Certification Nightmare
Okay this one is a doosy ! But I need someone advice.
Background: I’m an Out of State transfer who got nominated as an Earth and space teacher before my Certification for transfer was approved. I told my admin DURING MY INTERVIEW that I needed some help navigating the state process, as I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t heard back. (I applied through the comparable certificate in another state pathway in April). They said no problem, we’ll get you good before the first day of school by doing an expedited review.
Fast forward to August: I went in or talked to the admin almost every day 2 weeks before the end of school to meet with the office person to resubmit paperwork, etc. Office person was aaaalways complaining that the HR person was bad and didn’t know what they were doing. Ask if I’m getting onboarded as a sub until certification goes through (like they said over the summer) or what. They say everything’s going to be fine.
Then, Sept 8 comes along, I report. Set up my classroom. Ask why I don’t have an email yet. Teach on Sept 10. During my prep, I am like wait, what the fuck. I don’t have payroll set up, another teacher joked about “Haha this sounds like when I was a sub all year and didn’t know!” So I sent a strongly worded email saying I need to know how I’m getting paid. I CC my chapter lead What happens???
7th period on the first day of school, they pull me in to tell me technically bc my state cert hasn’t cleared yet I shouldn’t be in front of kids alone. That they were preparing to back pay me for the days through procession pay but I shouldn’t tell my union rep.
Well suprise! I’m not even hired bc my state cert so I’m not even a member! (Ofc I told them anyway lol)
My principal told me not to report, and submitted my expedited review ON SEPTEMBER 10 AFTER THE MEETING. I heard back the next week, came back pending/incomplete.
Basically, UFT and calling the state cert office (bless them both) helped me figure out I’d never get approved through that pathway. (Fuck the DOE man, I literally called them up to 300 times and never had anyone pick up). Now I have to go through the Transcript Reviewal one, so I had to pay for and take my EAS and the a Content Specialty test, all of the scores now at this point don’t come out until November. If I had known before, they would have come out before the first day of school!!
I paid for the sub trainings and now! Tomorrow! October 2! will be reporting as a sub. I haven’t had a paycheck, have been mass applying to other jobs and damn charter schools even. This has put me and my family in such a bind. And now, beside hating them, not getting paid, I also won’t get the pay increase until November (theoretically??) for 6 years of teaching and my Masters + 30.
How do I ensure they hire me as a mid year hire when my scores come back and I get state certified ?? Can I get paid for the days I reported?? CAN I SUE THEM FOR EMOTIONAL DAMAGES 😭
Please help i am dying this is why teachers quit!!!!!