Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
No a non-renewal is not a dismissal or firing! Probationary teachers can be non-renewed for literally any reason (can be simply because the principal doesn't see the teacher as the right fit for the job or the school may be downsizing). In fact, a non-renewal is not really a firing...it's nothing more than the school saying we don't want you to be a permanent teacher. A dismissal however is a firing and it is an adverse action taken by the school. And a dismissal can only be done for a just cause (typically inappropriate conduct (ranging from verbal abuse of students/staff to engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a student) and there MUST be evidence (or reasonable doubt) of this conduct before a dismissal can be carried out. Also, if a principal ever asks you to resign from your position that can also be considered an adverse action (like a firing) because a resignation is easier than a firing for the school district since all they have to do is negotiate terms with the teacher before getting rid of him/her.
Yes, it is a firing. The district terminated a contract. The teacher did not voluntarily quit. It is not a RIF. Don't ever kid yourself otherwise. A colleague at one of the school districts where I currently work as a parapro was threatened with a non-renewal, so she was basically forced to resign. It was because of classroom management issues to the point where student safety was at risk. She took a forced resignation, but lotsa luck for her ever to teach again.
The ONLY difference between a "non-renewal" and a "dismissal" is the former is a firing of a probationary employee, while the latter is a firing of a post-probationary employee. A probationary employee is considered "at-will," and that person can be fired for any reason (as long as it doesn't violate civil rights laws).
Districts use all kinds of lingo to describe terminations: dismissals, resignations in lieu of dismissal, forced resignations, non-renewals. ALL are firings.
You are just peddling misinformation on this point and on terminations. Take it from someone who intimately knows this process which is heavily rigged in favor of school districts. You do not have to do anything wrong to get "dismissed." There was no "just cause" in my case and in the case of many thousands of other teachers--it is all jerryrigged because administrative law is just garbage and not real law. School districts can literally fabricate charges and evidence and coerce witnesses to lie in order to dump a teacher. There is no "reasonable doubt" standard in these show trial farces--the "standard" is "preponderance of evidence" to convince an arbitrator or a panel or a school board that is in bed with a school district from the outset. You have to go the civil route in almost all cases to fight a termination, assuming you can ever find a lawyer to take your case. Even then it is almost impossible to get reinstated though it does happen on occasion. WRT non-renewals, on almost all school district applications they will ask if you were ever non-renewed or non-re-elected, which means a yes answer to that question automatically disqualifies you from the hiring pool. That is the ONLY reason such a question is asked. The assumption is that if you were a good teacher, you would still be employed. They don't care about the reason. You check off a "yes," and the application goes into the garbage can. Of course that has nothing to do with reality. Principals can get rid of teachers very easily but the intrusive questions remain.
I learned all of this the hard way and am still picking up the pieces of the almost-destroyed career as a result of scapegoating by these administrators at Washoe County School District, one of the most dysfunctional school districts in America, on absolutely ridiculous allegations way back in 2008. You are repeating things you have heard and perhaps from the teacher associations which are almost worthless in protecting individual teachers from administrator ineptitude, harassment, or misconduct.
A non-renewal that is not a RIF or a temporary contract, and they are not considered "non-renewals," is the kiss of death to a teaching career, at least in that geographical area. Teachers either have to go into another line of work or move, often out of state, to resume a career.
Just an FYI, if the school offers you to resign instead of having a non-renewal, that counts as a voluntary resignation. That's better than a non-renewal.
Just an FYI, if the school offers you to resign instead of having a non-renewal, that counts as a voluntary resignation. That's better than a non-renewal.
And I would further add that you should not sign anything put in front of you without carefully reading the document first. This is just good policy anywhere, but doubly so as a departing teacher. I have never been burned myself, but have seen some amazing surreptitious nonsense that bordered on downright cruelty on the part of the administration.
The big question that other jobs will ask is "is so-and-so able to be rehired?"
If the contract not being renewed was because of budget cuts, the answer to that question would be yes, but teaching a different subject.
If it was because of behavior reasons, the answer to that question would be no.
Many districts just ask for dates of employment anymore. The rehire questions have caused district too many problems.
The last district I worked in would only allow HR staff to give out any information. Principals were instructed to forward any recommendation requests to HR.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
