Why I Left Teaching

On the day before Spring Break, I became a statistic. I was another teacher who left in the middle of my planning period. It wasn’t the kids or the parents. It was the system. In the words of a former student, I “called corporate”. However, “corporate” meant filing a complaint with my school district. While I am not comfortable stating where I taught as a long-term substitute teacher, I will say that they are the largest in my home state of Georgia, eighth-largest on the East Coast, and thirteenth-largest in the county. Parents, students, administrators, and the general public blame us for leaving. However, the truth is often far worse than you could imagine. Here is a redacted copy of the formal complaint that I filed with my school district:

“While there is a stereotype that substitute teachers do nothing and the only thing needed to be a substitute teacher is a pulse, I was studying for my GACE to become certified since I was interested in teaching Summer School. I have a degree in Marketing and was fully self-employed before I accidentally fell into teaching when I signed up to be a substitute teacher to make more money to pay off legal expenses due to a dispute over my late grandmother’s estate. Since I have other work outside of teaching and want to travel extensively, I knew that I would be unable to commit to teaching full-time. However, being a long-term substitute teacher was a perfect fit for me since I could have more flexibility.

I worked on three long-term sub assignments. One was Ms. x’s fourth grade class at x Elementary School. I was let go since they needed someone with more experience. However, I left on very good terms and was welcome to come back. I accepted my first long-term assignment on my second day of teaching. The other two were at x Middle School for three and a half months combined.

I never thought that the day would come when I would let the clerk know that I would be leaving my keys and laptop on my desk. Teaching was the first job I thoroughly looked forward to going to almost daily. I never wanted to leave but, feel like I had no choice. I wish that there was a way for me to safely go back to teaching. I personally did not want to leave and planned on staying on as either a regular or long-term substitute teacher. However, I felt forced out.

After speaking with Mr. x, I realized that there was a major miscommunication between school leadership and x County Public Schools that was not setting long-term substitute teachers up for success. He spent three hours walking me through disciplinary procedures, classroom procedures and told me everything that I could ever possibly need to know. I spoke to Mrs. x about this around March 25th and was advised to email Principal x. There were multiple times that I had tried to seek help from Principal x and it felt like she did not make an effort to understand what I was asking. Most of the responses were “that is for you to figure out” and “when you accepted this job, you were hired to do everything that the teacher does- not just sit behind a desk”.

When she actually gave me feedback it was helpful. However, it turned personal over time. Ironically, I really admired her as a boss at first and wanted to learn from her. Then, she would make it sound like my students only misbehaved in my class and would say “they never do that in anyone else’s class”. While my classroom management gradually improved, I did the best that I could with minimal guidance and training and less than six months of experience.

I actually found a redacted copy of the email that I sent to a friend to proofread for me that reads the following verbatim. “Mr. R” is Mr. x and “Mrs. R” is code for Mrs. x:

“While I enjoy coming to work every day, I have noticed that there were some BIG gaps in communication between teachers, subs, and the administration about quite a few aspects that would have made everyone’s lives easier.. While I will give the benefit of the doubt, I do think that this needs to be a learning experience for the leadership at school whenever a long-term sub is needed. I have tried to speak to Principal C about this and I don’t think she “gets it”.

I was a long-term sub for … in Connections for three months. Before that, I subbed at … elementary for two weeks and brief half or full-day sub jobs around the county. I enjoy being a sub since I enjoy teaching and the flexibility that it allows for my schedule. While I was always happy to come to work and study for my GACE tests, I am not able to make the commitment to teach full-time. I also enjoy alternating between middle and elementary school.

I am currently a sub for Mr. R, and the difference is night and day. I think this is because he took the time out of his day to make sure that I was fully aware of what I needed to do, answered any questions, etc. While I understand that I could ask questions at any time and often did when I was in Connections, there were times that I did not know or think to ask since it did not occur to me.

When I first started, the transition went pretty smoothly. However, MANY policies, procedures, grading practices, etc., were not explained to me. While I did my best, it was nearly impossible to find any disciplinary policies, and it was trial and error. I did not fully understand when to give a step vs. incident report vs. referral and had to learn through trial and error. For about the first month, I had no idea what a “step” was, how to fully utilize Synergy (for IEPs, ESOL, etc.), etc. It was challenging to discipline and manage my class. So, it was tough to discipline my class or control my class effectively. Otherwise, it would have gone more smoothly. It made me look bad and like an incompetent teacher when I was simply doing my best with what I was given. I knew next to nothing about how disciplinary procedures here worked, and it did not set me up for success. It was unfair not only to me but to the students as well.

