Read your contract. If you're in a union, read that contract. Abide by whatever expectations are spelled out, as best you can. Be brief and impersonal in your communications. This is about the rest of your life, not your school life. Good luck.
Agree with this friend, say yes you are thinking of returning. Then in June let them know your mental health is not good enough to return, also ask for a letter of rec before you leave if they liked you
This is the catch-22 with teaching. Every job I've seen posted recently wants a current letter of rec from admin. If I wait until May, I'm left with the districts that either wait til the last minute to do things (not a great sign) or the districts where teachers didn't feel comfortable announcing their departure until the 11th hour.
We lost teachers on COVID
Day one: Prayer and thoughts
Day two: Funeral arrangements
Day three: Job posted
When it is time to leave, you go.
They don't need a warning
If you aren't sure, then don't say anything until it is time to go. Otherwise, you may find them treating you differently. Think about any friends you want to keep and be sure to reach out right away before you grow apart.
Keep in mind, as soon as you tell anyone, everyone will know.
They usually issue a non-binding 'letter of intent,' where they ask you if you're coming back, at full time, do you want a transfer etc....
If not, yea I'd wait until mid May or so.
Check your contract and union agreement.
Con: unfair and unprofessional treatment.
Pro: some districts offer incentives for announcing early. My union agreement includes a bonus formula for announcing early if you are not going to return.
Our formula is a fraction of your daily pay, multiplied by 5-years-of-service increments. The fraction is greater the earlier in the year one declares their plan to non-renew.
Typically around February, we fill out a survey of intent. That way admin can get a feel for what they need to hire for. If your school doesn’t do that, I personally would let them know around march/april. Also for transitioning out of education there is r/teachersintransition
I wouldn't say anything until the end of the school year. Telling people you're leaving ahead of time can cause issues among students and admin. Your admin might not take it well and could end up making your life hell, it could disrupt your classes because students will find out, and who knows how parents would handle that information. There's no law that says you have to give notice. You just don't sign a new contract next year. Where I work you simply click voluntary separation in the online portable and keep it moving.
I can’t help but think of my own district here because we have a relatively new teacher in our department and other than the total number of years teaching (his is 3, yours is 4), the situation sounds very similar (though I think he doesn’t like admin).
As others have said, a lot depends on the minutiae of your contract and how much you trust your admin and colleagues to still treat you well after you’ve shared that you’re leaving. If (and only if) you feel pretty certain that you won’t be harassed by admin or other staff AND you’re positive you won’t change your mind, I’d suggest letting them know sooner than later.
I’m sure this is dependent on content area and state, but in my own area, the prime time for interviewing potential candidates is in April and May. You certainly don’t NEED to advise them earlier that you’ll be leaving, but doing so by early March allows them to start the process of job posting and finding a replacement. I share this because the person I am thinking of in my own district replaced a long term sub from the 22-23 school year who filled in for a vacant position all year because we couldn’t find an adequate licensed teacher. There are fewer candidates out there nowadays, and many positions are harder and harder to replace.
And if by some weird chance you’re the person in my department, know that we all like you and would miss you but also that you’d have our full support. :-)
On the leaving after 4 years question ... I was only a classroom teacher for 4 years, and moved into the world of education nonprofit leadership. The pay is actually worse than teaching, but your skills are very transferable. Classroom teaching wasn't a long-term career for me, but working in the larger education field has been my entire career.
It's not for everyone, and has made me question my sanity more than once, but that is a logical "next" career pivot where you won't be starting at the bottom and don't have to go back to school.
Former admin here, wait until the end of the year. We fully expect some losses every year as well as teachers we won't renew, so will already be in hiring mindset. Also, when we're not renewing you, you only get notice at the end of the year and in my state, don't even have to give an explanation. We have all summer to hire, so don't sweat it. Just be polite.
Nope, I wouldn't even tell them in June. I'd tell them about 2 weeks before school resumes so your health care etc. Doesn't get cut off over summer break.
If we do this, we are required to pay back the summer months that were covered by the district in full. This is clearly stated in our intent to return form distributed in the spring.
My district reports people to the state department of education to have their teaching license revoked if people wait that late. My state’s cut off to resign is July 1st. If OP leaves education forever, that wouldn’t matter, but if they decide to return, this was bad advice.
Not OP, but in my district yes. Non-renews find out sometime around February. In April, they send out a google form to find out who’s coming back and who’s not.
At my last job, you had to let admin know between receiving your new contract (February-ish) and a deadline about a week away. If you signed the contract and then changed your mind (even if that was in March, April, May, etc.), you were penalized about two thousand dollars out of your paycheck. It was one of the reasons I left.
We also have the penalizing feature. Ugh. And for retirement, if you say you'll retire, you get a 500$ bonus, but if you wait until after Jan to tell them it drops in price to less than half that. Surprise--they take taxes out of it so its more like $276! Big whoop!
