Decision to Leave My School (I'm a Teacher)

I'm a teacher at a charter school in my city. Been here for about 4.5, almost 5 school years. I want to try something new and move to an actual district. I will say that these past few years ... I have amazing colleagues, my pay is really great, I have autonomy in the classroom, and despite a lot of teacher shortages, our team (English language learning) is really stable (same teachers every year). I lead my team, and people trust my work. I mean there are many pros of staying. My only hesitation is ... outside influence. My husband thinks I should stay because he sees how well I work with my colleagues, and my admin supports me fully. My family (mom and sister) think I should leave my job (they don't know all of the positive things I do -- they just see it is a low-income school with no opportunities for growth).

Our evaluations are this week and I'm meeting with admin to talk about plans for next year. I don't know what to say... any suggestions?

I don’t recommend anyone leaves their job until they find another one. Even if you can afford quitting, unexplainable gaps in employment don’t look good on job interviews. If you want to leave, I recommend you start looking for a job in a public schools and you will likely find it at the latest by the new school year but possibly even now. There’s a huge shortage now.

I’d not say anything to administration though as you aren’t sure.

On the other hand if the pay is good and you don’t need to make more and you like the job, why not stay? I don’t believe it’s up to your mom or sister what jobs you work. So if no one taught at low income schools, how would the kids get education in those areas? It’s ridiculous they say that. I’d not based my decision on what they think.

This is a tough one, and in the end, it is honestly going to come down to how you feel, what you want in life, and what kind of challenges you are/aren't willing to face. It is very rare to find a job that you enjoy. Especially a teaching job with autonomy, great coworkers, good pay, and a supportive environment. If you opt to step away from this, just know that it is a big risk, and the probability of finding a new job with all of those perks and privileges is fairly low. Of course, that doesn't mean it's impossible to find a better job, but the pros you have at your current job are often few and far between. I think it's important to prioritize your own feelings here rather than comments from the peanut gallery. Do you enjoy your job? Are you happy there/content with your position? Do you personally feel that you need to switch to something new? If you don't feel that change is necessary, I think you should consider staying there. You are doing valuable work in a low-income school. Unless you're dying to move up the ladder, it would be a waste to leave for something that could end up being worse. Either way, I agree with divine1966 that you shouldn't say anything until you are sure you have a new job secured and lined up. Good luck and wishing you the best!

As a former substitute teacher, I commend you on leaving your teaching job for something new and different. The only issue I foresee is that you let your husband's opinions influence your decisions. Don't. He's not in your shoes. He can only view your situation through his own personal lens that comes with his own biases, that he will apply to your situation (we all have biases that we apply to our situations...no way around that).

Don't stay because your husband tells you to. If he objects to you leaving your job, then you need to question his motivation since he's not in your shoes. This is your life we're talking about here - not his life. Your family also has their opinion.

I think you need to do what is best for you, opinions of your husband and family members be damned. This is your life after all. Only you'll know if it's the best decision for you. Don't let anyone guilt or shame you into making a decision that makes *them* happy. If they do that, well, I think that's toxic behavior on their part. So, don't let anyone add any conditions to your decision making process.

My husband is supportive of my decision either way. He keeps saying it is my decision.

For now, I'm staying but still going to apply to other places.