I can't find anything online similar to my problem. Please help!
I have been teaching part-time at one school for over 30 years. In general, I was only the French teacher until this year (at 57%, for the last 8 years, but the percentage had fluctuated before that). I have additional certifications in ESL and Early Childhood Pre-K > 2. This year, I was teaching French and literacy in Pre-K and Kindergarten for a total of 57% until Jan. 1. At that time, our school got two new students who needed ESL support. So, since January, I have worked full-time, still teaching the other classes but now with the ESL duties, as well. I was offered this job by administration, accepted it, and later told that I would have to sign two separate contracts - one at 57% and one for 43% - with a contingency clause that says that if the two students leave before the end of the school year, then my second contract is void.
I am sure that they are doing this so that I will not become a full-time teacher with seniority rights to "bump" a teacher next year who has non-professional status (not tenured), and also to protect themselves in case the students leave and they are stuck finding another position for me (and paying me) until the end of the year.
To me, this seems similar to administration saying to a music teacher, "We will give you two contracts - one for your regular music classes and another for band and chorus. That contract will have a contingency clause that says if there are not enough students in band/chorus, then the second contract is void." The same could be said for the preschool teacher in our school. Couldn't her contract have a contingency clause? It just smells bad to me.
In fact, when I asked the superintendent's secretary where my contract was (it is now April!!!), she said they hadn't had time to write it up yet. Can they do that? ...and, she was even docking my pay for any day that the two students were absent or I was absent. She claimed that I was only going to be paid "for services rendered" and if they or I were absent, I couldn't render services. That part has been straightened out, but only after weeks of arguing about it. What is going on here??? Please help me.
And don't say, " Go to your union rep." She knows nothing and has told me that she thinks I need to sign the two contracts. I do not agree, but she is no help in deciding how to proceed from here.
I have been teaching part-time at one school for over 30 years. In general, I was only the French teacher until this year (at 57%, for the last 8 years, but the percentage had fluctuated before that). I have additional certifications in ESL and Early Childhood Pre-K > 2. This year, I was teaching French and literacy in Pre-K and Kindergarten for a total of 57% until Jan. 1. At that time, our school got two new students who needed ESL support. So, since January, I have worked full-time, still teaching the other classes but now with the ESL duties, as well. I was offered this job by administration, accepted it, and later told that I would have to sign two separate contracts - one at 57% and one for 43% - with a contingency clause that says that if the two students leave before the end of the school year, then my second contract is void.
I am sure that they are doing this so that I will not become a full-time teacher with seniority rights to "bump" a teacher next year who has non-professional status (not tenured), and also to protect themselves in case the students leave and they are stuck finding another position for me (and paying me) until the end of the year.
To me, this seems similar to administration saying to a music teacher, "We will give you two contracts - one for your regular music classes and another for band and chorus. That contract will have a contingency clause that says if there are not enough students in band/chorus, then the second contract is void." The same could be said for the preschool teacher in our school. Couldn't her contract have a contingency clause? It just smells bad to me.
In fact, when I asked the superintendent's secretary where my contract was (it is now April!!!), she said they hadn't had time to write it up yet. Can they do that? ...and, she was even docking my pay for any day that the two students were absent or I was absent. She claimed that I was only going to be paid "for services rendered" and if they or I were absent, I couldn't render services. That part has been straightened out, but only after weeks of arguing about it. What is going on here??? Please help me.
And don't say, " Go to your union rep." She knows nothing and has told me that she thinks I need to sign the two contracts. I do not agree, but she is no help in deciding how to proceed from here.
