AIBU to not sit down with this colleague?

[Bella60]

Okay, so had to name change for this one! Last year I was in a temporary management position at my school (I’m an English teacher) and part of my role was to promote whole-school literacy. I implemented a vocabulary online programme to KS3; I held parent assemblies about reading; I created monthly newsletters based around reading and book recommendations; I held a book club each week; visited other schools and did other stuff in the quest to improve literacy in the school and I had data to prove these things were starting to make an impact. Anyway, the Head then decided they wanted a ‘whole-school literacy lead’ so I applied for the position along with a science teacher. The science teacher got the job. Honestly, I’m fine about it because in hindsight it’s a mammoth task. The stuff I was doing was fun but the job description was huge! Last week, the science teacher who got the job asked for a sit down so she can go through all the things I did last year regarding literacy because she and SLT are keen to continue what I was doing. She said in the email she was also keen to hear what ideas I have for the future. So, I emailed back and gave her my contacts for the vocab builder platform and recommended a zoom call with them. I listed the things I had done last year and talked about what worked well but didn’t agree to meet her. Now SLT are turning up the heat and insisting I meet with her telling me that because I’m an English teacher I’m more knowledgeable about literacy and it’s ’my duty’ to support her and the school. (They actually said those words) WTAF?? I’m normally really laid back and will help anyone but I feel there’s a line here- I’m thinking if I wasn’t good enough for the position then why now are my ideas good enough?? What do you think? Am I being out of order by not sitting down with this teacher or should I stand my ground and say no?

Maybe its because we are expected to do so much for free and no credit. It sounds like they were hoping you'd keep doing all your stuff and have the science teacher.

Schools just expect us to work out of the kindness of our hearts, rather than for any actual pay!

SLT do make interesting decisions at times! I'm a primary teacher, was asked to be English lead a few years ago and had done a huge amount to improve the teaching of it. Without a TLR and mostly without any subject leadership time. At my performance management last year I was told the school had appointed a new class teacher who would also take on my English role. Needless to say, that teacher is given time and gets a TLR.

I was friendly, met with the new teacher and provided support as I would to any teacher new to the school. I also met with them to go through what I had been working on and where I had got to. Petty though it may be, I stopped doing any of the leadership stuff once I'd heard my role had been given away. I also responded to queries from other teachers by saying I was no longer English lead so they'd need to ask SLT until the new teacher started. I told SLT I was really disappointed to have been told in performance management that my role had been given away as a recruitment carrot, but then got on with teaching my class.

This approach was a symptom of some really weird management practices. Happily I have a new job for January.

My suggestion would be to be friendly and helpful in doing a handover outlining what you did last year but as others have said, don't get drawn into giving away your ideas for future development. Save them for your next job.

What the heck?! This is madness.
YANBU.

I’d meet within school hours, look agreeable, then just repeat verbatim everything you have already handed over. Provide clarification as necessary but zero additional info. Then wish them luck but stress if they need any further clarification on any info provided you will assist. If you are drawn in to anything further, again, meet within school time, look agreeable and say you have no further info or ideas. They will give up on contacting you about it.

When did she get the job? It’s normal to have a handover meeting. However, if September, then why is she asking now? Surely/she’s been in the job a couple of months already.

i would have the meeting, but go over what you did, rather then mention new ideas. That’s her job.

I'd say directly to them that if they think I know more as an English teacher, they'd be right, and perhaps they should have given the job to me. You have already offered help but don't be a pushover now and facilitate someone less competent promoted over you.

This all stinks doesn't it? And then they wonder why people get disillusioned?

I'd email her and agree to a HANDOVER meeting. Take what was in the email and ask her if there's anything she would like you to go over. If she asks for ideas just say you haven't given it any more thought as the role is no longer yours then say I would like to hear your new ideas you put forward at interview.
End the meeting with expressing your best wishes and leave.

Did you do all the previous work on your own time? Do they expect you to give up free time to help her? If they ask you for more than a handover meeting I would be saying I'm sorry I don't have any spare time is priorities at home have changed.

meet with her telling me that because I’m an English teacher I’m more knowledgeable about literacy and it’s ’my duty’ to support her and the school. (They actually said those words) WTAF??

If it's not in your contract, then it simply is NOT your "duty."

I'd have a handover meeting and iterate the information which you've already provided and no more. Don't be sucked in to helping out, or doing favours, because it will be assumed that you're happy to do the extra work and the workload will increase.

If they start to pressure you, ask how much your payrise will be and for a copy of your new contract, so that you can have your union rep look it over.