I also had no idea how grading worked. I thought that I had to grade every assignment that I gave them. Had I known that this wasn’t the case, it would have been MUCH more manageable, and I would not have felt so rushed. Instead, I felt very overwhelmed in making sure people got their make-up work, grading, etc. I believe in giving kids the grades that they earned and holding them accountable.

While I did my best to follow the lesson plans, they were somewhat vague. I did my best with what was given but felt the need to find more assignments to keep them busy (as I was told to do). While I likely unintentionally assigned too much work, I did my best to follow instructions as I interpreted them. Mr. x gave me detailed daily lesson plans, which would have made my life significantly easier. While Mrs. x was out for a considerable amount of time, she knew that she would be going on maternity leave. This was not an acute family or medical situation. If it had been, that would be different. However, she had nine months to figure out the three months she would be gone and should have done a detailed, daily lesson plan with how much time everything should take, what should be done, etc. I did my best at lesson planning, but it’s not something that I had ever done before.

I was also advised only to use paper assignments for class and not utilize eClass and other online resources for the class. However, it looks like almost every other teacher uses this, and it would have made my life significantly more accessible in more ways than one had I done this instead.

I also had issues with the Nearpods. Since I never used one before, I just assumed they were a normal PowerPoint. When I noticed that there were videos and interactive activities, I tried to do them and they would not work. Eventually, I asked for help. Had it occurred to me to do so, I would have earlier. However, they were not properly prepared and should have been in Nearpod with clear instructions on how to utilize them. I would have preferred that everything had been 100% ready for me to get started and to use Nearpods than find ways to fill any spare time after we finished what I could of them.

I was also unaware that Connections classes are so different from a normal classroom. While I knew that there was an A day and B day, as well as a mix of students, I did not know that the population of students would be so transient. After a few weeks, students were added and dropped from class left and right. I was also unaware of how many school activities took place during Connections. While it’s not a huge deal and I understand this, it would have been way easier if I had known this.

Mrs. R’s behavior on Monday, when I went to check on how she was doing, was out of line as well. Despite making sure everything was ready for her, working hard to get the kids straightened out, notes on everything she needed to know, offering to do any grading for her that was done during my class as I got the chance, and doing my best to teach the kids, she was incredibly rude and hurtful. When I checked in on her to see how she was doing and asked if two classes with major behavioral issues were behaving, she said that they were acting fine for her because “she actually teaches”. When I asked her what she meant by this, she informed me that the kids told her that I just sat behind my desk all day, handed them packets, and did nothing. This is incredibly far from the truth. I taught every day to the best of my ability. The only times I was ever behind my desk was early on for the first week or so when I had no clue how to use my new laptop and the technology in the classroom and for a few days after a back injury when I could barely walk. When I called her out on this, she explained that she was also told that I only did one Nearpod. I explained to her that this was incorrect and that I did ALL of them to the best of my ability and explained these issues. Instead of apologizing for the misunderstanding, she just said “Well, I appreciate your help. But, respectfully, I have a degree in this and you don’t”. It was hurtful, disrespectful, and out of line. I have shown her nothing but kindness and respect and expect the same. Belittling someone and treating them that way is a sign of insecurity and, had she wanted things done a certain way, she should have made that clearer. It was beyond out of line and is unacceptable in any situation, especially in the workplace. I would never treat anyone like that.

Everyone who works in a school knows that kids can make up some wild rumors and downright lie. Not always but, it does happen and I’m sure it will happen to her at some point too. I know that I have heard some crazy ones about me, including that I have “favorites” (I do not), someone put orange-flavored Lean in my water bottle (did not happen), and the aforementioned desk rumor (also did not happen). I have also heard some crazy (and untrue) rumors about my coworkers. While I understand that we need to take what the kids say seriously, I also think that there are times when we need to use common sense and take what they say with a grain of salt. If a student chooses to not turn in their work or act out in my class, I know that some will make up who knows what about me and that’s not my problem.

None of this is to complain. While I don’t appreciate that this made me look incompetent, I simply want the process to be smoother and feel that this feedback is necessary. I enjoy coming to work. If needed, I would be happy to discuss this with you and help make the process smoother in the future. I have always been eager to learn, have improved greatly, and want to improve the experience for future subs. While my time at … has been positive, issues like these and behaviors that I mentioned above will not encourage future subs to come back and will be a deterrent for anyone who wants to work here if they are going to feel like they are set up for failure.”

