Potential new job, observation in old school

May 5, 2024 6:44 AM

For a teaching job application, is it normal for a potential employer to request to do a lesson obervation for your potential job AT the job you are leaving? How would you respond?

My spouse has a really good opportunity for a new teaching job, but the employer wants to do a lesson observation at her current job, which does not know she's leaving. She can't do this. I've suggested replying with an offer to do something else, a guest lesson at the new school or a virtual lesson? What would you do?

posted by transient to Work & Money (18 answers total)

I am not a teacher, so lack that context, but this seems weirdly intrusive to me. I would definitely make some sort of offer.
posted by Alensin at 7:25 AM on May 5 [5 favorites]

Nope, not normal. A lot of people are not going to tell their current employers they are leaving.
posted by chaiminda at 7:34 AM on May 5 [13 favorites]

Yeah, no. That's 100% inappropriate.
posted by Inkoate at 7:48 AM on May 5 [8 favorites]

I cannot imagine that a school would be ok with having a stranger show up to observe a teacher, let alone for a new job. This is unheard of in my area.
posted by corey flood at 8:02 AM on May 5 [8 favorites]

That's weird. A teaching video is a more appropriate request.

The fact that they think this is normal is a reason to downgrade the desirability of this position, or at least prompt closer scrutiny.
posted by dum spiro spero at 8:04 AM on May 5 [15 favorites]

I am a teacher and have worked in many different districts. In none of them would that request have been normal.
posted by jeszac at 8:09 AM on May 5 [9 favorites]

Nthing that this is not normal. Common practice is to ask the candidate to come in to the potential new school and do a demo lesson.
posted by lysimache at 8:53 AM on May 5 [7 favorites]

That seems like a very strange request and makes me think this is some charter school that will scoff at "conventions" like "sick time" and "overtime pay."
posted by praemunire at 9:49 AM on May 5 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks for the responses all. It is a public, district, union school.
posted by transient at 9:55 AM on May 5 [1 favorite]

He could offer to set up a tripod and record a lesson. Or, possibly conduct a short lesson in their school. Visitors are intrusive, disruptive and s privacy violation for the students.
posted by theora55 at 10:25 AM on May 5 [1 favorite]

Former teacher here--this seems odd and unrealistic for a number of reasons. I've never heard of this request.
posted by WithWildAbandon at 10:37 AM on May 5

Even recording a real lesson for this purpose is potentially a privacy violation.
posted by advil at 11:08 AM on May 5 [7 favorites]

It's possible that this is some well-meaning admin thinking that a working teacher would not have time to come do an example lesson. I imagine if they counter-offer with a guest lesson on a topic of employers choice, the employer will access, and if not, good riddance.
posted by thelastpolarbear at 12:43 PM on May 5 [1 favorite]

It’s so weird that it may be a trap. If you agreed to have a stranger come into your class to observe — particularly without the knowledge of the administration — I would question your judgment.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 3:18 PM on May 5 [4 favorites]

The most charitable interpretation is that they've done it before for internal moves within the same district and some new HR person blithely thought it's standard practice.
posted by dum spiro spero at 3:43 PM on May 5 [5 favorites]

This is so not normal, and on top of the awkwardness around her current school not knowing she's interviewing other places, I can't imagine it being ok with their policies to just have a random person (whom she can't really give much background on) just sit in on a class. I'm trying to figure out how that wouldn't be a FERPA violation honestly (no shade at your spouse, but quite a lot at the hiring school for not thinking of this???)
posted by augustimagination at 10:04 PM on May 5 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Re FERPA and strangers, it has been my experience that as long as I usher the visitor around the school and ensure that they are never alone without kids it is fine. Most schools have a sign-in system for visitors (subs, parents doing something in the building, external workers, etc.) that actually scans their ID or license and checks it against databases.

Someone mentioned across a district, but I think FERPA only applies to one school, unless someone is at the district level. For example, a principal at one school cannot just walk into another school without escort.

But this is totally weird. A guest lesson, a video (as long as no kids' names or faces are shown it doesn't violate FERPA), or even an example lesson in the interview itself would be acceptable alternatives.

some charter school that will scoff at "conventions" like "sick time" and "overtime pay."

The last charter school I worked in matched my 401k up to 6.5% with immediate vesting, state health plan insurance, and PTO. They even let us have an informal time off policy in which we could ask another teacher to cover a block, and on the honor system we would cover the next request, a kind of paying it forward, and admin never cared. Sure, charter schools can be bad, and so can voucher programs, home schools, private schools, and omg public schools, too.
posted by Snowishberlin at 9:04 AM on May 7

Response by poster: Just a note of closure - they agreed quite readily to an offer to guest lesson in the new school. I’m guessing someone on the hiring committee had a misunderstanding. Thank you everyone; it was all very helpful and reassuring!
posted by transient at 11:39 PM on May 7