Fight or Flight?

I work for a school district as a special ed teacher where the rights of my special ed students are violated every day. My students with disabilities are required to take college-level (AP) classes. This has a devastating effect emotionally to many of my students. One of my primary jobs is to advocate for my students, which puts me in direct conflict with the district's policies. The administrators have labeled me as a troublemaker and have tried everything to get me to quit. I have been harassed, placed on administrative leave and put on a plan of assistance. My question is, should I stay and fight or give up and go to work for a different school district?

--SPED teacher

Dear SPED teacher,

Are you a union member? I always thought that part of the job of the union is to help you sort through issues like this. I'd recommend starting there if you're a member.

I'd also like to know if you have any staff or administrators at all on your side. Are the parents who are willing to take their concerns to the school district? If not, then you need to weigh how much good you can do for these kids on your own vs. how it is affecting your life overall. If you're close to retirement and can stick it out, that may be your best option. If you are at the beginning of your career, maybe you could find a job that is more closely aligned with how you know things should be.

I often ask myself the regret question when faced with a big decision. If you were to jump ahead 10 years in the future, would you most regret staying and fighting what seems like a losing battle, or would you most regret leaving these kids without an advocate?

Personally, I'd have a hard time walking away.

-- Deborah

Dear SPED,

Thank you for your letter. I admire that you want to stand by your principles and convictions as they are well placed. This is a true dilemma in that neither option is good, and you seem to be at a point of needing to make a firm decision. This is a situation where the bureaucracy itself has become more important than the mission: educating and advocating for students. It is uncommon that people actually have the ability to move to different districts without disrupting their entire lives so much as to being impractical or nearly impossible. I recommend that you move. Administrators never relent, and it’s likely that your life will become more miserable all the while still not being able to help your students in a meaningful way. 

-- Terry