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?

They’re trying to make a claim on your intellectual property. If you must do it then you must be credited for the work in any documentation that’s drawn up because of it or publicity done because of this.

Definitely this. Worked in schools for many years, spending many years as a senior leader, and can’t get over appointing a Science teacher to be Literacy lead. I think it’s hard-faced for SLT to think you are going to support the other person in the role you were carrying out.

Happens in healthcare too, in my situation it was a personality/ego hire. However, I pulled the nuclear option knowing there would be consequences and since I had already handed in my notice I didn't care.

I was in very similar position once upon a time. Had done the job for FREE on my managers making very obvious insinuations I'd get a permanent paid promotion at the end. And I quite literally created that role from scratch. Not one person other than me knew how to do it.

I didn't get that promotion. It was awarded to one of the area managers friends who had zero experience.

When asked why I'd not got the job, and why only two people had been interviewed (just me and this friend of the area managers) despite making it an external application, and literally hundreds of applications had been made, I was simply told "she did better than you in the interview". The fact I'd successfully created and carried out the job, and they'd refused to interview anyone else, went unanswered.

When I refused to train the person who had been awarded the job over me (because, why would she need training by me if I was so unsuitable for the role, even though they'd happily allowed me to do it for 8 months without any problems or criticisms) and I'd done it for no extra pay, they had the nerve to pull me into a room and bollock me. I distinctly remember the words "How dare you refuse!! You do as you're told. You're just an assistant, and your job is to assist!!" ...I wasn't employed as an assistant.

I signed off with work related stress for 2 months while I looked for another job. I did not train their friend. And I did not hand over all MY data, records and files that I had worked my arse off creating to evolve that job into what it was.

I'm not suggesting you take it to my level and leave, but YANBU to not let someone else walk into the job you created and train them. If they're so much better than you, they can do it without you.

It sounds to me like it should be a joint initiative with the both of you!

In her OP, the OP made it clear she now sees the job is enormous, and I know, I've done it, so she's well off out of it. As it is, if the science appointee is any good at all, they'll know that all subject areas in the school need to take part in the whole-school initiative. It doesn't mean that the OP should be their "rep", but it can't be emphasised enough that materials developed by teachers while employed by a school are not automatically their own, and they would need to take advice to establish such ownership.

I'm a bit shocked at the shock shown by so many that a science teachers is not competent to lead on literacy. It's also a smart move by SLT to show all the naysayers in the school that English is not solely responsible for literacy. Again, I can assure you there will be quite a few staff who believe this.

There is absolutely no reason why a scientist, or teacher from any other academic background, can’t be an excellent literacy lead. Most English teachers have an academic background in literature rather than language and have to undertake significant additional professional learning to understand the theory behind literacy acquisition. A scientist, especially one who has studied neuroscience, is very well-placed to perform the role. Teachers of the humanities, especially history, also often make superb literacy leads.

Personally, if it mattered to me, I'd tell the head that if they wanted my talents to get on with this project, they would have to promote me to take care of it.

I'd be very clear that support does not mean to do it without reward and frankly they had the chance but blew it.

Promotion by the end of term or I resign.

This. Do this…..

Sorry, I meant @startledbypostmodernity post 😁

Quite normal for teachers’ contracts to have a clause stating that the institution holds intellectual property rights to materials that you create for the school whilst employed.

@Discointhekitchen can you explain the preposition thing please

@ThanksItHasPockets

Interesting, why do you think history teachers make good leads

When should OP do it? She teaches, plans, assesses work etc. Teachers don't generally have spare time in the working week to do other people's jobs.

True what you implemented during your temporary role is not your intellectual property but any ideas you had for the future are.
How you tell the science teacher and dep head that is down to you but don't give in to this pressure.
Clearly, you should have got the job!

CF one and all! SLT are clearly buying one …and expecting to get one one free. (They can BOGOFF themselves 😁)

Go to the meeting- listen in a friendly way but add nothing that you haven’t already handed over.

Your line from here: Since you didn’t get the job - but know someone with better ideas is in place- you haven’t given it another thought. You haven’t had time.

You're a typical teacher. I bet you didn't complain though when they closed schools for months during covid

@Yellowshirt schools didn’t close for covid. They remained open for vulnerable and key worker children.

@Inertia . Teachers did nothing during covid other than hiding behind Unions demanding schools be closed.

I would sit down with her and tell her you are very happy to look over HER ideas.
Say you have provided the groundwork and you are looking forward to seeing her results in her ideas this year.
I think she will be getting a TLR payment for this job, so she needs to do it herself.

Yellow shirt, you are clearly a Daily Mail reader.

Don't feed it, please.

I think that performing a face to face handover is a perfectly reasonable request. I no longer work in education, but in any other professional field it is a normal way to approach things. Sometimes our roles get reallocated; we support the person who is taking over that role regardless. To refuse to do so would make us appear childish and petulant. One day it will be you asking for that help; what goes around, comes around.

I wouldn’t if I was you on principle. Me and a colleague applied for the same position. He got the job. He has now implemented some of my ideas throughout the whole organisation and it really annoys me that my ideas weren’t good enough at interview but are now good enough for the organisation.

Oh I used to love bollocks bingo, especially on Training Days. We would keep a tick chart for 'overarching issues', the buzzword of the early '90s.

Yeah sure - It’s an often repeated rule that you can’t end a sentence in English with a preposition ( like ‘to’, ‘with’ or ‘of’)

But it’s not strictly true. We often use them- for example- ‘it’s not something I would put up with’

In some cases, it sounds more natural to end in a preposition

• ‘I don’t know which store he went to’

compare that with:

• I don’t know to which store he went.

The second one would be the correct version if we didn’t allow prepositions at the end of sentences.

The idea that we can’t do this comes from an outdated view that English should follow Latin grammar rules.

However, in formal writing, you are less likely to end in a preposition. But it’s not wrong per se.

I’ll now skulk back to Pedant’s corner 😳😳 ( and apologies to the PP who wrote this. Am sure they know this rule. Was just making a flippant comment!)

https://writingcooperative.com/can-you-end-a-sentence-with-a-preposition-14bbb3fe942b