So I'm in a recently academised school in special measures, staff leaving in droves, pretty rubbish morale. Senior management want to be seen to be doing something so have started trying to squeeze anyone they deem unsatisfactory out of a job - they have basically bullied my colleague, given her two RIs for observations and told her they would start capability proceedings against her. She could see which way the wind was blowing and resigned at that point to protect her reference at least.
So far, so bad. She's a good teacher and a nice colleague but they had decided they wanted her out so just looked for things they could 'get' her on. Anyway, they agreed in April that she would leave at half term (ie now). They haven't attempted to replace her for the remaining half term, nor have they bothered to advertise for a replacement for September (and now most teachers will be unable to break their contracts so not sure who they will be able to find). They are trying to get through the last eight weeks of term using a mixture of cover teachers and by spreading her timetable among the remaining members of the department, which means I have picked up two lessons in my PPAs. I'm really cross about this. If a colleague were ill, or on a trip, of course I wouldn't mind covering, but this is a situation that could and should have been avoided. I also think they are not allowed to ask me to work in my PPA. I suspect that if I raise it they will point to the fact that I now have 'gained time' since my Year 11s have left, which is true, but I still think that by covering these lessons I will be allowing them to get away with bullying without any ramifications. I think it stinks. But what can I do? I am actually leaving at the end of term, thank god, but I would still like to raise this with someone and although I don't want to create a headache for my HoD I really don't want, on principle, to teach the classes of a colleague I consider to have been unfairly dismissed.