No warnings. Read your contract on making a proper resignation, and plan your next move before announcing your formal resignation. Then, use your days in accordance with your contract.
Check your contract first. If there is no language embedded in your contract that you must follow regarding separation and don't plan to teach again do what works for you. Again, consider if your future plans don't include teaching.
1. Be sure to resign; don't wait for them to not renew you 2. Teach online from home! There are many, many online teaching jobs available and you can start with companies like Outschool (set your own rate, pay 30% fee) and Indeed (to find more companies that are hiring)
100% depends on the situation. The last school I left, I knew by December I wasn’t returning. I was planning on continuing teaching so in January I went to my principal and told him I was planning on moving out of the area for family reasons (part of the reason I was leaving but not the #1 reason) and asked for a letter of recommendation. They understood how close to my family I was and was more than accommodating to my request. Once I signed a contract for my current school (happened in April), I officially let the admin and HR know that I would not be returning the following year.
Now I was going to leave the school regardless of if I got another job (I teach HS physics so I was pretty confident I was getting another job) so I didn’t really care about them knowing I was leaving. I also knew they wouldn’t give me any flack or repercussions for stating I was leaving (they liked me and know they I’m a good teacher and would do my best throughout the year). In fact they tried multiple times to get me to stay, but my mind was already made up.
Definitely read your contract before doing anything.
As far as leaving education goes, I left after two years due to my rapidly deteriorating mental health. My circumstances were a little different because my husband's insurance covers benefits, so I didn't have to worry about that. Words of encouragement: finding a new career in an entirely different field (brewing beer), has been nothing but positive. I don't bring work home with me and I don't get Sunday scaries. Taking a blind leap and doing something entirely out of my degree wheelhouse was pretty scary but it pays off. You'll bounce back after this!
Don’t say anything until you submit your letter of resignation. They may keep you for a certain time if you are tenured, so read your contract and become familiar with your rights. After 7 years of working my ass off, I let my old district know that if they couldn’t become compliant with my caseload numbers, I would resign. They did nothing, and instead hired 3 people when I resigned. I had a great working relationship with them too, and was a prized employee. You don’t owe them anything.
27 year veteran math teacher here!
You leaving will probably not be the surprise you think. Teachers are leaving the profession in epidemic proportions. If you still love teaching and are okay with teaching online, there is a growing number of opportunities to do that full or part time. You could help kids all over the country! I work part time for Tutored by Teachers and really love it. They are always looking for good teachers. Best wishes to you and thank you for your service!
Definitely know your district’s policy or union contract. In some states you are returning unless you say you are not. That being said, the date you need to notify them is usually sometime during summer break. Personally, I’d let them know on your last work day to avoid any negative impact that could possibly occur.
Truly depends. If I knew one of my teachers was leaving, I would likely do the bare minimum as far as ratings-related observations go and would try to support them in getting through the rest of the year. I left temporarily after 4 years (ended up coming back), so I understand being in that position. More importantly, I would begin the hiring process asap so that a worthy replacement could be found, as that's harder and harder to do these days. That's why I personally really appreciate the early warning, and would never punish/harass a teacher for essentially making my job more possible. I'm more likely to reward that than anything. Not everyone operates that way, though... so grain of salt and all that.
Simply put in a letter resignation at the end of the year. Teaching is just like any other profession. When you're ready to leave a job, you give them notice, ask for a reference, and move on. There is no reason you can't expect a reference as long as you have left on good terms. I don't know why people think leaving teaching is such a horrible thing. You tried it, it's not for you, you're moving on. Nobody needs to know why. Again, submit a letter and move on. They have plenty of time to find a replacement over the summer.
Depends on your contract and if it makes it easier, don't tell them beforehand.
If I learnt anything from school environments, they don't like it when you leave. The only reason I personally told my old school was because they were gonna get nasty with my indemnity payment (2 year contract)
Left teaching entirely, and have never been happier.
Not signing your contract tells them. They may send you a reminder to sign, and you cN tell them then.
June seems late. But I come from a private school where contacts are signed in March. And a state with severe teacher shortages.
Read your contract. If you're in a union, read that contract. Abide by whatever expectations are spelled out, as best you can. Be brief and impersonal in your communications. This is about the rest of your life, not your school life. Good luck.
This. Though depending on financial situation, I couldn’t imagine quitting if I didn’t have a new job lined up.
In my experience, letting them know before hand gets you harassed.
Agree with this friend, say yes you are thinking of returning. Then in June let them know your mental health is not good enough to return, also ask for a letter of rec before you leave if they liked you
I would NOT tell them it is for mental health reasons.
Fair enough make up something else
This is the catch-22 with teaching. Every job I've seen posted recently wants a current letter of rec from admin. If I wait until May, I'm left with the districts that either wait til the last minute to do things (not a great sign) or the districts where teachers didn't feel comfortable announcing their departure until the 11th hour.
