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

[PokerBob]

The players in this saga are as follows:
TAP – The Assistant Principal – She is in her first year as AP at my school. She used to teach Science with me, and has been at the school longer than I have. She HATED the woman who was principal several years ago (That woman has since moved on.) I came to the school BECAUSE of that woman, and thus I think TAP harbors some ill-will toward me because of our association. In my opinion she is mentally unstable. In a Science department meeting a few years ago, she stormed out and said “Fcck this” repeatedly. (According to a few of the other teachers present, she called one of the teachers a Fcckng cnnt], but I did not hear that. I just hear the “Fcck this” part.) No apology or explanation for her actions was ever given. Needless to say, I opposed her being hired as TAP (she doesn’t know this. I wasn’t public with my opposition, but I went and told the principal at the time, with whom I had a very good relationship, that I felt she would be a bad choice), as I feel that anyone who leaves meetings while spewing expletives likely is not fit for a leadership position. I remember years ago that TAP once told me that “revenge is a dish best served cold”. Interpret that how you will. In my opinion she is a devious, two-faced liar who will smile when you are looking at her and drive a knife into your back when you turn around. I do not trust her.

TTWC – The Teacher Who Cries – She has been at the school at least 15 years. She teaches Advanced Placement Chemistry and “regular” chemistry. While I have been on leave this year, she has taught the Advanced Placement Physics class that I have taught for the past 5 years. I gave her all of my notes, tests and homework assignments in an effort to help her. I also emailed her all of those items so that she could easily modify them if she so chose. She often breaks down and cries in class. She clearly is lacking self-esteem, and for the most part the kids tolerate her, but do not respect or like her. She feels that teaching anything other than advanced classes is beneath her. She feels threatened by me, as (a) I am a good teacher and (b) the kids love me. In my opinion she harbors a dislike for good looking girls, as she fancies herself as a pretty woman (She is not. She is over 40 and recently pierced her naval.). She often will have completely different impressions of kids than several other teachers. On many occasions she has complained to me about students that myself and many other teachers feel are great kids. Basically, she’s a nut.

THG – The New Guy – He was hired to fill my spot for the year. The science enrollment has grown, so a full time teacher was needed for next year and he was rehired. From what I have heard, he has done an excellent job. I know little else about him.

PB – PokerBob – (Caution: I have to be less than modest here.) [brag] I started teaching at the school 6 years ago. I teach Advanced Placement Physics, “regular” physics and freshman science. I have never taught chemistry in my life. When I got there, 75 students were enrolled in physics. That number more than doubled in the first 3 years I was there and has continued to grow. In my 2nd year we implemented Advanced Placement Physics, a class that I have taught from the outset. I am one of the more popular teachers in the school (My 2nd year I was voted by the seniors to be the faculty speaker at graduation. Every year since I have been one of the 3-4 nominated to speak, but I have declined so as to give other teachers an opportunity), and my AP students score very well (much better than the national average, and better than most other AP students at the school). Basically, I am very good at my job. [/brag]


The saga:
I take a leave of absence for a year. TAP is hired as Assistant Principal. At the beginning of the school year, the current principal abruptly resigns sighting personal reasons. A new principal is found. He is a guy who retired the previous year from another district. He has agreed to be principal for the next few years. The year passes, and now spring is upon us. By March 1 I am required to let the district know my intentions. I inform them that I will be coming back.

I attend a meeting last week, as it is time to figure out who teaches what. The administration would like the department to decide who teaches what, but they will intervene if a consensus cannot be reached. The schedule is not set in stone, but the initial schedule given to us looks like this (We teach 3 periods/day for 4 quarters.):

Teacher Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
TTWC AP Chem AP Chem AP Chem AP Chem
TTWC AP Chem AP Chem AP Chem AP Chem
TTWC AP Physics C AP Physics C AP Physics C AP Physics C
TNG AP Physics B AP Physics B AP Physics B AP Physics B
TNG Physics Physics Physics Physics
TNG Physics Physics Physics Physics
PB Freshman sci. Freshman sci. Freshman sci. Freshman sci.
PB Freshman sci. Freshman sci. Freshman sci. Freshman sci.
PB Chemistry Chemistry Physics Physics


Needless to say, this does not please me and I say as much. TNG was promised by the new principal that he would get the AP Physics class that I used to teach. TTWC was told that she would get the new AP Physics class (she is the only one who ever taught AP Chemistry, so that kind of went to her by default I guess.)

