Q: Can we talk about the way teachers are micromanaged when it comes to their free time? I need to fill out a leave slip for everything. Technically, I can’t even go outside without putting it in writing. If I want to run a quick errand or even walk to the mailbox on the corner, I need to fill out a slip. The school’s argument is that they must know where everyone is all the time in case there’s an emergency. Please. Like they couldn’t just text me. The main office has my phone number. I don’t think there’s anything I can do personally to change this policy, which was instituted at the district level a few years ago, but it’s flat-out demeaning. Do they think I’m a child who can’t be trusted to meet my responsibilities without being micromanaged?
Meanwhile, the school system thinks nothing of asking us to be flexible. If enough students are quarantined, I’ll have to switch to virtual instruction on a dime, and I’m always supposed to go with the flow. And I do! I’m also being asked to cover for other teachers during my planning periods because we don’t have enough substitute teachers. There’s been so much last-minute chaos. Plus, I’m dealing with some complex student issues, including neglect and abuse, and there’s a whole slew of things I have to do to help these kids, on top of my teaching load. But I can’t be trusted to make a phone call from my car and return to the building before my class starts? My resentment is through the roof.
I’m close to doing what I want and letting the chips fall where they may. I’m no longer willing to fill out a leave slip for every damn thing. It’s ridiculous, and respect is a two-way street. I’m so close to quitting for a million and one other reasons anyway, so I guess I’m realizing that this may be the hill I’m willing to die on. Is this crazy talk? What would you advise me to do?
A: School administrators do need to ensure that everyone abides by the same rules (and my guess is that officials in your district created this policy because a few teachers behaved irresponsibly). However, they should know better than to undermine teachers’ autonomy in this way. If they treat professional educators like untrustworthy children, workplace morale is bound to suffer and attrition will rise. And this policy strikes a particularly sour note right now, when teachers everywhere are bending over backward to meet students’ needs. I agree with you that respect is a two-way street, and I understand your resentment.
You could be right that there’s nothing you can do to change the policy, but maybe there’s a middle ground between advocating for change at the district level and flouting the rules entirely (which could make it harder for other teachers to justify changing the policy down the road). For instance, have you discussed your concerns with your principal? You might discover that they really don’t care if you walk to the mailbox without filling out a leave slip, as long as you’re back in time for class. Just because the policy exists doesn’t mean that every principal insists on following it to the letter.
If you ask, and your principal still gives you no leeway, then I see a few options. First, as you note, you can break the rules and risk the consequences. If you go that route, however, I suggest that you leave the building only at times when you’re officially off duty, and make sure that you’re consistently on time for work. If you slip up even a single time — e.g., if an errand runs long and you show up late for class or miss a meeting — then you’ll undermine your argument that you’re a responsible adult who doesn’t need to be micromanaged. I’d also be extra careful to keep your phone with you at all times. The odds are low that an emergency will occur while you’re out for 15 minutes to get some fresh air, but it could happen. Another option is to figure out some ways to minimize your resentment, even as you abide by the policy. For instance, perhaps you can take that walk or mail that letter before your work day begins, or you can protect your personal time by saying no to extra assignments you’ve volunteered for in the past. And you can certainly look for another job, too. Even if you don’t end up leaving your current school, job hunting might help you feel more in control of your destiny, especially since you’re also dealing with many other frustrations at work.
Last, maybe you shouldn’t write off the idea of advocating for change at the district level. You could be right in assuming that you’d get nowhere, and you might not have the energy to agitate right now, but I wouldn’t assume that you’d lose this battle. Remember, this policy is only a few years old, these are extraordinary times, and it sounds like teachers are in short supply in your area. You might very well find that your district leadership is entirely willing to rethink a policy that has so clearly harmed morale.
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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.