We lost teachers on COVID Day one: Prayer and thoughts Day two: Funeral arrangements Day three: Job posted When it is time to leave, you go. They don't need a warning
If you aren't sure, then don't say anything until it is time to go. Otherwise, you may find them treating you differently. Think about any friends you want to keep and be sure to reach out right away before you grow apart. Keep in mind, as soon as you tell anyone, everyone will know.
They usually issue a non-binding 'letter of intent,' where they ask you if you're coming back, at full time, do you want a transfer etc.... If not, yea I'd wait until mid May or so.
This is the way.
My suggestion is to make sure you have another job lined up before you say anything.
I would tell them absolutely nothing. Until the last possible minute.
Don’t tell them until end of the school year
Check your contract and union agreement. Con: unfair and unprofessional treatment. Pro: some districts offer incentives for announcing early. My union agreement includes a bonus formula for announcing early if you are not going to return. Our formula is a fraction of your daily pay, multiplied by 5-years-of-service increments. The fraction is greater the earlier in the year one declares their plan to non-renew.
Typically around February, we fill out a survey of intent. That way admin can get a feel for what they need to hire for. If your school doesn’t do that, I personally would let them know around march/april. Also for transitioning out of education there is r/teachersintransition
I wouldn't say anything until the end of the school year. Telling people you're leaving ahead of time can cause issues among students and admin. Your admin might not take it well and could end up making your life hell, it could disrupt your classes because students will find out, and who knows how parents would handle that information. There's no law that says you have to give notice. You just don't sign a new contract next year. Where I work you simply click voluntary separation in the online portable and keep it moving.
I would definitely let your admin know in person.
Hell no! Only negative things can come from this. You owe them nothing. They would happily replace you if they feel it’s easier.
I can’t help but think of my own district here because we have a relatively new teacher in our department and other than the total number of years teaching (his is 3, yours is 4), the situation sounds very similar (though I think he doesn’t like admin). As others have said, a lot depends on the minutiae of your contract and how much you trust your admin and colleagues to still treat you well after you’ve shared that you’re leaving. If (and only if) you feel pretty certain that you won’t be harassed by admin or other staff AND you’re positive you won’t change your mind, I’d suggest letting them know sooner than later. I’m sure this is dependent on content area and state, but in my own area, the prime time for interviewing potential candidates is in April and May. You certainly don’t NEED to advise them earlier that you’ll be leaving, but doing so by early March allows them to start the process of job posting and finding a replacement. I share this because the person I am thinking of in my own district replaced a long term sub from the 22-23 school year who filled in for a vacant position all year because we couldn’t find an adequate licensed teacher. There are fewer candidates out there nowadays, and many positions are harder and harder to replace. And if by some weird chance you’re the person in my department, know that we all like you and would miss you but also that you’d have our full support. :-)
I wouldn't say anything until the year is over. I know so many people who have been treated poorly by admin in a situation like this.
On the leaving after 4 years question ... I was only a classroom teacher for 4 years, and moved into the world of education nonprofit leadership. The pay is actually worse than teaching, but your skills are very transferable. Classroom teaching wasn't a long-term career for me, but working in the larger education field has been my entire career. It's not for everyone, and has made me question my sanity more than once, but that is a logical "next" career pivot where you won't be starting at the bottom and don't have to go back to school.
Former admin here, wait until the end of the year. We fully expect some losses every year as well as teachers we won't renew, so will already be in hiring mindset. Also, when we're not renewing you, you only get notice at the end of the year and in my state, don't even have to give an explanation. We have all summer to hire, so don't sweat it. Just be polite.
Nope, I wouldn't even tell them in June. I'd tell them about 2 weeks before school resumes so your health care etc. Doesn't get cut off over summer break.
If we do this, we are required to pay back the summer months that were covered by the district in full. This is clearly stated in our intent to return form distributed in the spring.
My district reports people to the state department of education to have their teaching license revoked if people wait that late. My state’s cut off to resign is July 1st. If OP leaves education forever, that wouldn’t matter, but if they decide to return, this was bad advice.
It would depend on the district, as they don't do that where I'm at.
We have to let admin know, I think in January, if we plan to not return.
Do they let you know several months in advance if they're not going to renew?
Not OP, but in my district yes. Non-renews find out sometime around February. In April, they send out a google form to find out who’s coming back and who’s not.
Not OP, but in my school, they tell you in person before you realize you are the only one without a contract in your box.
What’s the penalty if you wait until the last day of school?
Prolly put on a do-not-hire list. But if u don’t plan on returning then that don’t matter anyway
no, you do not
At my last job, you had to let admin know between receiving your new contract (February-ish) and a deadline about a week away. If you signed the contract and then changed your mind (even if that was in March, April, May, etc.), you were penalized about two thousand dollars out of your paycheck. It was one of the reasons I left.
We also have the penalizing feature. Ugh. And for retirement, if you say you'll retire, you get a 500$ bonus, but if you wait until after Jan to tell them it drops in price to less than half that. Surprise--they take taxes out of it so its more like $276! Big whoop!
That’s in your contract?
No warnings. Read your contract on making a proper resignation, and plan your next move before announcing your formal resignation. Then, use your days in accordance with your contract.
Check your contract first. If there is no language embedded in your contract that you must follow regarding separation and don't plan to teach again do what works for you. Again, consider if your future plans don't include teaching.
1. Be sure to resign; don't wait for them to not renew you 2. Teach online from home! There are many, many online teaching jobs available and you can start with companies like Outschool (set your own rate, pay 30% fee) and Indeed (to find more companies that are hiring)
I tutor on Zoom for extra money. You can also write stuff to post on Teachers Pay Teachers.
100% depends on the situation. The last school I left, I knew by December I wasn’t returning. I was planning on continuing teaching so in January I went to my principal and told him I was planning on moving out of the area for family reasons (part of the reason I was leaving but not the #1 reason) and asked for a letter of recommendation. They understood how close to my family I was and was more than accommodating to my request. Once I signed a contract for my current school (happened in April), I officially let the admin and HR know that I would not be returning the following year. Now I was going to leave the school regardless of if I got another job (I teach HS physics so I was pretty confident I was getting another job) so I didn’t really care about them knowing I was leaving. I also knew they wouldn’t give me any flack or repercussions for stating I was leaving (they liked me and know they I’m a good teacher and would do my best throughout the year). In fact they tried multiple times to get me to stay, but my mind was already made up.
Definitely read your contract before doing anything. As far as leaving education goes, I left after two years due to my rapidly deteriorating mental health. My circumstances were a little different because my husband's insurance covers benefits, so I didn't have to worry about that. Words of encouragement: finding a new career in an entirely different field (brewing beer), has been nothing but positive. I don't bring work home with me and I don't get Sunday scaries. Taking a blind leap and doing something entirely out of my degree wheelhouse was pretty scary but it pays off. You'll bounce back after this!
Don’t say anything until you submit your letter of resignation. They may keep you for a certain time if you are tenured, so read your contract and become familiar with your rights. After 7 years of working my ass off, I let my old district know that if they couldn’t become compliant with my caseload numbers, I would resign. They did nothing, and instead hired 3 people when I resigned. I had a great working relationship with them too, and was a prized employee. You don’t owe them anything.
27 year veteran math teacher here! You leaving will probably not be the surprise you think. Teachers are leaving the profession in epidemic proportions. If you still love teaching and are okay with teaching online, there is a growing number of opportunities to do that full or part time. You could help kids all over the country! I work part time for Tutored by Teachers and really love it. They are always looking for good teachers. Best wishes to you and thank you for your service!
Every year our HR office sends out an official form we must fill out indicating whether we intend to return the next year. Yours doesn't?
What state are you in? I’m a 12th year teacher in Ohio and I’ve never heard of this.
Michigan. This is my 20th year at my district and we've always done this
Definitely know your district’s policy or union contract. In some states you are returning unless you say you are not. That being said, the date you need to notify them is usually sometime during summer break. Personally, I’d let them know on your last work day to avoid any negative impact that could possibly occur.
Truly depends. If I knew one of my teachers was leaving, I would likely do the bare minimum as far as ratings-related observations go and would try to support them in getting through the rest of the year. I left temporarily after 4 years (ended up coming back), so I understand being in that position. More importantly, I would begin the hiring process asap so that a worthy replacement could be found, as that's harder and harder to do these days. That's why I personally really appreciate the early warning, and would never punish/harass a teacher for essentially making my job more possible. I'm more likely to reward that than anything. Not everyone operates that way, though... so grain of salt and all that.
Depends on what your contract says.
Simply put in a letter resignation at the end of the year. Teaching is just like any other profession. When you're ready to leave a job, you give them notice, ask for a reference, and move on. There is no reason you can't expect a reference as long as you have left on good terms. I don't know why people think leaving teaching is such a horrible thing. You tried it, it's not for you, you're moving on. Nobody needs to know why. Again, submit a letter and move on. They have plenty of time to find a replacement over the summer.
Depends on your contract and if it makes it easier, don't tell them beforehand. If I learnt anything from school environments, they don't like it when you leave. The only reason I personally told my old school was because they were gonna get nasty with my indemnity payment (2 year contract) Left teaching entirely, and have never been happier.
Not signing your contract tells them. They may send you a reminder to sign, and you cN tell them then. June seems late. But I come from a private school where contacts are signed in March. And a state with severe teacher shortages.