work and the guy in the office picked me up. I don't live far from work. I made a comment to the woman who does the calling of the subs that I must be someone special to get a ride to work and she said "Of course you're special." I was glad to hear that.

As for a list of our policies, I know what they are. However, you know how that goes. The policies are not for everybody, just for some people. It's been that way everywhere I've worked so why should this be any different?

I am thankful that I have a job and I'm not out of work. I'm just mad at some of the stuff that's going on. The woman who got let go? Her mom has Alzheimer's so she is able to be with her more and I know she had to take time off to take care of her sometimes. I just couldn't believe the way they got rid of her.

Thanks for all the help. I sure needed it.



bolt. -> RE: Do I have a right to be worried? (10/9/2009 11:43:10 AM)

quote:

She also texts a lot on her cell when she should be paying attention to the kids.

This is the only part of your post that is the slightest bit relevant to her work life. You should make sure people know that.

Subs are not allowed to be alone with kids and teachers are. That's pretty straightforward. She got hired as a teacher because she indicated that she was planning on studying towards the appropriate degree. She was probably cheaper than the previous teacher, and the previous one had no intention of studying. (Although she's not really studying just now. If that goes on, you might let someone know.)

If she gets arrested, they will have to hire somebody else... then she will have a criminal record (if she is charged), which will be relevant for getting hired in the future.

If she endangers her son, somebody who knows about it (you) should call the authorities and have them investigate. Then he might get care or protection (if he needs it) and she might get a child welfare record (if she deserves it) which will effect her job situation.



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