Feeling incredibly hurt by boss's attitude - long!

[bayleaf]

Am feeling very sorry for self this evening so I've decided that I shall have a good old moan on Mumsnet.
Some background is required....
I teach in a state secondary school - for 8 years up to the birth of dd, 2 years ago, I was a head of department. During that time the GCSE A-C pass rate went up to approx 70% ( it's an inner city school - and that is far higher than any other school in our city - including the Specialist Languages college) and our 2 OFSTEDS were about as good as Ofsted reports get ( would cut and paste in full but would be very boring for you)- and included the line that 'The department is extremly well led and managed'
When I went back to work after dd I accepted a job share as a basic scale teacher as I knew that realistically I could not have a succcessful job share as HOD as it required someone who was extremely compatible to make it work and it was a bit of a non starter finding such a person in a shortage subject- also my second in charge who had done my mat leave as HOD was EXCELLENT - and I knew I could work under her.
She has now had a baby and wants to come back to the HOD job as a job share - with me as the other half. The ( acting) head has accepted this in principle - but VERY clearly does not want me as half of the job share - she has not said so explicitly so it has been impossible for my colleague to actually challenge her and ask why - but it is obvious from the way she wants to advertise the job ( all a bit complicated)and from her whole approach to it.

Once upon a time I felt that this person ( acting head)thought reasonably highly of me ( when I was in post) and I cannot think of anything that I have done for it to have changed. Admittedly I have always been quite forthright in my views - but I was also a complete workaholic who built the department up from scratch and I have never had an appraisal that has been anything less then glowing.
My potential job share partner is obviously very embarrassed about it all - though it is in no way her fault - and she has made it clear that it is me and only me that she wants to share with.

I'm not really sure why I'm rambling on here as clearly none of you are going to be able to understand what is happening as neither of us do - I suppose I just felt that typing it out might help me get it off my chest.

[Twink]

Oh Bayleaf, I really feel for you. A similiar situation in a different industry led to me being a SAHM.

Can't you approach the head directly and discuss it with her ? Maybe there's a potential discrimination case brewing - the head may be trying to avoid maternity cover if things work out for you
Surely the massive shortage in language teachers (friend is one in inner-city comp in Hull so I hear lots about it !) would indicate you would have a good chance if the post were advertised, your track record is obviously great and your knowledge of the school helps too so an outsider would have to be amazing to get in - and if your potential sharer wants to be working with you that must be a plus too.

Sorry that comes across as garbled but I feel really cross on your behalf and can't focus properly !

[bayleaf]

Thanks ks and Twink - I fell much better this morning - sort of determind to get the job despite of every thing rather than feeling kicked in the teeth by her attitude.
ks _ i'm not sure who she wants for the job - possibly he person who is currently acting up as she is all young and innocent and probably suitably deferential in a way I'm not anymore - problems being that a) my colleague doesn't want to job share with her
b) she's competent but not great.

Yes Twink she might well feel the mat leave is a problem ( altho I've not admitted at school that I want another child - and certainly not abut the ivf!) but as the main contender - mentioned above - got married last year and wants kids she's deluding herslef if she thinks she can avoid mat leaves - doesn't help that she's a childless middle aged lesbian so not too much empathy for working mums/job shares etc!
Luckily the new head who starts in september does have kids and did do a job share HOD herself in the past ( plus she goes to the same church as my mum and dad!) so hopefully she'll be a bit more sensible about it all.
The main thng is that I'm feeling positive and ready to 'plot' how to get it despite the odds today - rather than just like crying about it all which is how I felt last night!
Thanks for you support anyhow - it does help
Bayleaf

[mears]

Bayleaf - the other half of the jobshare must be advertised otherwise it would be a breach of employment law under equal opportunities. By the sound of it you would be the best person for the job. The acting head is doing what she must by putting it out to advert. It is highly likely uyou will get it but unfortunately you must go through the interview process. Hope it all works out.

[bayleaf]

Errr Mears - yes I know she has to advertise it - indeed I'd expected her to advertise it EXTERNALLY and in actual fact for some bizarre reason she is only going to advrtise inernally.