If Principal x had agreed to meet with me, it would have been obvious that I wanted to be helpful and provide valuable feedback. I am not someone who knowingly flaunts rules and am “by the book”. However, I cannot make any necessary changes if I am not aware that there is a problem. There was nothing inappropriate in this email and did not warrant what is blatant retaliation and a work environment turning hostile. If an employee had sent that to me, I would have been appreciative and met with them to come to a solution. As a member of educational leadership, that is their job. I had every right to bring these issues to their attention.

While I have no problem asking for (and accepting) help or doing independent research, it was wildly inappropriate for the county or school leadership to not provide extra training for long-term substitute teachers. I also had no idea what I should be asking on multiple occasions since I do not have children or younger siblings, nieces, or nephews in the public school system. I am also an only child and did not grow up with younger cousins that I was close to. So, what may have been common sense to most people was not common sense to me. I also rarely got in trouble in school and was naturally more of a “young adult” when I was growing up. So, what may have been common sense to some people was not common sense to me.

I actually told Principal x, as well as multiple teachers, that I was always open to constructive criticism and found it helpful. I wanted to learn. I would have loved it if she would have actually worked towards helping me find solutions, instead of saying “that is for you to figure out”. While she did at times, I could have used more guidance. I made it very clear to everyone that I met that I wanted to learn and to give me advice if they noticed that I could be doing something differently. I wanted to learn, took any advice that I was given, and actively sought out advice from more experienced teachers.

During my time at x Middle School, there were also two incidents where students vaped in my class and I was unaware. The first time, two students reported it to me and I immediately reported it to AP x. I changed the way that the room was laid out so that I could easily navigate the room and stopped using the lamps and lighting that Mrs. R had in her room. While it was harder to see the projector, it made the room more visible so that a student could not hide and vape. It did not happen again in that classroom.

I had two classes in particular with multiple disciplinary issues. While it took a while due to the lack of training that I was given regarding disciplinary procedures and the fact that there were students with disciplinary problems and learning disabilities that I was unaware of, I did everything in my power to make sure that I could create an environment that was calm and conducive to learning.

When I filed behavioral referrals in the manner, I thought I was supposed to, she provided some helpful feedback and new information on when to do incident reports, steps, and referrals. Had I known this on my first day, it would have saved me time and energy that would have been better redirected elsewhere. For example, in one referral, there was an autistic student who another student was bullying. When I reported it, I was told that I could not use the word “bullying” since that could get the school sued. I am confused as to what word I should have used.

When I reported that five students who repeatedly had problematic behaviors went AWOL when they were sent to other classrooms due to their behavior, I was told that it was “my fault.” Despite being told to send students to another class if they were being disruptive and nothing else worked, how is that my fault? I was simply following the advice of other teachers and doing what I was told.

Whenever I allowed students to utilize a spare classroom next door with the door opened, supervised, and with the teacher’s consent next door and the teacher that I was a substitute, and they tampered with my lunch, there were no repercussions. The most disturbing fact about this is that I have Celiac Disease and adhere to a strict gluten-free diet to avoid medical complications. Due to personal and religious reasons, I am also a vegan as a practicing Buddhist and Christian. So, my food is typically more expensive than the standard American diet due to my religious beliefs and medical needs. Anyone who has seen me eat anything or witnessed my food would know that it is different from what everyone else is eating. I have to read labels religiously and rarely partake in food shared among coworkers. As anyone in the education field knows, food is everywhere, and AP x would have witnessed this. Due to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a workplace must make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. While I hate to use that term, I did not choose to be born with Celiac Disease and have to adhere to a stringent gluten-free diet, which costs significantly more than the standard American diet. So, it was out of line for AP x to not discipline the students who tampered with my lunch and tell me that “I brought that on myself.” While she may have thought that it was apparent that I should not leave students in that classroom (despite having permission to do so), I would argue that anyone who has been in any social situation with me or saw me eating would know that I had clear dietary restrictions. If food is offered to me, I usually politely and graciously decline. Then, explain that I have Celiac Disease and that certain foods can send me to the hospital so that the person offering it to me knows that it is not personal. It was common knowledge that I am a vegan since I taught a chapter on nutrition, and most of my students remembered that I was a vegan. In her words, it would simply be common sense that my lunch was more expensive and that the students who tampered with my lunch should have been punished. It was the least that she could do.

