Career Confidential is on vacation for the summer. This column originally ran in October 2020.
Q: I have been on the fence about returning to in-person teaching, mostly because I’m scared of COVID, but also because I’m drained by virtual teaching. It’s sucked the life out of me, and I’ve got little if anything left to give. Yeah, on the one hand I wouldn’t have to teach remotely anymore, but I would have to get my classroom up and organized lightning fast (you can bet my district will give me a half day at best to get my ducks in a row), then have to deal with kids who take their masks off, and Lord knows what else. I assume we’re all going to be given 5,000 duties a day to get kids safely in the building and to keep the wheels turning. I know that I’ll be wiping down my classroom between classes with wipes I’m sure I’ll have to buy. Anyway, I’ve been complaining about this to one of my former student’s parents (we were friends before her child was in my class). She mentioned my concerns to the parent of one of her child’s friends, and also told him that I’m a terrific teacher. One thing led to another, and that parent — a wealthy businessman — asked to connect with me. When we spoke, he said he hoped to poach me to teach his own elementary-aged child and his child’s best friend, so two kids total. I would be the only teacher, and I’d get to call the curriculum shots. He doesn’t want me to supervise their distance learning, he wants me to teach them in-person, using whatever approach I want as long as it doesn’t involve screens. He had expected his kid’s private school to open in person, and now he’s ticked off and looking for a different solution. I’m embarrassed to say what he wants to pay me, but it’s way, way, way more than I earn as a public school teacher. He’s also giving me more vacation days and covering my health insurance and told me that he’s known for giving big bonuses to tutors and would do the same for me. I don’t know much about his kid, the kid’s friend, or their overall needs, but I do know I wouldn’t be taking as much of a risk health-wise as if I were interacting with hundreds of people a day. And it’s not distance learning! There’s definitely a big BUT. I’d give up my tenure, and I’d have to break my current contract, which would make me un-hirable in my district if I reapplied. Also, he’s only offering me a one-year contract. It’s a big risk, and yet I’m so tempted. Would I be crazy to take this job?
A: I can understand why you’re tempted, especially since you’re feeling so depleted and this is a clear off-ramp. I can’t tell you what to do, but I can list some of the issues you might want to weigh before you seize the opportunity. On the plus side, as you mentioned, you’d have a greater sense of safety, a higher income (at least temporarily), the flexibility to design a curriculum, and a reprieve from distance learning without the extra duties that come with being part of a school team.
In the “need more information” column, you don’t know much about this man or the children you’d be teaching. You might want to meet them and determine whether it would be a good fit, especially considering you’d be working so intensely with them. Talk to other tutors this man has employed and ask them about their experiences. Were they positive or negative? Did they receive big bonuses, or is this guy a big talker? And did he really give them flexibility to teach their way, or was he a demanding micromanager? And what will he be doing to mitigate risk of contracting COVID? The odds are good that working with fewer students will be safer than navigating a school building, but there’s no such thing as zero risk, particularly if his family isn’t taking precautions, such as wearing masks or social distancing. You also don’t say when you’ll be expected to go back to work in person at your current job. Is it possible you’ll be teaching virtually for many more months anyway? If so, you might not need to worry for a while about setting up your classroom or juggling extra COVID-related responsibilities.
In the negative column, your choice would hurt your current students. At a time when their lives are full of instability, they could end up with a series of substitute teachers. How heavily do you weigh your ethical obligation to them? You’re also under contract with your district. COVID won’t last forever, but you’ll be blackballed if you break your contract — and this is just a one-year job. Is that a price you’re willing to pay? Yes, you’ll be able to look for a job in another district or in an independent school, but you’ll lose the protection that comes with tenure. Also, there’s no way to know whether COVID and budget shortfalls will lead to hiring freezes and layoffs, or whether teacher shortages will create an abundance of opportunities.
Where does that leave you? Collect as much information as you can, and then think about the variables that matter most to you. Is it obligation to others? Job security? Flexibility and creativity? Physical safety? Financial security? Rank your priorities and consider which of these two decisions most closely aligns with your values. You may never have 100% certainty, but you’ll have fewer regrets if you can justify your decision to yourself.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phyllis L. Fagell
Phyllis L. Fagell is the school counselor at Landon School in Washington, D.C., a therapist at the Chrysalis Group in Bethesda, Md., and the author of the Career Confidential blog. She is also the author of Middle School Matters and Middle School Superpowers, available at https://amzn.to/3Pw0pcu.
