About 3 or 4 weeks ago I informed my prinicipal and superintendent that I will not be returning next year, since my sister's cancer has returned for the third time. It is a sound reason, of course. As I told them both when I talked to them in person, I missed the last three years of my mother's life and I do not want this to happen with my sister if it is terminal.
Once the issue is settled (hopefully by a third remission after treatment) will I be able to land a job at another international school?
I teach physics, AP physics, and secondary maths. Unfortunately, I have no IB experience.
I have not asked if I will be able to get letters of recommendation from them, I figured I would wait until it is closer to the end of the year, and my "smart goals" have been achieved and well documented for this year.
Broke contract for a sound reason--did it kill my career?
Reply
Kill your career no, but you did hurt it.
Whats going to happen in the future is that at some point your former school is going to say is you "exited your contract early for a medical/family emergency". Some schools will hold that against you. ISs are businesses and despite your emergency you didnt do what you agreed to do in your contract. A recruiter MAY be concerned that you will leave them if your sister remitts again, or another family member gets ill. Some recruiters will understand and your school may even release you from your contract (essentially post-writing your contract as if it was a 1 year contract).
What you need to do is talk to your administration NOW, and workout the specifics of your departure. You gain nothing by waiting. If your exam scores come back favorably, or your performance improves it can only help you. If the situation deteriates (for reasons outside your control even) you will have your negotiated separation already in hand.
Whats going to happen in the future is that at some point your former school is going to say is you "exited your contract early for a medical/family emergency". Some schools will hold that against you. ISs are businesses and despite your emergency you didnt do what you agreed to do in your contract. A recruiter MAY be concerned that you will leave them if your sister remitts again, or another family member gets ill. Some recruiters will understand and your school may even release you from your contract (essentially post-writing your contract as if it was a 1 year contract).
What you need to do is talk to your administration NOW, and workout the specifics of your departure. You gain nothing by waiting. If your exam scores come back favorably, or your performance improves it can only help you. If the situation deteriates (for reasons outside your control even) you will have your negotiated separation already in hand.
Comment
@IAMBOG
This is April, and depending on the school they may be finishing as early as May, but even June this isnt "plenty" of time, its a couple months. This is also for a high demand difficult to fill field (math/science combination at AP/HL level), thats not a throw a rock out the window and you can hit a teacher without even looking.
Decent is a very subjective definition, and I know a significant number of admins that would not be described as decent. That said the competition once hitting the short, short list where all the candidates are the same somethings eeminly as trivial as early release for a family issue can easily be all the reason a recruiter needs to shorten the list by one more person. At a certain point (stage two selection as opposed to stage 1 screening) your no longer looking for the best teacher, your looking for those that are less competitive until you only have one teacher left.
Since im almost always on the other side of the ethical argument the "right" thing would be to honor the obligations and promises you made. If an exit clause for family emergency or crises was important to you, then you should ahve asked for one when negotiating the contract, otherwise your responsibilities and obligations are to comply and perform to the letter of the contract. That is one valid interpretation of the "right" thing to do.
This is April, and depending on the school they may be finishing as early as May, but even June this isnt "plenty" of time, its a couple months. This is also for a high demand difficult to fill field (math/science combination at AP/HL level), thats not a throw a rock out the window and you can hit a teacher without even looking.
Decent is a very subjective definition, and I know a significant number of admins that would not be described as decent. That said the competition once hitting the short, short list where all the candidates are the same somethings eeminly as trivial as early release for a family issue can easily be all the reason a recruiter needs to shorten the list by one more person. At a certain point (stage two selection as opposed to stage 1 screening) your no longer looking for the best teacher, your looking for those that are less competitive until you only have one teacher left.
Since im almost always on the other side of the ethical argument the "right" thing would be to honor the obligations and promises you made. If an exit clause for family emergency or crises was important to you, then you should ahve asked for one when negotiating the contract, otherwise your responsibilities and obligations are to comply and perform to the letter of the contract. That is one valid interpretation of the "right" thing to do.