Teaching Health, asking for a friend ;-|

[Nurse Lynne]

My friend's school...has not yet hired a health teacher for this school year. The school nurse friend...is anticipating that the admin might ask her to teach health to grades 6-8. Can my friend decline? Can she insist that a sub nurse be hired to cover the health office so as not to have to do double duty? Is any other staff member in the school asked to perform 2 jobs at once? Do you think the union would back the nurse? Thank you!

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

Does friend nurse have health teacher certification? Is it even required in your state? If the answer is No and YES then she should not teach those classes. If certification is not a requirement or it is and she has that endorsement, then she should check her contract and review job description. The gotcha there is usually the verbiage of "tasks as assigned by admiin" or some other vague nonsense that is often added to the list.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

I'm the nurse and I teach health. But health is not taught year round.

Last year on the two days a week I had to teach 6 classes (during our winter quarter), I was allowed to hire a sub to be in my office as the nurse while I functioned solely as a teacher. First year I finally asked for this and got it! I could not have taught health without it.

[Nurse Lynne]

3 hours ago, Flare said:

Does friend nurse have health teacher certification? Is it even required in your state? If the answer is No and YES then she should not teach those classes. If certification is not a requirement or it is and she has that endorsement, then she should check her contract and review job description. The gotcha there is usually the verbiage of "tasks as assigned by admiin" or some other vague nonsense that is often added to the list.

[OldDude]

If your "friend's" contract has the dreaded "other duties as assigned" clause in their contract then there is no other option if assigned the task...yuch.

[Nurse Lynne]

Yes, friend nurse has health teacher endorsement, k-12, NJ. I know it used to be necessary to teach health, but other subjects have changed that mandate & I'm not sure about teaching health.

[Nurse Lynne]

Oh that clause.

[amoLucia]

Ahhhhh, New Jersey!!!

The most OVER-regulated state in the country!

[Nurse Lynne]

Yes, NJ, love it or leave it. Loving it for now.

So my friend got reassurances that she won't be pulled to teach health, only in an emergency situation. Then she would supervise someone else by helping with lessons.

Principal says that a k-8 teaching cert allows one to teach health. I looked on the DOE website and im just not clear what the updated rules are.

[amoLucia]

Teachers aren't expected to wear double hats, so why should you/friend?

See previous post by PP Jen.

If covered by a union, there might be some leverage.