During this meeting, she also told me that she was “apprehensive to let me sub for Mr. R’s class”, despite the fact that I was already put into the system. When I told her that I was having issues with two classes who were having major behavioral issues, she told me that was “for me to figure out”. How is that leadership that leads to a positive learning environment? She has the training to be a leader in education and shirked her responsibilities on more than one occasion. She was also referred to as “that AP” in conversations and I heard complaints from multiple teachers about her. Even if a teacher did not have a specific complaint, I could tell by the tone of the conversation that other coworkers were having issues with her. I did my best efforts to improve my classroom management and even kept them focused on me in an incident where a seventh-grade girl passed out in the middle of class and had to be taken out by Ms. x, our school nurse, Ms.x, and either Ms. x or Ms. x.

Since Mr. x spent three hours making sure that I knew every classroom policy and procedure, his classes went significantly more smoothly. Besides the day before Spring Break and one or two days that week when the entire school seemed to act out, I had the class under control.

The only major disciplinary issue was when a student vaped in class. Despite walking around the classroom, only using my phone to text their teacher if I had a question or conduct notice for him to put into the system, and perching on the sink area to have an overview of the class, I had no knowledge of this until AP x brought it to my attention. The way she spoke to me could not have been more unprofessional. Firstly, she remarked “That isn’t approved” when she noticed a film that the students were watching that was paused. I informed her that I was just doing what their teacher told me to do and that there was an accompanying assignment that went with the film. I offered to let her look at it and she declined. She then informed me that “we need to talk” in an accusatory tone and informed me that a student had vaped in my class again and that it was somehow my fault since they “usually respect other teachers enough to vape in the bathroom”. She also threatened to fire me. When I asked her if she had any suggestions since I have never vaped and do not know anyone who does, her response was “that is for you to figure out”. I spoke to Ms. x, Ms. x, Dr.x, and Ms. x about the encounter. All of them have been teaching for a minimum of ten years each and informed me that it would be very easy for them to mistake a vaping device for a common school supply. I also did not smell it. Mr.x, Mrs. x, Mrs. x, and Mr. x all knew that I am severely allergic to artificial scents (which permeate middle schools) and that this greatly impaired my sense of smell. She also informed me that a student told her about the vaping incident and that it was caught on camera. While I am not sure if she was referring to a student’s cell phone (which was supposed to be turned off and in their backpack) or a camera in the classroom (which I was told we did not have), I asked her if she could tell me who was vaping. She became defensive and said that “it didn’t matter since I could not talk to the student about it”. When I informed her that I was trying to figure out how I missed it, she begrudgingly told me who it was.

While I appreciated her telling me this, it was in an accusatory, threatening, unprofessional tone. She did not want to solve problems- she wanted to intimidate me. I am a problem solver while she is a bully and uses her power and authority to try to intimidate others. Had she successfully intimidated me, I would not have written this complaint.

That night, I went to x Vape Shop and spoke to the employee behind the counter at length and he kindly educated me about different types of vapes. When I asked if they all emitted smoke or had a scent, he stated that they did not and demonstrated how a student could vape without a teacher knowing. If she had done the research that I did, she would have been aware that this is incredibly easy to do. If she actually got to know me, she would know that I live a quiet, somewhat boring life and do not drink, smoke, vape, or do anything of that nature. If a student was smoking cigarettes or marijuana, I would have recognized the smell. However, vaping devices can be easy to miss since they do not always emit smoke or have a scent. Many students and coworkers also knew that I suffer from allergies- especially any artificial scents, which permeate middle school- and often cannot go into classrooms when there is a scented plugin. So, common sense would dictate that I likely would not have been able to smell a “fruity smell” associated with vaping devices since my sense of smell was gravely impacted. Even on a day when my allergies were not as bad, my sense of smell is not necessarily sharp.

Due to her behavior, I reached out to Principal x’s assistant,x, to complain about the fact that our work environment was becoming hostile. I was advised to do so by Dr. x. I mentioned in my email that it would have to be after Spring Break since I only had a short amount of time to prepare the classroom for Mr. x’s return and to eat my lunch. Our lunchtime is grossly inadequate and I wanted to eat my taquitos in peace. I take immense pride in my work as well and wanted the room to be perfect upon his return.

