Termination vs. Resignation
Being terminated in K-12 education seems to have minimal effect on getting another job
In spite of all the hardships I have experienced in K- 12 public school education, I have only resigned from a job once. One of the main reasons is that when you do that, as far as a I know, you become ineligible for unemployment compensation (unless you can prove you resigned under duress or something like that). Also, being terminated in K-12 education seems to have minimal effect on getting another job in K-12 education. This is partly due to the shortage in teachers but mostly due to the jobs I accept which have to do with behavior (and ESE).
The public school system can hardly sustain teachers. So, it damn sure cannot sustain those of us who have to deal with the behavior of students, parents, teachers, school-based administrators, and district-based administrators...unless you have the same characteristics as teachers who have put a few years into the system: cowardice and compliance (more on that one day). In this one year in school, I learned to be both cowardly and compliant [although it did not last long]. I became a shell of myself. For at least two months, I was on edge, ready to walk out the door because my inner values did not match the expectations and climate and culture at the school.
I was not expecting to get fired. I was hoping for a divine intervention along with the energy and courage to get in my car and never return. This is why the moment I was fired, it felt like the sun beamed on my face and heaven opened up. I contained my smile for the moment in the Principal's office because I did not want to seem psychotic (more on this later) and risk the Resource Officer following me around. But when I got in my car, I inhaled deeply and smiled my biggest smile.
A couple days later, I called Human Resources to ask when I could hypothetically return to the District. The person was unsure and stated that they had to ask their supervisor. I got a call later that day and was informed that there were no barriers to my return. I could apply whenever I wanted. Wait. What?
When I left the District three years ago, I resigned (more on that one day). I did it so that a Principal could hire a more suitable person for the position that I was pooled into (it was something I would have never chosen for myself and that Principal had a long term sub that had been successfully doing the job). She thanked me immensely and wished me well on my ABA journey. I just thought it was the right thing to do. A little later when I applied to a more suitable position in the District--Behavior Analyst--I was informed that I was ineligible because I had resigned and had to wait one year before re-application. What?
Termination = Get a New Job
Resignation = Cannot Get a New Job
Have you ever resigned or been terminated from a job and returned to the company in the future?
