What to do about teachers quitting midyear

Many states can suspend a teaching certificate for breach of contract, which may include quitting a job before the contract’s end

Originally published in the Moultrie News.

I read about a teacher who had to resign from her job in the middle of the school year to move with her family to another town. Her school district then suspended her teaching certification, preventing her from getting a job at her new location. I was shocked the board has this much power over teachers who resign midyear. How is this supposed to help kids?

Many states can suspend or revoke a teaching certificate for breach of contract, which may include quitting a job before the contract’s end. The number of states that regularly follow through on this, however, is unclear. It can even vary from district to district. A recent investigation of South Carolina schools, for example, found that the tactic was utilized “inconsistently,” with some districts using it a lot more than others.

I imagine the policy is meant to be more preventive than punitive. It’s difficult to replace teachers midyear; the threat of revocation or suspension helps compel teachers to ride it out to the end. In fact, the teachers in question are often required to stay just until a replacement is found, then are free to go. This could help kids by ensuring uninterrupted teaching under a qualified educator. The alternative is typically a diet of substitutes, with lesson plans falling on other teachers in the building.

So the policy has benefits, but do the benefits outweigh the disadvantages? Not in my book.

Consider that the affected teacher will now be a hostage, not a voluntary educator. That’s to no one’s benefit. Yes, some teachers leave midyear for reasons that may justify suspending their credentials, but most do so because their spouse is transferring to a new job, there are personal or family health problems, or they’ve earned an improved professional opportunity. Imprisoning teachers in their classrooms under those circumstances embitters both them and their colleagues, who realize they could be next.

Also, think about the current teacher shortage. Suspending certification prevents the individual from teaching at another public school; meanwhile, we’re expanding alternative certification opportunities to enlist more teachers. These policies are at odds with each other.

I might feel differently about teachers breaking their signed obligations if the balance of power in their contracts was consistently more equitable. Contract quality varies widely across the country. In some states, a contract is hundreds of pages of rights and responsibilities. In my state, South Carolina, it can be a single sheet of paper, but could easily fit on a sugar packet: “Sign here to indicate that you have no power.”

That’s hardly an exaggeration. In the real world, a contract is a two-way street. There are consequences for either side failing to live up to the terms. In education, the consequences frequently fall solely on the teacher. An example: several years ago, my district ran out of money, so they unilaterally shortened everyone’s contracts by four days of pay, reneging on what was promised. A contract that says: “I’ll pay you unless I don’t,” is no contract at all.

Another example: many districts don’t even tell teachers how much money they’ll make before they sign their contracts, not even a minimum. If teachers want to wait and see if their district will offer more money than another one, the district will have already rescinded its contract offer.

Come to think of it, under such circumstances, teachers are hostages no matter what. So why don’t more revolt? For one, the likelihood of failure is strong, and there are enough defeats in teaching as it is. More importantly, however, teachers aren’t mercenaries. They don’t invest their lives into the classroom because of money, benefits, or power. They do it because they love their students and feel a duty to educate them.

That, of course, doesn’t make bad contracts right. So if any policy makers out there are willing to take up the cause on our behalf, none of us would say no.

Read the original column here.