Well there are a few issues that have arisen - the Disability Discrimination Act is not optional, the Anti Discrimination Act is not optional, and there are a few risks that are not acceptable. If me sending a polite email about the appalling way they behaved towards each other, and I faced retribution then there is little chance of any other discussions sorting out bigger issues, which legally have to be managed correctly.
I don't want to be part of an educational facility where a teacher can comment on how "slow" a student is, in front of the actual student. That student is suffering from severe dissociation and trauma. That was not appropriate. In order to manage that situation I took that young person under my wing and got her to help me pack up the cute little critters with me whilst giving her extra time and attention. The other educator/administrator learnt over us (we were sitting on the ground) and aggressively told me to hurry up and pack up faster. The reason I was doing what I was doing was to sooth the little person and make her feel safer around us, which was an epic fail. I did politely stand up for myself and said seeing I had taken three days to create these resources that I wouldn't be shoving them in a way they might get damaged. This was not appropriate way to interact with another teacher attending to a student - even if the student was not a student who had suffered from trauma.
I have also turned down more work, for much better pay and much better conditions on three occasions, so it is not working for me to be with these two on Friday purely from an economic point of view. I managed the situation really well with the both of them. However as my senior role has been taken off me - I was finding pictures of animals for the art component yesterday, which is a total waste of my time and energy. The woman answering the phone can do that. I can't bring a donor into a situation to get more funding for wages because of their behaviours. So there is no possibility of things improving at this stage. And it is sucking the life force out of me - it is just so exhausting to deal with their petty behaviours. I can do it. I can do it well. But it is seriously not worth it. I was soooooooo tired after being there. I don't have life force and energy to squander.
I am on the P&C of another school, and when I asked for a letter of permission to write grants they were you write and we will sign off on it. So they actually can see what I can bring to the table and I think it would be better to migrate there in order to actually do something meaningful. They were really grateful and enthusiastic about my skills and what I bring to the table. And I get paid properly when I work for that school. It is a much better option for me as a teacher, educator and grants writer.
I have committed to doing some of the holiday programs. So I will do those, and one excursion.
So my commitment of being there for a term will be finished in 4 weeks. I will not be committing for the next term, most likely, because there are a whole stack of other options that don't leave me legally liable if things go south.
I could have gotten a contract if I had been available on the Friday, if I had not stuck by my commitments.
I went to talk to another teacher yesterday (who also teaches at the same place) and I was only going to see her for an hour or so but ended up staying 5 plus hours we had a great discussion, and she had some great insights. She encouraged me to look at my other options. Because of the issues of legal liability if things go wrong because they don't understand some of the current day practices. She thanked me for my honesty in giving her a heads up of what the situation was really like - because, she, too is concerned about open discrimination against a student with a disability, and also the other legal liabilities.
So it was challenging, and I have stuck in there and dealt with the challenges but it is not really worth hanging in there after my commitments are completed.
I will end on my own terms with dignity, so in terms of managing my own reactivity I have done tremendously well in this situation.
But for the amount of time and energy that I have put in, and the days of the week that it takes up it is not worth it.
I don't want my name and reputation associated with what comes from their dysfunctional relationship.