While I tried to dress more modestly when I was teaching, I am naturally tall, and hourglass-shaped and it is very hard to find clothes that fit appropriately. While I certainly tried to do my best, it is nearly impossible not to have clothing that is form-fitting with my build. I usually wore flats to work since I would usually walk to work. I live within walking distance of xMiddle School. So, I would usually save on paying for gas, get exercise and enjoy the scenery. However, I occasionally wear heels. I enjoy making sure that I am well dressed and my make-up is done (even if I am just staying home). I am not fully “awake” and ready for my day unless I have some lip gloss on, at the very least. While this is not a typical attitude among many people, I enjoy presenting myself well and am often quoted as saying “life is too short for boring clothes”.

I have a reasonably small wardrobe as well. So, I would wear the same dresses in the winter and spring. I also rewear outfits very often. The only difference would be that I wore tights or leggings underneath to stay warm. Since Georgia does not get cold in the winters, it made more sense for me to do this instead of investing in a winter wardrobe.

That morning, Mrs. x knocked on my door to inform me that my dress was see through. I was understandably mortified and thanked her profusely since I legitimately had no idea. I thought that the thong was seamless and did not show through clothing. I also asked her for suggestions since she is always immaculately dressed. We agreed that it would be best for me to order nude panty hose on Instacart to be delivered to the front of the office, wear Mr. x’s lab coat, and mostly stay behind my desk until I could change during lunch.

During lunch, I excused myself to go to the front office, pick up my pantyhose, and laughed at my wardrobe malfunction with the front office staff. Once I changed, I checked the back of my dress, put my black thong in my work backpack, and assumed that I had solved the problem. Any normal, reasonable person- especially someone as busy as Principal x on the day before Spring Break- should feel this way. However, this was not the case.

When I returned from dropping my students off from Connections, Principal x and Mrs. x knocked on my door to talk to me. I assumed that they were coming to talk to me about my email and informed them that now was not a good time since I had not eaten lunch and needed to prepare my classroom for Mr. x’s return.

As you can imagine, I was surprised when they informed me that there were “numerous” complaints about my dress. I informed them that I was surprised that four adults would not feel comfortable mentioning an accidental wardrobe malfunction to me since I would have told someone. He said that “they were going through the chain of command” and asked what I would have done if I was in their position- especially if it was a coworker that I did not know. I informed him that I would let them know since it is no different than someone having food in their teeth and that it isn’t a big deal. I am still baffled that four intelligent, educated adults could not mention this to me and that it took the veteran teacher to tell me. I lost fifty pounds a few years ago and am still getting used to not wearing shapewear and which underwear is safe to wear under certain dresses.

So, I informed them that I fixed the problem. Instead of leaving it alone, he insisted that I go home and change. I was legitimately confused and explained this to him. For someone with his training and education, this should have been obvious. However, when I asked him what exactly was wrong with my dress, he waffled on the subject. I was legitimately confused and asked multiple people if the dress was inappropriate. Every single person said no. My dress was not the problem.

First, he mentioned a large tattoo that I have of a cobra on my right thigh and that there were complaints. I mentioned that I have other tattoos, have coworkers with visible tattoos, and a male coworker with larger tattoos than I do and that this was the first time that I heard of this being an issue. I also mentioned that I had eighteen tattoos, some of which were visible when I was hired. I also had coworkers with nontraditional facial piercings, hair color, and hairstyles. None of them were harassed about their appearance. Despite the fact that Mr. x is so attractive that I had to shut the blinds due to the students’ commentary being so disruptive, he did not face any adverse punishment (nor would I report it since it isn’t his fault that he’s attractive and I found the whole incident hilarious). I also did not mention this to him since that could be mistaken as sexual harassment, and he is happily married. This is obviously gender discrimination since the rules were not applied fairly to all employees. It was okay for my male coworker to have tattoos. However, my thigh tattoo was a “problem”- although it in no way impacted my ability to teach.

Then, I asked him to look at my dress since I had fixed it. He scoffed and said, “I’m not looking at it.” I looked at Mrs. x, and she shrugged. I still had no clue what the problem was, offered to wear the lab coat or sweat pants that they give students with dress code infractions for the rest of the day since I did not know what the problem was to fix. I also asked to see the employee dress code in writing since I legitimately had no idea what was wrong with my dress, and no one would tell me. Then, he left and said, "I just wanted to be argumentative.”

The way I was spoken to was degrading, unnecessary, and humiliating. As a dedicated x County Public Schools employee, I did not deserve that treatment. I was so upset that I had a mental breakdown, sobbed in my classroom, emailed Mrs. x, and informed her that I could not stay there anymore. I also told her about what was going on, and she was very sympathetic. She sorted everything out, and I am indebted to her for allowing me to leave with some dignity. The whole situation was traumatic, and unnecessary, and will ensure that I will not work for x County Public Schools again. I will also discourage anyone that I know from doing so until the culture changes for employees. If I had children, I would not allow them to set foot in public school due to how I was treated and the culture I witnessed while employed with x County Public Schools. I also find it ironic that x County Public Schools preaches “anti-bullying” while they cannot practice it and bully their employees.

While it feels degrading to do so, I attached a video of the outfit that I was wearing and would gladly attach a photo of the black thong that I was wearing. I also attached the threatening email, which speaks for itself.

It also got back to me that a rumor was going around that I was trying to “thirst trap students” and was asked to leave. I’m not sure how that started but that is disgusting and untrue. While it should go without saying, I am an attractive woman and have no problem dating or finding people in my own age group. Finding out that this rumor started is not just insulting to my character but is more hurtful because my best friend was falsely accused of molesting a student and took his own life over it before his innocence is proved. I was never inappropriate in any way and took an extra effort to either be in front of the door window if the door was closed and I was speaking to a male coworker or that the door was open and both of us were visible.

Except for one student who I knew had taken a video of me and wanted to put it on Tik Tok (without my consent, while I was employed), I have never followed or sought out any students on social media. I would check his periodically because I was going to report it if it was posted. I had some former students find and follow me on Tik Tok but, I do not follow them back and very publicly announced that I will not do so until they graduate from high school. I still don’t know how they found me since my last name is different on social media and I never gave it to my students when I was teaching. Among other things, I am a content creator and while small, I do have a social media presence that is growing.

I also don’t follow people on social media unless they are friends, family, are a business that I like, or provide exciting content. I do not post anything inappropriate on my social media accounts and keep them at a conservative PG-13 level (due to occasional swearing), like any other thirty-year-old woman. I made one video that was a joke about making a thirst trap because it’s something I never publicly do. I have never broken any FERPA laws, identified a student, or did anything besides take a few meticulous photos of my classroom that did not identify the teacher or district because I had decorated my room when I was a long term sub for three months and was proud of my hard work.

I survived a rape at nineteen years old and was told “I know you love it when I gorilla f*** you”. I was then forced to pose for degrading photographs that I would have never taken. The feeling that I have to send photos of what I was wearing and be subjected to the treatment I have been subjected to has been almost as degrading as that terrible part of my life. The only difference is that I did not report that to anyone and regret that every day because I am sure he hurt other women. I’m thirty years old and have nothing to lose.

The most ridiculous part of this situation was when Mrs. x offered to drop off my stuff that would not fit in my car since I had inventory in my car for another job as a reseller. I thanked her profusely and texted her my address. She did not respond to that text or any afterward. So, I assumed that she was busy. Dr. x kindly brought my stuff to my house on the Monday after break. After thanking her, I asked her is Mrs. x forgot it and she stated that AP x made her put my property in the front office for me to pick up. At no point did anyone from x Middle School notify me of this. I also gave her written and verbal permission to drop off my belongings. So, there would not have been liability issues. However, it did look like my belongings were tampered with, and two items were missing from my belongings. I gave so much of my life to x Middle School that they were not entitled to. They are not permitted to my property that I spent money that I earned on.

I am comfortable speaking up about what I endured at x Middle School and have no problem ruining any future career in education if this results in better conditions for my former coworkers and better role models for my former students. This whole experience is degrading, humiliating, and beneath what I expected from x County Public Schools. Please do the right thing and make sure that this is investigated by the county. No amount of threats, lies, or bullying will make me back down. I have survived so much worse and will fight this with everything that I have to improve conditions for my former students and coworkers since they deserve better. So, I will list some problems below, in case they are not obvious.

Firstly, it is obvious that I was retaliated against since I was unfairly targeted and have documented this behavior. I have a right to complain and seek improvement in the workplace as an employee. Retaliation is illegal, and their actions were illegal. I received inadequate training and, when attempting to bring this attention to AP x to try to remedy this situation, was retaliated against. I suffered multiple forms of adverse employment action and was told that I would have been fired anyway in the e-mail from Principal x. Since AP x has the education and training in educational leadership, she should have given actual feedback instead of saying “that is for you to figure out”. While there were times that she did this, it was not my job to figure out rules, standards, and procedures that should have been made clear. This shows poor management, interpersonal, and leadership skills for both her and Principal x. If Gx employees are unable to air grievances without retaliation and the threat of losing their job, you will not have any employees. Children need a safe environment to learn and teachers need a safe environment to teach.

A hostile workplace goes beyond mild rudeness and mild inconveniences. When I made a complaint to Principal x via Mrs. x, he had knowledge of hostile work environment and failed to take action. Instead of protecting my legal right to report issues in the workplace, Principal x and AP x never scheduled a meeting with me to discuss my concerns. This caused pain and suffering and violated Title VII, the federal anti-harassment law. Principal x knew that I was being harassed in a manner that was so severe that a reasonable person would have considered it an abusive work environment. He and AP x also failed to take reasonable steps to prevent unwelcome harassment from occurring. This prevents quality education since educators cannot freely speak about workplace conditions without fear of losing their jobs.

When I went to Principal x to complain about a hostile work environment, that was protected by law. So was going to x. That should have led to a meeting where a solution was found. Instead, it led to emotional distress, humiliation, and significant issues that impacted my performance. When I tried to remedy the situation, I was retaliated against

When Principal x threatened to ruin any future career prospects in education, he just ensured that I will never have any desire to work in the x County Public School Systems. Without their titles, Principal x and AP x are insecure bullies who feel the need to control others. It breaks my heart that x County Public Schools would hire people like this to run their schools.

However, I am confident in my value and character. Evenually, the truth will publicly come out about any lies permeating x Middle School. I provided undeniable passion and value as a long-term substitute teacher and did not deserve the abuse that I endured. With the exception of two days where I could not walk due to a back injury, I was eager to learn, always showed up when I said I would, and put forth my best effort. Overall, I had a good rapport with the kids and parents. I also had a good rapport with most of the school leadership and my coworkers. At first, Principal x and I had an excellent rapport. However, her demeanor changed over the last few weeks and my workplace became incredibly toxic and hostile.

In every instance, I was doing what I was told as I interpreted it. If Mrs. x, Principal x, and AP x wanted things done differently, they should have told me in a specific way how they wanted me to do what needed to be done. I listened intently, did what I was told in the way that I interpreted it, and ultimately got punished for it. How does that make sense? How is someone supposed to learn without making mistakes? How is giving someone a classroom with no training or information about grading and disciplinary policies going to lead to success for educators or students? This leads to overworked, stressed teachers who are leaving the profession left and right. The end result is that students who could hold the cure to Cancer, next bestselling novel, and other contributions to society will not have teachers to foster those talents since they will understandably keep quitting in droves. While no part of what happened to me was acceptable, I am more concerned about the work conditions for my former coworkers and student. These practices lead to teachers who would have taken a bullet for them and want to see them succeed, like me, leaving the profession and students left with burnt out, exhausted teachers. I was a student in x County Public Schools from fourth to tenth grade and am saddened to see how the schools have declined. Without my orchestra teacher, Mrs. Schmeelk, encouraging me as a young violinist and Ms. Reavis, my eighth grade Language Arts teacher who edited my first attempt at a full-length novel, my love of learning and being a multifaceted human being would not be what it is today. Without my French and Spanish teachers, I would not have fostered a love of foreign language. Without Mrs. Susan LaViola, I would not have been able to tolerate math. As teachers, we give so much of ourselves and want these kids to succeed. This statement is true whether a teacher is a long-term substitute or a full-time teacher. While I have known for years that I likely could not have children of my own, I loved each child in every classroom the way that I would love my own. I was not the perfect teacher but, I did my best to encourage and inspire every student that I had. I know that it meant something too because of the feedback that I got from the majority of my students. As someone who was employed at a Title I School, we have no idea what issues our students have. Many have witnessed abuse, are immigrants struggling to make ends meet in a new country so they can have a better life for their kids, or come from single-parent households struggling to get by. As a Title I school, most of our students were living below the poverty line. How can you say that they are worth less? How can you say that they do not have the same right to a teacher who did everything in her knowledge and power to provide an environment that was conducive to learning?

The way that the school system is heading is disturbing to many Americans. If teachers cannot safely voice concerns and are bullied for simply making a suggestion, they will either be forced out, leave, or stay silent, lose their passion for teaching, and simply go through the motions until their time to retire comes. Do you want burnt-out teachers trying to work in an environment that sets them up to fail? If the system worked, fifty percent of teachers would not be planning their exit. I have personally met many great teachers across the country who are leaving or have already left. If a company lost fifty percent of their employees, including their top talent, that is a sign that they failed- not the employee. Public schools are not exempt from this standard and the ignorance is baffling to anyone who has witnessed the system at work.

As mentioned, the way that x County Public School employees are treated is appalling. The example that this sets for students is also disturbing. I would not want a child in public schools if I knew that their teachers and support staff were being bullied, harassed, and kept silent when trying to voice concerns.

I was warned against coming forward due to repercussions. However, I do not fear these people who are nothing without their titles. They cannot hurt me, rape me, stalk me, terrorize me, or hurt anyone that I love. I have survived all of those things and do not fear them. However, I am heartbroken that these are role models for children in our community. It is ironic that x County Public Schools preach anti-bullying messages and try to teach our community’s children when the educational leadership seems to have no grasp of what that means. After what I experienced, I would never allow any of my potentially hypothetical nieces, nephews, or children to step foot in any x County Public School. I would also discourage loved ones from working there and to think twice when there are other jobs where they could be treated better. I am that disturbed by the events that I described. It also disturbs me that my name is being slandered when I treated my students and coworkers with nothing but kindness and compassion.

With that being said, I have no problem going back to being self-employed. While I miss my former students, I do not miss being abused by leadership that does not appreciate me. I just hope that this situation can lead to changes in the educational leadership and culture in x County Public Schools. Otherwise, you will not be able to find teachers willing to teach in this district. I never wanted to leave and sincerely thought that I would teach in some capacity until the day that I died. However, this experience has made me rethink that decision. If I had known that the school leadership would be this toxic, I would not have signed up to be a substitute teacher-especially a long-term assignment. I could understand some students being disrespectful and let it go when I was teaching. However, the fact that members of the school leadership and my former coworkers were so conniving and insecure to create a hostile work environment when I was employed there. While I miss seeing the kids, I do not miss working in a toxic environment and am much happier now that I am self-employed. Kids cannot learn in these conditions, and teachers cannot successfully teach. A toxic, hostile work environment makes an already stressful job even worse, and more people in education will quit. Eventually, you will not have anyone left willing to work in the field of education. If this situation had been handled properly, you would not have lost a dedicated long-term substitute teacher who enjoyed going to work every single day. I trust that x County Public Schools will handle this in a manner that makes our district better for all parts of the school system. While I will do everything that I can to improve education for our community’s children and my former coworker, your district has lost the privilege of having me as a teacher. I am back to being an entrepreneur, author, reseller, and content creator. While I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me, I am concerned for the futures of my former coworkers and the children of our community if this is the way that education is going. I am currently a private citizen and plan to stay that way. So, x County Public Schools needs to stay very far away from me and keep my name out of any conversations unless there is a very clear, public apology and changes made that will improve the educational environment. What I experienced was humiliating, degrading, and uncalled for. I deserved none of this, and this could have been avoided if the county had school leadership had properly trained me and treated me with the kindness, compassion, and respect that every human being on this planet deserves.

Please feel free to view any camera footage that is available and it will back up every statement that I made in this complaint. I have nothing to hide. I am comfortable speaking up about what I endured at x Middle School and have no problem totally ruining any future career in education if this results in better conditions for my former coworkers and better role models for my former students. This whole experience is degrading, humiliating, and beneath what I expected from x County Public Schools. Please do the right thing and make sure that this is investigated by the county.

Congratulations, you have lost the privilege of having one of the most dedicated long-term substitute teachers in your district.”

In Honest Teacher Vibes’ video about why she quit teaching, she mentioned that she wants to shed light on why teachers are leaving or considering it. I feel the same way. If you are a teacher or support staff in schools and want me to share your story, I will. Please email me at caitmorrigan@gmail.com, redact any details that you don’t want me to share, and I will gladly share them on all of my social media channels. While they are currently small, they are growing by the day. Even though my career in public education is likely over, I want to make it a better work environment for my former students and coworkers. Schools should be a place of learning- not a hostile environment where teachers and students alike are stressed.

I am also open to guidance on how to proceed. I have already made contact with the EEOC, the county is investigating this situation, and am committed to advocating for our education system. Even though children are not in my future and my days in the classroom are likely over, I would like to do my part to change the system as I can. What I saw in my limited time working in the public school system disturbed me and the kids that I taught deserve better than the system that they are getting.

On a lighter note, I decided to make lemons out of lemonade and started making merchandise as a “Disgraced Ex Hot Teacher”. If you are interested, you can check it out here.