What do I say to this? So annoyed with my head

[wonderstuff]

So he advertised a job just before we broke up and I applied, as did someone less qualified than me, he gave the job to the other candidate but did agree to up my hours and responsibilities. Many other staff approached me and said how surprised they were, including other SLT.

A month later he finally gets around to meeting me about new job, doesn’t know what he can pay me. I apply elsewhere and tell him, I get interview and ask if he could please let me know salary. Radio silence.
I get job and accept.

I love my team at work and would have loved to stay but new job seems fine.
I resign.
NEXT DAY he wants me to stay, his first choice has also resigned, he made a mistake. Would I stay?
Now everyone is sad to see me go, it’s such a loss, such a shame, my line manager wonders if there’s anything they can do for me to stay. It’s driving absolutely crazy!! I applied for the bloody job, I did the interview, I told them I was applying elsewhere, they must have known there was a really good chance I’d get the job. I’m not going to now stay and leave this other school in the shit. What do I say to these people? I feel like screaming at them, but feel that may not make my point.

Just be honest with them and tell them no - they had their opportunity to keep you. You were obviously second best to them. I’d be inclined more so for the new job. New opportunities always good.

You say that their behaviour made you feel that you were not valued as a member of staff. That you don't want a job where you were second choice to somebody less qualified and that it's the right time in your career to move on to a work place that sees your potential.

Schools have traditionally relied on an endless pool of people willing to work ridiculously hard and put up with crap treatment for low pay.

This is at an end now so Schools are going to have to work out the best way to retain staff by treating them well,

Be polite and professional but tell the truth so that they may just alter their behaviour for colleagues you're leaving behind.

Don't burn any bridges; you never know when you may need a favour or you encounter this head again in a different school / role. Smile sweetly and say good luck to you too when they ultimately bid you good luck and farewell.

How frustrating. If you worked outside teaching in the private sector, he would be offering you a huge uplift / bonus to stay, but I bet he hasn’t put anything in writing about the pay. Know your worth and move on. It is clear you are straightforward and professional, it’s a pity the head hasn’t properly valued your contribution.

No, nothing, I still haven’t got the information on the pay for the job I’m doing, I’m expecting now it will be the same salary as I was on, just full time. Which is something but he’s not being straightforward.
In the private sector I absolutely would have argued for staying on more money but teaching contracts don’t work like that, I wouldn’t leave the school that has offered me the job I want without someone for next term. So frustrating.

I agree that it's probably important not to burn bridges, but I would say to the head due to your professional integrity, you would not leave the other school in the lurch, and that he had plenty of opportunities to discuss your role and your pay prior to applying to the other job.

I do feel many heads still live in the past where there were lots of candidates for every job, and it was very normal to apply for jobs and not get them.

I know when I left my previous school, my head seemed very surprised I'd got the first job I applied for, even though we were struggling to recruit for my subject at the time!