Re: Breaking Contract

If you break a contract in the middle of the year, then the
district can petition ISBE to suspend your certificate. It may
not, but it can. It doesn't matter if you have an initial or
standard in this case, since you can be suspended either way.
Your half year, or whatever, won't count towards the 4 you need
to move to a standard.

Now, if you go to the district and ASK to be released from your
contract, and they agree, then you're fine. If you want out,
you could put on videos of the "Facts of Life" and give quizzes
on when Tootie took off roller skates. BTW, that exact thing
happened in my district when they made a teacher stick to her
contract after she got a better offer late in the summer. She
taught English, well she was supposed to teach English anyway.
Needless to say, she wasn't offered a contract the next year,
but that's what she wanted.

While you would be able to teach again after the one year
suspension, you would have to check yes to the box that asks if
your license has ever been suspended. That's pretty much a
deal-breaker, even in special ed.
>
> I do not necessarily want to leave my job, however, it is
> severely negatively effecting my health (I have an
> orthopedic condition that is worsening along with awful
> anxiety forming from the job and everything that comes with
> it). My doctor is concerned that the situational stress
> from will be detrimental not only long term but short term
> to my health.

Well, I'm not sure about how that will effect the suspension.
You might contact ISBE to see. You are entitled to a hearing,
and medical documents and testimony from your doctor might
help, but no one can say for sure how that hearing would work
out. Again, they can ask for a suspension, but they don't have
to. In the few instances where I've seen it, I'm pretty sure
my district didn't push for it, but I know it does happen.
>
> I deeply worry about my ability to get a new teaching job
> in the future (I teach Special Education) because I do love
> teaching and I look forward to the days of having a job I
> truly love.

Yeah, you should. Like I said, a suspension would kill just
about any chance, except maybe with a very high need school
like one in CPS, but even then it would be an uphill climb.
Talk about stressful!

I'd advise you to consider toughing it out. I had a job I
wanted to quit too. You should look at it this way: You
basically can do what you want as long as you don't get
ridiculous. I mean, you obviously don't want to come back
there, so you probably don't care how you do on observations or
about impressing your Principal. If you want to write 500
referrals a day, you can. If you want to skip some of the
curriculum because it's not worth the stress, then go for it.
You don't care if you don't come back. Yeah, it won't be a
good reference, but it's bound to be better than it would be if
you leave in October.

Good Luck!