https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/comments/1j7k62v/have_any_of_you_ever_gotten_fired/
created by lauren10086 on 09/03/2025 at 22:56 UTC*
36 upvotes, 43 top-level comments (showing 25)
Because of mistakes you made? If so, was it hard finding a job in another district?
Comment by JumboSlumbo at 09/03/2025 at 23:54 UTC*
190 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Got non-renewed two years in a row, same district. Once due to budget, once due to principal thinking I sucked.
Two years later, I won district-wide Teacher of the Year after getting a job at a “better” school in the same (fairly large) district.
Did I win this award because I learned from my mistakes and worked 100x harder and got better?
Hell no! I did basically everything the same as I always had: followed the curriculum, modified where it made sense, etc. I happen to be a minority demographic in this field, which certainly helped a lot in winning the award.
Moral of the story: evaluations are bullshit. Teacher quality is in the eye of the beholder. The whole profession is totally subjective. Keep fighting until you land in a place that appreciates you. It’ll happen eventually. Just keep swimming.
Comment by JupiterTarts at 09/03/2025 at 23:21 UTC
112 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Got non-renewed at my first school. I was teaching high school in the hood. Had no idea how to control my class (some of them were gang members and were surprisingly some of the nice ones) and admin recognized that I wasn't hacking it and sent me my non-renewal by April.
Problem was I was in an alternate route program and if I couldn't get another year of teaching under my belt for next year, I wouldn't be able to get my license at all. My mentor was so upset on my behalf that she pulled her connections to get me an interview in her old district. Bless that woman. I've been teaching 8 years and wouldn't be where I am without her.
Comment by ChanceCauliflower0 at 09/03/2025 at 23:07 UTC
51 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Yes. Was non-renewed after 22 years in same school/district. Ran into a b*tch of a principal and school board turned their back on me. Took 5 years to find a new position. K-5 elementary PE. ABSOLUTELY happier now and enjoying teaching the littles. District I left turned into a sh$t show. Was mad and upset but it all worked out. Finishing my third year where I am now.
Comment by ChanceCauliflower0 at 09/03/2025 at 23:17 UTC
16 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Worked at an alternative program for a year. Dominos pizza as a delivery driver since 2020. Still at dominos weekends and more during summer. And fortunately/unfortunately I had enough years in our retirement program that I was able to draw retirement after almost 29 years in the system. Now I earn my teacher salary and retirement at same time. I just need to suspend retirement benefits for 3 months a year to stay under the 110 day limit.
Comment by Beneficial-Focus3702 at 09/03/2025 at 23:53 UTC
10 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I got “forced resigned” yeah.
Comment by Sulleys_monkey at 10/03/2025 at 00:21 UTC
10 upvotes, 1 direct replies
My first year I was basically told either resign or be new renewed, and then that principal put it out not to hire me anywhere in the district.
The second year I was told”released” Veterans Day weekend.
Third time was the charm. Love that school and position. I was there for 2 school years and now I’m at a different school(closer to my house) it’s my 4th year with this school.
Comment by Dirtycoinpurse at 10/03/2025 at 00:07 UTC
9 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Not technically fired, but felt like it. I was a leave replacement teacher and busted my ass all year. I was told several times by the principal that I’d be back next year. I knew they were non renewing the first year fifth grade teacher in January (they didn’t tell her until April). June rolls around and I interview and do a demo as per district policy. Turns out someone called in a favor for another candidate that was on the board of education at another district. Was devastated.
Comment by Chatfouz at 10/03/2025 at 00:43 UTC
14 upvotes, 2 direct replies
I got fired for having a panic attack in a classroom. But this was rural china where mental illness was seen as a danger to children
Comment by Senku2 at 10/03/2025 at 00:09 UTC
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I was fired mid-year, in early February. Got a job through a staffing agency paying 25 dollars an hour at a charter school about a month later. I was working as a paraprofessional by September and had a full-time teaching job by November.
Comment by master_mather at 10/03/2025 at 00:14 UTC
6 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Super easy. The reason matters though. I got canned so my boss could hire his buddy
Comment by LukasJackson67 at 10/03/2025 at 00:55 UTC
9 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Yes.
First teaching job
Comment by IgnatiusReilly-1971 at 09/03/2025 at 23:51 UTC
11 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Got nonrenewed when I changed districts after 20 years. New district was more affluent and way less diverse, apparently they don’t like being told there work is not good enough, well a few anyway. Ran headlong into the Alpha B of the school, who bent my admin like a pretzel. I knew I was done by October, it was as crazy. I went back to my old district, without a hiccup. That being said the toxic work environment before I quit midyear did break me, it was as an incredibly hostile environment.
Comment by Tyrann0saurus_wreck at 10/03/2025 at 00:44 UTC
6 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Got non-renewed at a charter, though when they told me “maybe if you show that you’re meeting expectations who knows?” I laughed and asked if they really thought I wanted their job after the hell they’d put me through. They were so confused. It was extremely gratifying. I found a job in the second week the local school system was hiring for the following year. My next school wasn’t the right fit, plus my confidence had taken such a hit from the non-renewal and everything leading up to it (literal emotionally abusive supervisor) I don’t know that anywhere would have been a particularly good follow-up, but it was a foot in the door, and my current school is exactly where I want to be. I think provided that you haven’t done anything egregious, a good admin will understand that not every school is a good fit for every teacher and that there are some genuinely toxic places out there.
Comment by LateQuantity8009 at 09/03/2025 at 23:33 UTC
8 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Fired once in business (former career), once in teaching (but I wanted out & made the firing happen so I could collect unemployment). Not renewed once in teaching. The teaching ones, I got a job the next year.
Comment by TOBONation at 10/03/2025 at 00:01 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I was forced to resign after 3 years, when I would have made tenure. I had to wait a year to reapply within the district, so I taught at a school that was not part of the district. After one year, I took a job back in the district as an assistant to regain solid references and got a teaching job after that school year. I have been teaching at the same school for 6 years now and tenured. I thought my life was over when I was forced to resign, but it turned out to be the best thing for me.
Comment by Corbeau_from_Orleans at 10/03/2025 at 00:23 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
No, but not for a lack of trying…
Comment by Grombrindal18 at 10/03/2025 at 00:46 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I was non-renewed after my first year of teaching, which was honestly a relief.
That school was trash, due to administrative incompetence. They put all the newest teachers with the freshmen with minimal support, and then most were gone even before the end of the year. I’m not sure a single 9th grade teacher that started the year was still in the same position the following year, and that can only happen with poor management.
Found another job about a month later in a middle school in the neighboring district.
Comment by question_girl617 at 10/03/2025 at 00:28 UTC
6 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I was non-renewed my first year teaching. In hindsight, that school should have done so much more for me as a first year teacher and only penalized me. It turned out to be the best thing that I wasn’t renewed because I was going to leave on my own accord anyway.
Then the next school I went to, I taught at for 5 years. My last year before I was tenured, they didn’t renew my contract. They were making cuts in staffing due to decreased enrollment and one of my coworkers was coming back from a year-long maternity leave and got my position. It hurt a lot but was ultimately for the best. I’ve been thriving at the schools I’ve taught at since.
Comment by lotsaofdot at 10/03/2025 at 00:37 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
They tried! It’s not the end of the world. Plenty of schools and people who understand what goes on in education. You not fit one place but you could easily fit somewhere else. It’s a job you’re replaceable and so is everyone else.
Comment by heirtoruin at 10/03/2025 at 00:56 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Got non-renewed my first year for maintaining enough professional boundaries. What did I do? Used the internet, in 2003, to communicate with students by email and instant message (with data logs). Talked to students in the mornings before class instead of hanging with other teachers.
Basically, I was guilty of building relationships... what every admin days is best practice these days.
Comment by xllxsyg at 10/03/2025 at 01:25 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I got non renewed by a charter school district after I testified against a coworker for having inappropriately touched a student of mine. The entire class was witness and I was the adult she reported it. Mind you, two months prior to that incident, I had submitted a report to the principal that this same coworker was behaving inappropriately with ME, and the principal’s response to that was, verbatim, “You’re not actually accusing him of anything, right?” And when HR contacted me in regards to the student’s case, the investigator asked me for my perspective since I was a teacher to the student and on the same grade team as the accused, and when I asked if they’d received my report, the investigator was appalled because they’d never received a report despite me having detailed documentation regarding the incidents I had endured from him. On one occasion he went as far as making sure I, and several new female hires, knew that he was close friends with the principal and long time friends with the CEO’s husband. That freak is STILL employed by that district and I was put out of a job. Several of my coworkers came forward when news broke out of me being replaced and were outraged, several of them had been witness to that man’s unwelcome approaches and or overheard his “locker room talk.”
Thankfully, I was able to find work at a neighboring district, though I did take a major pay cut, but I’ve been employed with them for 2 years now. They take staff and student safety far more seriously here, though our new superintendent is an absolute nightmare.
Comment by Haunting-Ad-9790 at 10/03/2025 at 02:12 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
28 years and I've only seen 1 teacher escorted off campus. It was this year, and he told me it was coming. According to him, students were complaining he's verbally too tough on them. He's a very large man with a very deep loud natural voice. Could be scary if he had to get stern, but I can't imagine being escorted off campus for that so I don't know.
He's saved thousands not paying union dues, but I'm bet he's sorry now.
Comment by Josieanastasia2008 at 10/03/2025 at 03:10 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Was not hired on permanently for a temp position that ended up being permanent. It was devastating but the best possible thing that could’ve happened.
Comment by 9thdoctor at 10/03/2025 at 03:24 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
The responses would make a good lesson plan in sample bias for stats
Comment by Wordmaster5000 at 10/03/2025 at 04:20 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Got fired mid year after a false accusation. Was under investigation and the best part is…never even knew what for. District just canned me and said “you’re within the 90 day probation period so we’ll terminate you under that or you can resign and tell future employers it wasn’t a good fit” needless to say I’m taking a much needed break from education for a while…maybe indefinitely until I get to my university positions I’ve been eyeing.