PokerBob gets screwed at work. What would you do?(tl;dr)

[QuickLearner]

Good luck to you PokerBob. I worked in higher ed for 15 years, and was a public school teacher before that. One thing that I don't have to say to you is that the politics you fight in that world would scare the Borgias. I see your options as follows.

1. Go along and try to preserve your sanity by finding as much joy as possible in teaching those less-gifted students. I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job. Or,

2. Make the biggest disturbance you can and thereby make enemies who will live to see you destroyed. At the very least, torturing you will become the only project they care about. You probably know that. Or,

3. Use the upcoming year to conduct the most successful job search possible and aim to get hired someplace where they value ability over tenure status. maybe a charter school, or maybe a prestigious prep school somewhere. In the meantime take their filthy money.

If it was me I'd combine 1&3. Start the school year committed to teaching the kids and enjoy yourself as much as possible while beginning the job search. By Christmas you'll either have prospects somewhere else or you'll have remembered all the good things about being a teacher.

If I could go back to teaching I'd do it in a minute, but I don't think I have the option at this stage of my life. I'd be leery of starting a war, which is what dragging the students and parents into this would do. It would guarantee the maximum amount of stress that you will ever experience, and I know from personal experience how badly a person's health can be wrecked by stress.