HR Notifies Teacher Who Quit That They Are Expected To Return Because The School Couldn’t Find A ‘Suitable Replacement’
Desperate for advice on how to navigate the situation, she's turned to Reddit professionals to help.
Perfect Wave | Shutterstock.com After putting in her notice of resignation at the end of the year, a teacher on Reddit was sent an unsettling message from her school's HR department over the summer. “You are expected to return to the classroom,” the school administrator wrote in their email. “The district has yet to find a suitable replacement.”
In her post to the “Anti Work” subreddit, the teacher wrote, “When you finally try to leave teaching,” alongside a screenshot of the administrator’s email. “I can’t believe I’m going through this.”
A teacher was expected to return to her school after quitting because they couldn’t find a ‘replacement’ hire.
After finally working up the courage to leave the teaching profession, receiving this email was a shock to the teacher. With no time or desire to prepare for another year, she was looking for advice on how to move forward.
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While it seems like an insane assumption on the school district's part, they have some legal and ethical grounds to do so.
Many teachers are forced to sign an employment contract after being hired that details the terms of resignation. In some districts, that means being contractually obligated to continue teaching after quitting until there’s a “suitable replacement.”
Despite putting in her resignation early, an alleged stipulation in the teacher's contract only allows quitting with a replacement hire.
Unsure of how to move forward after receiving the email, other teachers under the post expressed their sympathy and provided advice.
“I had no idea this was a thing,” one wrote. “Maybe, consider finding a temporary job outside of teaching, in case they come after your license?”
While she’s still technically able to quit, her school could come after her teaching license or pursue legal action for “breaching the contract” she’d signed during the hiring process.
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“The worst that can happen is not being rehired as a teacher, and I suspect with the nationwide teacher shortage, schools are looking for anybody with a pulse,” one ex-teacher wrote under the post. “If you want to go back, you’re likely still safe. Cite ‘hostile work environment’ and enjoy your choice of whoever is hiring.”
The replacement requirement for resignation is common in teacher contracts.
Other teachers on Reddit agreed that this isn’t an uncommon situation for many school districts. “The exact thing happened to a friend of mine,” one wrote. “He got an offer at a better school, tried to resign… a few days before the new school year, he got this exact letter, almost to the word.”
Unfortunately, the power that many school districts wield can allow them to suspend a teacher’s license — taking away any opportunities they might have to find another teaching job in the same state.
It's important to not only read employment contracts before signing but also adhere to them once you do. However, many teachers have no choice but to quit, especially when it’s a matter of their physical and mental well-being.
But, let’s be perfectly clear, despite your profession, you don’t owe anything to your job. It’s just a job.
Your career is your livelihood — a way to put food on the table. You don’t owe them emotional turmoil, constant stress or anxiety, or a personal sacrifice — no matter the circumstances.
Teacher staffing shortages are directly related to the educational institution’s failings as a whole. If there was a better structure for teacher compensation, most school districts wouldn’t have to worry about finding substitutes or hiring new teachers. That burden lies completely with them — not with teachers, looking out for their best interest by leaving.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories