Breaking Contract?
I could use some advice from anyone who's been in a similar situation.
I recently signed my renewal contract with my current district, where I've taught primary grades. It's a large district, but my commute is over 30 minutes each way. Now that I have a young baby, I've been hoping to find something closer to home. I looked earlier this year, but there weren't any openings here.
Now I've been offered an interview on Tuesday with a district that's only about a 10–15 minute drive away. The position is in upper elementary, which is also appealing because it would give me experience that could help me transition into a different role within education later on.
My dilemma is that if I'm offered the job and decide to accept it, I'd have to break my current contract. Our school year starts on August 11, so I'm already past the 45-day deadline to resign without possible consequences. My contract doesn't specify a penalty, but I've heard the district could potentially pursue action against my teaching certificate.
Has anyone here broken a teaching contract under similar circumstances? If so, what happened? Were there any penalties, or was your district willing to work with you? I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences.