Being 'advised to seek employment elsewhere' by boss

notanostrich

Hello
I am having a major problem at work; the upshot of it is I will attend, with union, a meeting to set targets for improvement. I am a teacher. This came as a shock as a recent lesson observation came out well.
My head, however, in a one-to-one meeting with me, has said he would have no problem in giving me a glowing reference were I to apply for a job outside the classroom. If I applied for a position in another school the reference might not be good - and who knows what might be said in a phone call 'off the record'. Reading between the lines then, that might be a hint to move elsewhere.
Whilst I intend to do my level best to sort things out it might well be that I would be better off looking 'outside' for something else. I am not able to resign and start looking, as the sole wage earner in my household I can't 'just leave'.
Would appreciate comments and advice re looking for another job. Jobcentre website seems to be for those who are out of work at the moment and TBH am somewhat stressed (and trying to keep this quiet) and probably not thinking too clearly. My degree is a BA Ed. Have not been in the 'real job world' for some time now although I have office and customer service experience, both acquired prior to my degree course.

Thank you for reading.

Prudent

Do you know why the HT is concerned?

Are his concerns realistic or are they about you not fitting the culture of that school?

I don't know what area of the country you teach in. In Scotland, failure to meet perfromance targets would probably just result in a transfer in the first instance. You may find you are happier and perform better in a different school.

notanostrich

Well HE thinks they are.
Not in Scotland btw. What's concerning me here is the 'implication' about references.
Interestingly, when I contacted my union they were aware of other similar cases being dealt with in the same way. Not a 'competence' issue BUT county and HR are involved in them all. And there are three teaching unions so maybe there are even more.
Chances are there are going to be redundancies down the line anyway...guess I am in the 'firing line' for those then!
So wondered about getting a job 'outside' - and wondered what kind of position I could realistically look for.

And, of course, this is a stressful situation to be put in...my head is spinning.

Prudent

If they simply want to make redundancies, this seems a very underhand way of going about it.

Do you enjoy teaching? If you want to remain in teaching because you like the job then it is worth putting up a fight.

If they make you redundant, you will have redundancy pay and the option to take up another post in the profession in the future. One option would be to apply to a residential school to work on the care side (which should enure a good reference?) and then asked to transfer to a teaching post when a post becomes available.

piggeh

Would depend what 'targets' they set for improvement. They would have to be similar to what others are being set, and not be unreasonable. I'd imagine they also need to show a level of support to help you achieve them, worth discussing with the union after the first meeting. I wouldn't agree to anything either, just that you'll take their views and requests into account and arrange a further meeting after consultation with a union rep.

notanostrich

Appreciate your comments on what needs to be done in the first instance. Be assured that I will be accompanied at the meeting by a case worker from the union. The head will be there, and a person from county, so obviously I need to have someone there 'on my side' who can be clear thinking. I believe that targets, and a system of support, will be set at that meeting. There is no-one else in my school undergoing the same process at the moment.
What I would be interested in is knowing what alternative jobs/careers are available to me in the event that it does all go pear-shaped.
What do other ex-teachers do?
(And I know there are lots out there, not least because of the stress of the job!)

Zazen999

notanostrich wrote: »

Appreciate your comments on what needs to be done in the first instance. Be assured that I will be accompanied at the meeting by a case worker from the union. The head will be there, and a person from county, so obviously I need to have someone there 'on my side' who can be clear thinking. I believe that targets, and a system of support, will be set at that meeting. There is no-one else in my school undergoing the same process at the moment.
What I would be interested in is knowing what alternative jobs/careers are available to me in the event that it does all go pear-shaped.
What do other ex-teachers do?
(And I know there are lots out there, not least because of the stress of the job!)

I wouldn't let one man decide my career to be honest.

You really need to get to the bottom of his issues, why is he saying this in the first place?

If you let one A$$hole get the better of you, you'll be forever running around from job to job.

You must have trained as a teacher, so find out what the problem is, and address it.

LittleVoice

I can understand that you want to know what other options are open to you. It can help knowing that you are not totally trapped in one career.

How long have you been a teacher?

I am presuming that it is in a primary school. Is there a subject you could teach adults? Literacy, perhaps?

Do you have any specialisms in your BA (Ed) which you feel would be considered transferable skills into other areas?

You could seek a careers advice session which would be able to give you individual advice after you provided more information about yourself (your interests and skills and willingness to train for a new career). That could possibly be achieved through the careers service of your old university but there are free services available throughout the country I believe. (I used to do this but am a little out of touch with government-funded provision at the moment.)

notanostrich

I am a trained teacher and do intend to address these issues. Thank you LittleVoice for your comment.
Bear in mind that it has been implied that a reference given to another school, were I to apply for a post elsewhere, might not be 'good enough'. Off the record comments might clinch it IYSWIM.
By telling me that I could get a very good reference for a job outside of the classroom I feel that is what I am actually being advised to do. I am trying to cover my back and protect my family. Moreover as a single parent I actually don't have anyone I can unburden myself to right now and that in itself is making this a very difficult time for me.
Thanks for listening and posting.

prudence41

Unless you are in a probationary period and with less than one year's employment (which means you would have limited redress for dismissal), your Head Teacher is on thin ice asking you to leave and threatening to give you a good/bad reference depending on your actions.

I would suggest that you insist on specific examples of the underperformance that the Head believes is present and ask for active support from the school to implement the performance improvement plan. Also I would suggest you consider your own performance critically and honestly to see if there is any credence to the Head's concern about your performance. It could just be that he's trying to frighten into leaving, thus making his job easier if he really does have to look at reducing numbers.

Good luck and I hope your Trade Union rep is helpful.

Zazen999

notanostrich wrote: »

I am a trained teacher and do intend to address these issues. Thank you LittleVoice for your comment.
Bear in mind that it has been implied that a reference given to another school, were I to apply for a post elsewhere, might not be 'good enough'. Off the record comments might clinch it IYSWIM.
By telling me that I could get a very good reference for a job outside of the classroom I feel that is what I am actually being advised to do. I am trying to cover my back and protect my family. Moreover as a single parent I actually don't have anyone I can unburden myself to right now and that in itself is making this a very difficult time for me.
Thanks for listening and posting.

It sounds like blackmail to me hon. Whichever way he puts it.

No manager worth their salt would do this to anyone. Let alone a head teacher. Shocking.