You obviously don't know how little free time a teacher actually has in a week?

@Bella60

Hmm. I’d maybe say something like : you assumed that some of your ideas were not suitable or needed adapting based on your interview feedback - so ask for a meeting with SLT before the meeting! And perhaps - tactfully - ask what you’d like communicated to the new lead/what was working and what they felt wasn’t working . That might make them realise how you feel.
I’ve just resigned from my post. I put my heart, soul, enthusiasm into a role I did last year. It was working really well but my immediate manager decided to break up our team and employ someone new. The new person left after a week and we are all feeling quite devalued and unhappy. You’ll be snapped up quickly if you decide to leave - you sound amazing.

I like this. There is no way I could just play helper bunny team support. It’s not a joke to not give someone a job and then ask them how to do it!

i would actually go back to the slt and say you don’t understand- you thought they got the job because they had all these ideas , now everyone is asking for your ideas and you are confused. Why didn’t you get the job - is there something else that was a factor because you’d really like to understand.

this is actually what I would do because I believe people need to understand actions have consequences and I don’t doormat. Give me the job, or admit it’s just political bullshit and I’ll never be promoted and should look for another school, or let the person who you gave it to sink or swim. I also think the science teacher would recognise there was good reason for it if you said I am a bit sensitive about being asked to do all this when I wanted this job and didn’t get it. I’m either good enough for it or I’m not, and if I’m not I’d rather have the free time.

I'm with most other pp. Let her get on with it as it does come across that they want you to carry on without paying you. Cheeky sods.

I had similar in a school kitchen. I was assistant cook and they sent me all over covering people and I ran my school when our cook was off for 3 months. When she retired did they give me it? No they wanted me to carry on covering over schools, which wasn't actually what I was employed for. I left..

Do you have a meeting with your boss?

Talk to them about it- be really honest that you feel it was an insult; that it is extremely demotivating to not be good enough to do the job officially but you are being expected to do it anyway; had the SLT not thought this through; why can’t the literacy lead do the actual work rather than needing someone else to do it for them.

Give them what you already have. Tell them you haven't thought of further ideas.

Teachers’ employment contracts state that they are employed ‘under the reasonable direction of the headteacher’. The consensus of this thread may be that this is an unreasonable instruction but the onus would be on OP to prove this. It means it is very difficult as a teacher to use the wording of their contract to refuse to carry out a task. I suspect her union would recommend that she take the meeting to comply with the direction, but that she only needs to comply with the letter of it. As you have suggested, I would also interpret this as re-sharing her previous work and answering the new co-ordinator’s questions about it but doing nothing to plan or innovate for the new year as this is her colleague’s responsibility.

I agree with this approach. If they are trying to tell you it’s your ‘duty’ to help the next lead, I’d reply and say I think they have a duty to explain to you why this person needs your ideas when they clearly preferred theirs over yours at interview.

I would have the meeting with her and go through what you'd done already, but I wouldn't give her the ideas for the future part, not a reasonable expectation at all.

I've just done that for a role I'd just left, they wanted me basically to leave my brain behind for the benefit of my replacement, I said I can tell you what I've done but it's not up to me to set the future direction.

ThanksItHasPockets · Today 06:11

Teachers’ employment contracts state that they are employed ‘under the reasonable direction of the headteacher’.

That sounds quite open to abuse! I work in an industry where it can be all hands to the pump to get a report out on time. Before I went freelance, I worked for a company, whose contracts stipulated that we could waive our legal hours occasionally, if the situation merited it.

In practice, this meant regularly doing a fortnight or more of 15 - 18 hour days, 7 days a week.

If it was me I'd find a way to ask why they needed me since they didn't feel I was the best person for the job.

You have done enough by sending the email ,I would not of given them any ideas
Cheeky fuckers
Definitely don't meet ,she should have plenty of her own plans

This happened to my husband with a different job. They expected him to cover the role until an external person took over the job even though he's been doing it for over a year. Once he was told he didn't get the job he refused and went back to his old role and negotiated the same pay he'd been on in while in the temp role. They've fucked you over and don't deserve any favours.

It ia very annoying OP, but it is not an 'unreasonable request' from your manager and i think you might be putting a target on your back by refusing.
I guess science teachers are a lot more difficult to recruit and they are keen to appease....

When you rolled out your plans did you ask other teachers to help? Isn't that what they're doing? Have a meeting and be a team player but don't take on anything outside of a supporting role that you would have expected others to play.

It is unreasonable. She was helpful enough in the email they can't expect her to do the job for someone else. They chose another candidate. Surely the science teacher needs to make the role their own?