Being forced to step down

[someteacher]

I hold a considerable TLR and am having to relinquish it. I wondered if anybody knew anything about this. It's going to put my family into a great deal of difficulty, to the point where it's barely worth me doing the job at all.

You need to join a union. For lots of reasons.
If your poor organisation means that you’re not doing the work that gives you the considerable TLR then why should they keep paying you?

Get in the union and strike a deal which basically says they cant give you a crap reference. That’s what DH did when they forced him out of SENCO role. He also got a payout.

Union Union Union

Honestly? If you’re not in an union you’re a fool. For all the reasons you’re finding now.

You have 3 options. Say no, go through capability and hope you pass. Agree to step down or resign (if you were in an Union this is the point they would step in to negotiate your reference) and get another job for September.

Which one, financially, can you do best?

A TLR payment is protected for 3 years. Unless you confirm that you relinquish it, you're entitled to keep the payment for this period. I imagine that's why you're being asked to say you relinquish it. You need them to remove it. However, you can be given alternative responsibilities to the same level for that 3 years.

A union would definitely help here, if only to give the burgundy book conditions.

Oh do piss off wolfie. I know I'll probably be deleted for that but I honestly don't know what your motives are or why you post on the staff room. Every thread with someone in pieces and there you are with the face and some unpleasant comment.

It's hard starting a new job and a lot of the time the things you don't know you don't know if that makes sense. I've done the job before successfully and I'm not saying I'm perfect - actually the opposite, I'll hold up my hands and admit there are some things I could have done a lot better but it's a learning process or it should be, where you reflect and do it better next time.

I genuinely am doing a lot and I don't really have any help.

Joining a union now would be pointless (well it would be pointless anyway, I really do stand by that view and it's not intended to be antagonistic or contrary, it's borne from experience.) In any case I am sure people know unions don't handle cases retrospectively.

I can probably negotiate the reference myself.

I think my hands are tied - I either agree to step down or I leave. At the moment what upsets me is the possibility of having to stay years at the school

The TLR protection is really relevant in a restructuring. In this case, they want the post to remain, but they want someone else in that post. So it's relinquish the TLR or capability. A school that was both kind and solvent might go for a sideways move where they wanted to keep the member of staff, but how many schools are in that position now?

I wasn't sure from an earlier post OP, have you been offered anything other than classroom teacher?

In any case I am sure people know unions don't handle cases retrospectively.

You’re wrong. They can help you based on what’s already happened and advise you going forward.

Is it English OP? What's the recruitment situation like where you are?
I think when you are in a situation where you are constantly being told you are not good enough it is really difficult to see an out. A classroom job in another (kinder?) school would give you perspective. Although I know that financially it's not the easy.

Ok ask yourself this.

If you resigned and couldn’t get a job for September could you cope financially?

The answer to that tells you what you should do. If you are unhappy at the school and they are talking capability I can’t see the situation realistically improving so your only option is an exit strategy.

How quickly and at what cost to your MH only you can decide.

Union will help you retrospectively.

Maybe they are right, we’ve all worked with members of SLT who couldn’t cope with the job for various reasons. Having aTLR means more responsibility with not enough time, that’s the downside of the extra cash, along with having to prove you are worth it constantly.
So step down, avoid competency proceedings, be an amazing teacher for a year or so and apply for other jobs when you feel ready for them.

5 hours a week is quite a lot of time, more than I get as a head of faculty. You’ve asked for advice which is overwhelmingly telling you to join a union, but reject this. I’m in edapt - non political legal advice only, maybe you’d consider them? You either accept their offer or fight it, with support.

primrose advice makes sense

I agree with OP I'm certain most if not all unions won't get involved in something that's ongoing but it might be worth a phone call or two to ask.

You could say to them, I will apply for jobs in the upcoming window with the support of you providing a very good reference, if I am successful I will resign and go. Then if you don't manage to get out you revisit your options re: stepping down. I would have thought they'd hang on for a month given that this might give them an easy option so solve what they perceive to be the problem? And gets you out without all the heartache. If it's a substantial TLR I am assuming you are in a core or popular subject so hopefully there'll be a few vacancies out there that will suit.

Why should I piss off for saying you need to be in a union and questioning why you should be paid for a job you’re not doing? You can’t just say you’re disorganised. I don’t get the attitude.

Ok wolfie so would you rather I'd said that I am dealing with it all superbly?

I am not quibbling the 5 hours a week but I have a lot to do in those 5 hours including a complex and lengthy g and t programme, revision classes, lots of admin related to my form and ordinary class teacher duties in a new environment. I'm trying to be honest here.

I can't afford to just step down: plus I am worried about the wider implications there might be for my career generally. Part of me is tempted to resign and let what will be will be.

I'm not going to be drawn into endless union arguments but I can point you to many friends and acquaintances who thought the union would help only to end up with a compromise agreement and a severely damaged career at the end of it.

Plus, I have done the job before and successfully. I'm not saying that means I am without fault but I do think I could do a good job with some support but they aren't prepared to give it to me.

I have the heaviest teaching load in my department. Plus no other post holders so it literally all falls on me.

A new environment? Is this the first year you’ve has this particular TLR?
How did you manage financially before? What steps could you take to enable you to manage on less money?
If you go through formal competency, it will have a far more significant impact on your career than merely stepping down.

Presumably you knew both of those things before you accepted the TLR.

If you’ve done the same job successfully in the past then it’s possible that the current school is just not the place for you. You are in control of whether you stay or go, so if it’s impacting on your life in general, look around and/or resign.

What’s the job? Are you HOD? Do you have a 2nd in dept? What could the school be doing to support you that it currently isn’t?

HOD yeah. No 2nd or even post holders.

Yes primrose of course I knew it What I'm trying to explain is that you don't automatically know everything in a new place. And it's a very different environment to one I've known previously.

You’re sounding like you expect to be able to do the whole job in those 5 hours. Of course with more responsibility comes more work. They must feel you’re really not up to it if they’re taking this step. If you think you can then you need to prove that. What support are you actually after?
And whether you can afford to lose this money isn’t the concern of the school. They just want this job done properly.

I'm assuming, because you haven't been specific, that your actual teaching ability isn't in question here, just your ability to do the TLR role.
I was once in your place but the reverse, i.e. Had a couple of poor observations as teacher but doing TLR role well. I got my union involved and they were brilliant. My Head wanted me to relinquish my TLR as one of my issues was that I had to do all my TLR stuff in my PPA timetherefore dodnt have enough PPA. Union negotiated an additional half day for TLR role, a 6 week informal action plan, counselling sessions and came in to weekly meetings with me and Head. Came off my plan at 5 weeks, had a couple of good lesson obs and kept my TLR. The following term even got moved to UPS3. If it hadn't been for my union support I would probably have just crumbled and resigned.

That's correct soon. I think the school really really want to keep me as a teacher but that isn't what I want. I think the real problem is probably deeper than anything I can go into here.

Wolfie I will try and keep this polite. You are not helping me. You are twisting what I am saying and I am already in considerable distress. You are making it worse.