Leaving in middle of school year

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Hi everyone,

has anyone ever left in the middle of the school year? I live 1 hr away from the school district I work in which was fine when my son was in daycare (just dropped him off close to where I work). He has now started kindergarten in my home school district and because I work so far, I have to leave him in an after school program as well.

This is making him and me both miserable for the past two weeks and I want to quit my job (I’m only 0.5 FTE but 2.5 days is a lot)! He is having a hard time adjusting to kinder and I feel so sad I am not there for him

Has anyone ever left the school year (we are on a teachers contract ... I have yet to see what the ramifications are for leaving early) ...

I am not on a contract, but I am seriously considering leaving, but idk where to go or what to do. I feel stuck.

Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

You are breaking a contract to do so. This may render you "unhireable," and may give you a negative referral from HR (they will simply say you broke a contract and leave it at that but that is negative).

Are there any other solutions? Can he be moved nearer to you? Can you move nearer to him?

Realize that aftercare for 2.5 days a week is not that much. He has been miserable for....how long? A week? Is there any chance this is just normal, I miss mom, survivable stuff?

I don't mean to sound uncompassionate, but I want you to consider all possible solutions here. Best of luck!

6 Votes

I would only leave mid year under very extreme circumstances (medical situation with family, emergency, etc). Working while having children poses many difficult challenges under the best circumstances, even when you work close to home. You may want to find a solution to get you through the year. If by the spring he and you are still unhappy, you can finish the year and look for a new job while still employed. Often school nurse jobs are listed in the spring, as that is when people tell their administration that they are leaving in September. It's a good time to find another job too. I would not leave a job until I had something else in place. And I would not feel good about leaving a school midyear. Just my two cents though.

1 Votes
Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I mean this kindly and hope you can read it that way. What is not keeping your job going to solve? Do you plan to remove your son from Kindergarten and home school him? Two weeks isn't really long enough to evaluate whether this situation is going to work. You don't say what it means that he isn't adjusting well. Cries? Whines that he wants to stay home? Fusses when you drop him off? Pouts about having to go? Says things after you get home that make you feel guilty? Is he having behavior issues at school? What does his teacher say is the reality during the day and how does that compare to what you are seeing at home?

Quitting would be pretty far down the list of potential solutions. Consider first hiring a part time nanny to keep him at your home after school instead of the aftercare program. See even if you can transfer him into the school you are working at, (but recognize if his struggle is from being away from you, this may make things worse, not better).

There are a lot of potential reasons why your child may be struggling and your job is pretty unlikely to be a primary cause or solution.

2 Votes
Specializes in Pediatrics.

Could you enroll your child in the school district that you work for?

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