I meet with the principal, who I don’t know at all because he is new, the next day to tell him of my dissatisfaction. He tells me that TNG is the best physics teacher that he has ever seen. I tell him that I do a very good job, and that any kid who ever had me will tell him that. I tell him that had I known I’d get screwed out of teaching the classes I used to teach that (a) I likely wouldn’t have taken a leave and (b) may not have committed to coming back. If such a thing happened to a woman who took a year off for maternity leave, there likely would be an uproar.

In the past, the science department has tried to spread out the “undesirable” classes evenly. This means freshman science. We tried to make sure no one got stuck with an unfair amount of it, and we tried to do the same with the upper level courses. I come up with an alternate schedule in which the course distribution is more “fair”, and I submit it to the principal.


Teacher Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
TTWC AP Chem AP Chem AP Chem AP Chem
TTWC AP Chem AP Chem AP Chem AP Chem
TTWC Chemistry Chemistry Physics Physics
TNG AP Physics B AP Physics B AP Physics B AP Physics B
TNG Freshman sci. Freshman sci. Physics Physics
TNG Freshman sci. Freshman sci. Physics Physics
PB Physics Physics Freshman sci. Freshman sci.
PB Physics Physics Freshman sci. Freshman sci.
PB AP Physics C AP Physics C AP Physics C AP Physics C




The other teachers in the department (there are 8 of us total) who are not affected by this seem to see the fairness of it, but TTWC and TNG don’t want to budge.

The real wildcard here is TAP. She is the one who put together the initial schedule. TAP does not like TTWC. She KNOWS that TTWC is (a) a nut and (b) not a very good teacher (TAP has told me of her disdain for TTWC on several occasion in the past) yet she put together this schedule which gives TTWC all AP classes, and has me teaching none. I don’t want to seem paranoid, but I am having a hard time figuring out what TAP’s motivation is here other than to screw me.

So OOT, what do I do?

Do I confront TAP, even though she can easily explain it away? Do I tell the new principal that TTWC is incompetent and he needs to know that, even though coming from me it will sound like sour grapes? A student who I had as a junior and just graduated was appalled to hear that TTWC will potentially be teaching all the advanced classes, and offered to get some of the best kinds in the school to go piss in the principal's ear about TTWC's incompetence. Do I accept this offer? If I indeed get screwed, do I just bend over and take it? How do I interact with my colleagues who were unwilling to compromise? Do I go out of my way to help them when they need it, or do I do only the minimum? Do I quit on the spot? Do I win the WSOP and show up on the first day, give them all the finger, and walk out? Thoughts?

[Full Metal]

tl;dr?

[PokerBob]

[ QUOTE ]
tl;dr?

[/ QUOTE ]

too long; didn't read.

[CallMeIshmael]

[ QUOTE ]
A student who I had as a junior and just graduated was appalled to hear that TTWC will potentially be teaching all the advanced classes, and offered to get some of the best kinds in the school to go piss in the principal's ear about TTWC's incompetence. Do I accept this offer?

[/ QUOTE ]



Yes. This sounds like a better play than doing it yourself, imo, since they would be perceived as far less biased.


Also, your physical condition: are you still marathoning perhaps?

[DrunkHamster]

I think you definitely need to go talk to TAP, see what happens. If she is unresponsive and you continue to get screwed, reconsider your position at that school If you are as good a teacher as you say, surely you could get a job at a different one?

[PokerBob]

[ QUOTE ]
If you are as good a teacher as you say, surely you could get a job at a different one?

[/ QUOTE ]

i could, but the job needs to open up, and i likely would move down in pay.

[PokerBob]

[ QUOTE ]

Also, your physical condition: are you still marathoning perhaps?

[/ QUOTE ]

not sure. i ran 4 miles yesterday, but i have a long way to go.

[Bluffoon]

Suck it up. You took a year off and they covered for you and this is the price you have to pay. You have to start off again at the bottom of the ladder, work your way back up and prove yourself all over again. You did it once you can do it again. I hope you enjoyed your year off.

[Schneids]

Use former students to your advantage as much as possible, that's for sure. Otherwise, if they are unable to incite change, raise bloody hell and if nothing happens then let me stake you in poker.

[PokerBob]

[ QUOTE ]
Suck it up. You took a year off and they covered for you and this is the price you have to pay. You have to start off again at the bottom of the ladder, work your way back up and prove yourself all over again. You did it once you can do it again. I hope you enjoyed your year off.

[/ QUOTE ]

They did not "cover for me". I had to request the leave, and the school board had to approve it. They did approve it. They could have denied it. It wasn't like I left them in the lurch. Also, I do not lose my seniority simply because I took a leave.