I'm not bothereed about honest competition on a level playing field - what has upset me is the fat that all the implications from the way she is going about it
( talking about actively 'encouraging' 3 others in the department to apply, delaying advertising the post so that the person who is covering the basic teaching part of my colleague's maternity leave can apply for a permanent job - and so be in a position to apply for the job share responsibility- all this despite the fact that none of them have any significant experience of the job - all of them are full time and thus hardly ideal to job share a responsibilty with someone who is part time - and my colleague doesn't want ( indeed will refuse to) job share with any of them as it just wouldn't work - in order for it to work well you would need to...
a) have a similar vision of where the department is going
b) share a reasonably similar management style
c) share a reasonably similar teaching style
d) get on with each other as people.

She and I fit the bill - none of the others do - so why is the acting head TRYING hard to make them apply?? ( incidentally 2 of the 3 have said repeatedly that they don't even want the hassle of being HOD!)

[CAM]

It might not be as bad as you think Bayleaf. If no-one else applies it's not an automatic thing that you would get the job. As you know with the equal opportunities there must be more than one applicant so she might be encouraging others to apply from the inside because it will be easier for you to get the job. I can only guess obviously but there could be an alternative spin like this. Usually with these situations there is an agenda (and a mockery made of EO of course) but unfortunately only time will tell what hers is.

[WideWebWitch]

Bayleaf, I can't imagine at all what is going on in your head's head! It just sounds obvious that you and the HOD should job share. She wants to share, you want to share, you have the experience and so does she and no-one else wants the job! Perfect! Will this all change for the better when the new head starts in Sept? Or will it be too late by then? Is this woman following some guideline or something that you don't know about? Mmm, maybe not, since it's not being advertised externally. Could you ask her how she sees the situation? Sorry, no good advice but sympathy, it does all sound very frustrating indeed.

[bayleaf]

I don't understand CAM what you mean about there MUST be more than one applicant - there is often only one applicant for teaching jobs ( in shortage subjects) especially ones like maternity leaves - so yes, the only applicant gets the job!!! How can you make people apply! ( well unless they're internal applicants then you can lean on them I suppose).
I'm well aware that I have no God given 'right' to the job - but I am about as perfectly qualified to do it as it is possible to be and we're talking about a job which, if advertised externally, MIGHT get another applicant - or more likely wouldn't, (we're not talking big fields here !) so unless the person doing the appointing has some sort of malicious agenda it's hard to see how I wouldn't get it...

WWW - I suppose I only want sympathy to be honest! - Without spending hours boring people rigid with the ins and outs and relationships at school it's pretty impossible for them to really understand the situation. Those few people who know about it and do understand the situation at school don't think I'm imagining it. I'm as certain as I can be that the acting head is NOT trying to be helpful - far from it - but I also know that there is nothing to be gained from talking to her.

At the moment I think that our best approach is for my colleague to check out with the union what the head is doing as from what I understand a job share can only be two people doing 2.5 each with no overlap. The other people in the department could not be 2.5 of a job share as they are all full time.
Also the head is trying to make her take it on a one year temporary basis - which again she has no right to do as far as I understand it as it has already been established in law that heads of schools, never mind heads of departments CAN job share - it's just a case of finding another half deemed 'suitable' - well no tribunal would be able to find me 'unsuitable' - so the argument of only allowing it on a trial basis is a 'scam' - she's just hoping that no one calls her bluff I think.

[GillW]

It all sounds a bit odd, especially as by the time the job-share would start, this person wouldn't any longer be acting head anyway, so it wouldn't be their problem in any case. Are you sure she's not just trying to execise her power, while she's got it, and wind you all up, knowing that there are no long-term consequences for her by doing that?

Isn't it down to the governors as a whole to make appointments, not just to the (acting) head? In which case some of them will probably be aware of your past record and take that into account if it came down to interviews and a selection process being neccesary (though I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you that that won't be the case). Does the new head get any say in appointments which will take effect when she's starting?

I'm sure you're familiar with the regulations about this - but this document outlines the procedure from the point of view of Governors etc , if it helps. It does explain why a post would be advertised internally, before it went external, if nothing else.

[mears]

Bayleaf - didn't mean to state the obvious, but a few years ago a jobshare was filled without any advertising at all and no-one realised at the time that the procedure was not correct. I would definately seek union advice, and they will ensure that what she is doing is right or not. Can't understand what she is up to. I learnt so much when I became a union steward at work but NHS works differently to teaching in some respects. Good luck.

[CAM]

I didn't mean it in that way Bayleaf, what I mean is that I know of a situation before where there was only one applicant and, because of Equal Opportunities legislation, they could not be interviewed as a comparison has to be made( it was claimed to fulfil the best person for the job criteria). I meant that if others are being encouraged to apply it could just be for the sake of fulfilling the criteria. I think EO is interpreted differently by different organisations, sometimes wrongly.

[bayleaf]

Thanks for the link Gill - it didn't really say anything new - BUT is is very useful to have a copy of it in black and white which I didn't have before.
Thanks for explaining Mears/CAM - no it is DEFINITLEY not for that reason CAM as, when it suits, Equal Ops is a complete joke at our place - jobs that more than one person WOULD have wanted not advertised at all, just given - which I think is appalling. And I don't for one minute believe that they don't know it's not allowed - they use EO when they want to and not when they don't ( I remember being told that I couldn't appoint the person I wanted due to EO rules because altho the lesson she'd taught was the best hers was not the best interview - so we got someone who was good at answering questions not the best teacher - madness!)- the new head is well overdue in that respect - both the deputies ( one of whom is acting up) were internal appointments and the place neeeds someone from outside BADLY who realises how rotten some of the things that go on really are.

[tigermoth]

bayleaf, sympathy. I have no experience of working in the public sector, or of having career which is so highly in demand (you lucky,lucky, thing!)but I can really relate to your feeling that this acting head has a secret agenda.

My last head of department pushed through decisions about our department which culminated in two of us being made redundant. At the time I felt powerless to stop the train of events and it was clear to me, and to others in our company, that he had an agenda.

Before I went on maternity leave with my second son, my appraisals had been very good, I had a good reputation wiht otheres in the company and my head of department had strongly urged me to apply for an upcoming promotion, promising he'd support me. The minute I told him I was pregnant, his attitude towards me changed. He made it clear tome and to my colleagues he no longer wanted to mentor me. When I returned from maternity leave and compassionate leave following the death of my mother, he started to criticise my performance. Over the next year he tried (unsuccessfully) to get me to leave by making life very diffucult for me especially, but also for the rest of the team. Many times he was reprimanded about his bad managment style and lack of support for our team. When we had notice of redundancies (due to some loss of business)I felt it was a given fact that he would choose me over a direct rival for the remaining job.

It was only a month or so after I left that I heard that this other person was his lover, they had both left their spouses and had just bought a house together. He must have been seeing her during the redundancy process and for who knows how long before. I'm not saying my boss blatently saw me out of a job, but I can't help thinking that he would have been hard pressed to have made his own lover redundant. Tellingly, he didn't reveal his out of hours relationship to anyone until the redundancy decisions had been made.

You are not in this situation I know, but from my experience I'd say you should trust your hunch about a secret agenda. I'm not sure where you go from there, bayleaf, but I think it would pay to be very wary and keep your ear to the ground.

It does sound, though, that the acting head just might not want the two of you to 'gang up'. You and your collegue sound like you are highly regarded at the school and both already have head of department experience. Perhaps she fears your combined power? do you think she is seeking to initiate policies in your department that you would both disagree with? Or, as others have said, do you think it's the fear that you will both take maternity leave? are the other teachers who she has targeted likely to take maternity leave too?

Also, you say that there is nothing to be gained from talking to her. Yet these actions of hers are controversial when you look at how other staff have been selected at your school. Do you think she is hoping to provoke you and actually expects you to tackle her?

Agree you and your colleague need trade union help - hope things become clearer. I do feel you don't know all the facts at the moment. It's a rotten situation to be in.

[bayleaf]

Thanks Tigermoth - your situation sounded awful to be in - I should be grateful I don't have to face what you did! It really does help to hear that others have also been treated shabbily for not much apparent reason - not sure why but it does!