Teachers - does this seem likely?

[SensitiveSkinn]

My H is a mainstream teacher teaching GCSEs, there is no head of his department & never has been (small department). He tells me he was offered a head of department promotion role verbally by the head teacher and they shook hands. They didn't actually create this role or write a JD or advertise - they just told him in the head's office that he was getting a promotion and creating a new job for him.

Now, they've gone silent on him. He's asked about the job but they are ignoring him. They've just recruited another teacher in his department (who is friends with SLT) and he is convinced they've recruited him to give to this person now.

I work in a v process driven sector and none of this seems normal. I worry about H wellebing and he tells me he is going to tell the head teacher 'to get fucked' and he's really really stressed about it. Paranoid actually - telling me he thinks this teacher is talking about him, that everyone knows, that people know they've 'fucked him over'.

I'm a bit confused. Does teaching really offer promotions with no process or open recruitment and then take those promotions away to give to their mates - again with no open recruitment? Does this sound plausible? Maybe I'm being naive but H seems a litle vulnerable at the moment and I'm worried he's misunderstood the original offer. It all seems so unprofessional and back-stabby.

Unfortunately this is all to common. Too many Heads and SLT try to solve managerial issues by making vague verbal promises of "Jam tomorrow" or by flattering people into doing extra work.
" You are so wonderful and capable. Just run this dept without any extra pay or extra status and we'll formalise the promotion in the future,"
"Cover all the exam classes and marking for this absent colleague because you are so organised and we'll give you time back in the summer term"
Never happens.
Just a way of getting free work out of people.
And yes, SLT do fix jobs for their mates. I have seen this many times .
Totally corrupt system at the moment. This didn't happen nearly as much before academisation. Unions can't to anything without any paper trail. Agree with other posters. Either ignore it or look for another job.
Maybe the Op partner told everybody that this was going to happen and the comment he was going to make to the Head is a result of embarrassment he feels because this now won't happen. Wouldn't make that comment though. You might need a reference and you don't need a vendetta

Just cane back to this thread to see how OP was getting on, and I saw this response to my earlier comment.

And while no, I don't suppose 99% of teachers have partners with severe concerns about their mental health, I think it's more common than you might think.

I've taught for decades and am one of the lucky ones in that I have managed to retain my love of it and am now in a school I really like, doing a middle management role I love v

But I had an experience at one school where I was bullied so badly by the head that I had quite a serious mental breakdown - I narrowly avoided hospitalisation.....

I do accept this happens in all sectors. But teaching does seem particularly prone....

OP, if you are still reading, please tell him to jump ship ASAP. One of my best friends has just had to do the same thing - he is an amazing teacher with decades of experience and was about to be put on competency because the headteacher wanted to offer his TLR to one of his cronies......

Unfortunately your poor DH is too late to go in September, but he needs to look to go at Easter. His mental health will almost certainly improve when he knows he has a way out. In the meantime, he should also practice lots of self care, access counselling if he can, possibly even speak to the GP about medication. And he should consider getting signed off for a little while. That isn't always the best course of action for everyone, but it depends really on the level of his stress.

It is good he has you to support him - you sound like a caring partner.

n. I would estimate that 99% of us are capable of expressing anger w

well it is a touch more than “expressing anger”

I know of three teachers that this has happened too.
In all of the cases it was done to keep the teacher in the school.
In the cases cases that I know about the "position" would appear before the hand in date for resignations and then either just disappear or "budget constraints" would stop the promotion from happening.
One of my friends had this happen 3 times before she caught on to what was happening.
One left immediately.
and the third left as although the school had promised her the post, gave it to another candidate as they were "too good an opportunity to miss".

Eventually the people that miss out the most are the pupils who loose good teachers due to poor management.

Yep the same was done to BiL except Head was an idiot and referred to it in several emails etc quite explicitly.

When he (inevitably) hired his mate for the role, the union absolutely took the school to the cleaners and BiL ended up being paid off to the tune of £25k.

Then he should go and talk to the head. Not difficult.

In every business and in every job it’s always get it in writing. Always.

It happens everywhere but instead of being upset and angry I think your OH has to deal with the issue and talk to the head. Then if they actually do screw him over (because it may look like that now but he doesn’t actually know) he can then tell them professionally to get stuffed.

Oh and as a pp said, such mystery promotions tend to materialise in April/May to deter you from resigning, then have gone by late June when you've missed all the jobs.

Exactly

yet on this thread the fact that the industry in question is teaching, seems to mean it’s perfectly acceptable to respond like the OP’s husband.

Sounds very usual