Wife not chosen for full time teaching position after almost 2 full years of being a long term sub?

Question

As the title states; my wife just recently interviewed for a full time elementary school position where she was a long term sub for someone who ended up not coming back. She taught for this past entire school year and then from the end of October through the rest of the previous school year as well. Once the other women resigned she was told many times not to worry that the job was basically hers. Well fast forward a bit, my wife is pregnant (due in a couple weeks) and a new guy comes in the picture who wants a job at the school too. Everyone knows this guy because he went to school there so we start to get worried.

Anyway, long story short, my wife just found out today that they gave him the job and the sad excuse that they gave was that he had a choral background versus my wife's instrumental background. I perosonally think they hired him because they know him and possibly because my wife is pregnant and would want the first month or so off. Is there anything we can do?

Answer 1

Nothing you can do, except to try again...their choice in hiring is done, so best for you to move on... something good is waiting for your wife...it will happen.

Answer 2

Ask this question on the legal board.  Just trying to help.

Answer 3

Learn from the experience and never allow that same school to use your wife again! Translation-take her name off their available sublist and go to a school that appreciate's people who help them out of a bind.

Answer 4

There may be (as the previous answerer said, post this question on the legal site), but forcing any employer to hire someone against his will tends to create an uncongenial work environment.   Besides, in my experience, such lawsiuts usually get thrown out.  In this case, however, I think your wife might at least write a letter to the principal saying what you just said--that she was repeatedly told that the job was effectively hers--and asking why, after her satisfactory performance there for nearly two years, she was passed over.  Unfortunately, I've known many people who have had similar experiences, and I fear that there's not much one can do.  The response is likely to be something like "We just thought the other applicant was better/more suited to our needs" or "When we said what we did, we didn't imagine that we'd find an even better candidate."  I hope your wife finds something even better, as many do!

Answer 5

This is a tough situation.  There are a few things to note...

1.  Male teachers are very hard to come by at the elementary level.  It sounds like this is a music teacher, which is even rarer at the elementary level to find males.  If both your wife and this guy had equivalent interviews, background and skills, there is a very good chance he got the job because of the need for strong male role models in a generally female dominated position.

2.  (and this is my general experience)  Buildings don't like to "hire" their best subs.  They want to keep them for subs so they know that they have some good teachers to support their building.  

3.  Some districts go as far as finding great subs, having them sub in the district (some even student teach in the district) and then won't hire them.  They want them to go teach in other districts, "go out into the world" and then they seek out the best ones 2-3 years later, now that they have some "worldly educational experiences" and hire them.  They have to do it prior to the teacher getting tenure in the district of current employ, otherwise it does get legal.

4.  The pregnancy is a big thing too.  Many districts and schools don't like starting the year off with a sub, much less starting the teacher's first "official" year with a sub.  My teaching partner did take the first 2 months off the school year this past year (07-08 school year) but she had already put in 3 years, so the parents and students knew her, her classroom was established, etc.

It is a tough situation and one that never sits well, especially when your heart is at the school.  My suggestion is to start subbing elsewhere, not being so exclusive to the single building/district.  I strongly believe that things happen for a reason, and maybe the reason is your wife takes a few months off to be home, then starts subbing again, and in a year the perfect job opens up!