Based on my previous interactions with my school administrator, I anticipated some issues when we returned to in person teaching and I wanted to request some accommodations. (The previous year my parent had a severe stroke, and I applied for some intermittent FMLA. I took exactly 2.5 half days as 2 other members of the team were out on FMLA, and on all three days she showed up to do an observation.) I called HR (large district) and followed their requirements.
Admins were floating the idea that teachers would leave their classrooms during their 45 minute planning period (district was already involved in a lawsuit since they were violating state law in taking that time away for IEP meetings, PLCs, etc, that they would lose) and specials teachers would come in and use our classrooms.
As an older teacher with a couple of health conditions, well managed, never impacted my job, with excellent attendance records, I was concerned about having multiple teachers sit at my desk. use my computer, etc, and would also be locked out of using my classroom for planning, phone calls to parents, etc, and prepping for the next class or next day. Honestly, it was a bird brained suggestion. I followed through with the doctor’s note and HR set up a meeting.
Admin announced in a sticky sweet voice that she wished “Mrs. Smith had just come to her directly, as they could have resolved this at the campus level.” She received a polite but serious “stay in your lane” response from the HR rep who answered, “Mrs. Smith did exactly as she was supposed to do.”
They decided in the end to just keep the specials teachers in their own spaces, Admin continued to be petty and passively aggressively Mean Girls in her interactions, and I retired at the end of that year. I can only tell you if you have serious concerns you need accommodations for, I agree completely with others that you need good, documented medical support.
Another staff member once told me in regards to speaking up for myself (I wasn’t offered the day to attend a professional development that I had clearly expressed an interest in attending, while my two uninterested colleagues were) “Baby birds don’t get fed unless they open their mouths.” Simple but some of us need to hear that.
How petty? Instead of the traditional campus social event after school for retiring teachers, she insisted my team co-host my retirement after 30 years in the district, with that of another older teacher who had been there one year, and was quitting to leave education altogether–just during the planning periods of the staff.
NMitford and Lilian Field, I’m sorry both of you had to go through hellacious experiences.
