Teacher Written Up For Absenteeism For Not Coming In To Work For Free During The Summer
Why would this teacher work without a paycheck?
Tima Miroshnichenko | Pexels Teachers often face financial struggles, especially since not all schools pay them during the summer when students are on break. As a result, many educators turn to side jobs during that time just to stay ahead of bills.
Still, some principals don’t seem to care whether their teachers are getting paid; they expect them to show up in the summer anyway. That’s exactly what this educator experienced. She turned to Reddit to share the story of how she was shamed simply for not being present during their unpaid break.
A recently hired school employee was written up after reporting to work on their first official day.
"I'm a ten-month admin," the teacher wrote in a Reddit post. "Today was my first day in the new position." They explained that they were offered the new role at the end of May and accepted it, even though it paid less and came with more responsibilities.
The job was set to begin on July 28. But when the teacher showed up, they were immediately pulled into a closed-door meeting with the principal and assistant principal, asking why they hadn’t come to work all of July. They explained that no dates were ever given and that this was their official first day. “Nothing was mentioned about summer hours,” they wrote. “No emails, phone calls, etc.”
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They wrote, "I interviewed, offered, and accepted the job in the middle of May. However, the job officially started today July 28. When I formally met my principal at the end of the school year. Nothing was mentioned about summer hours, no emails, phone calls, etc. so I worked beach services to make sure I’m good as I won’t be paid until the end of August. (That’s correct. I haven’t been paid since June 15th. )"Despite that, the principal gave them a verbal warning for absenteeism. “This is going to be a long year,” they wrote.
The teacher went to HR to try to clear up any confusion regarding their employment contract.
So, they went to Human Resources to talk it through. They told the HR staff that they hadn’t been told to come in and weren’t going to work for free over summer break. But HR said the principal already claimed they’d been emailed several times.
The teacher then pulled up their inbox and showed that there had been no emails from the principal since the end of May. In response, the lady from HR said, “Well, you could have deleted them.” That was the final straw. “I’m probably going to resign at this point,” they wrote.
And they did. In an update, the teacher shared that a friend, who’s a principal in another district, had an opening for an interventionist position. They expressed interest and were hired after a brief interview. “I walked into my school and submitted a verbal and written resignation,” they wrote. “I just signed my letter of intent with the new district.”
Principals cannot make you work in the summer if it's not in your contract.
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After reading about the teacher's story, you might wonder whether or not the principal had the right to expect the teacher to work over the summer when their contract clearly stated a start date at the end of July.
Laws can vary by state, but we'll take a look at Texas because it offers a clear example. According to the Association of Texas Professional Educators, “Most educators are not required to work during the summer unless their contracts extend through the summer.”
That wasn’t the case with the teacher on Reddit. Their contract didn’t cover the summer, so they weren’t obligated to be there. On top of that, there was no communication regarding such an expectation. The Association also explained that while some districts require professional development days when teachers get or renew certifications during the summer, those are only valid if they fall within your contract. Otherwise, they can’t make you show up.
In the end, we could say the teacher should have stood their ground and discussed their rights. But honestly, they already made the best move: quitting. Hopefully, in their new job, the principal knows the law and respects the educator's right to be paid for their time. Because teaching is a paid profession, not a volunteer gig.
Matt Machado is a writer studying journalism at the University of Central Florida. He covers relationships, psychology, celebrities, pop culture, and human interest topics.
