A R C H I V E S
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Need Advice |
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| CAMuslimGirl |
| 02/21/04 at 21:07:42 |
| [slm] I posted a while back about my situation at work in the Islamic School, where the woman I teach with treats me so badly and was trying to get me fired. Well, the situation escalated. I'm not sure about the exact time when I posted that problem, but she complained about me (and what she is saying about me, 98% of the time is lies) so much that the administration put me on a 30-day probation period, during which, if she complained about me at all, I would be suspended without pay and the matter would be referred to the Board of the school. :( The probation period ended on February 13. I thought that everything was ok until that morning when I went to pick up my neighbor who I drive to school (his dad, by the way, is a Board Member). His dad asked me if I had had a fight with the teacher the day before, or any problem with her, and I said no. So then he told me that she had made a complaint that day after school. (I saw the complaint, there is nothing specific in it, it just says that she wants me to be removed from her classroom.) So, the Board had met that night, and, thanks to this man, who knows me well and knows that I am a good person, I was not fired. They did however, suspend me without pay for one week and move me from the class I was in to the first grade class. At first I was just happy that I didn't have to deal with that woman anymore, but then I started thinking about it, and realized how unfair this whole situation was. You see, she and I have not gotten along since the first day we were working together. She has made many (false) complaints against me, which were all taken seriously, including conferences with both of us, and these complaints being put into my file. I have gone to the administration many times as well, after she took the situation so far with them, and reported to them how she was treating me and disrespecting parents, and even assaulting me in front of our class (she pushed me into a corner, blocked me in so I couldn't move, and screamed at me in front of the kids!). Each time, I was told by the principal and/or vice-principal to "blow it off". Nothing was put into her file, and no comment made to her. Even two parents have gone to the administration because of the way she treated them, and they were also told that they "must have misunderstood", and no comment was made to her. Now, I have been a member of this masjid for three years, I am well known by the women, and even have a good repution among the men in charge. Any person asked at the masjid would (most likely) say that I am honest and trustworthy. The other teacher, however, doesn't attend the masjid, and is a stranger to the community. I feel very hurt that they chose to believe her over me, and have not taken me seriously at all, and that they believe all the things that she has said about me, which include calling me a liar and irresponsible, among other things. :( That is pretty much the situation as it stands now. Our principal has been away for two weeks, and will return tomorrow. If you were in this situation, would you tell the principal all of this, how you feel they have been very unfair to you, etc.? Right now I am feeling that I don't ever want to work there again after finishing this contract. Am I right to feel this way? Please, advise me. Jazak Allah Khair for letting me vent, and for anyone who has advice for me. Salaam Tara |
| Re: Need Advice |
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| al-ajnabia |
| 02/21/04 at 22:10:21 |
| [slm] uggg! That just doesnt sound right. If she complains is is taken at face value and if anyone complains about her it is never recorded!? Been there, sounds like my experince trying to learn arabic, I kept thinking if I just hung in there they would realize the problem and remove the teacher. I thought if I just went to another class it would be ok, then it wasnt ok there either but Ithought since I had complained about the last teacher they would call me a complainer, but it got so bad, no teaching at all for weeks, they jsut kept passing me form teacher to teacher and no one would teach in class. I went to the department chair, to the student advocate, I wrote the university chancellor and the president of the univeristy. This year I'm with a fully tenured professor and still games, no matter how I improve I get the same grade and her explanations are barely coherant and nearly always exactly backwards. >:( My advice, move on. :(There is obviously something going on behind the scenes that you cannot possibly get anything done about. they will paint you to be the wacko and no matter how much work you put in to presenting your arguments fairly and clearly they will only turn them around, dissmiss them, or fail to record the complaint. The longer you fight the worse they will say about you when you try to get another job. Ugg, I know this sounds dismal, but its a type of thing that seems to be happening a lot lately. Maybe it is just that it is only muslims who have the sense to think this type of garbage should be complained about. Well, I'm pullin for ya, were all in this togeather. Just square your shoulders, watch your back, and hand it over to Allah, in the end they will get theirs. Salaam, |
| Re: Need Advice |
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| onemuslimgirl |
| 02/21/04 at 23:09:20 |
| asalam alakum Sr. I was the other sister who was having the same problem as you. What ended up happening was that I was also switched. Well, the teacher who was giving me such a hard time got someone else (actually 2 others, they split my position among two other teachers). well, lets just say that once we stopped working together, she actually started being nice to me mashAllah. alhamdullah that I am now working with someone else and we are more on the same wave lenght (for the most part). But i did complain to my boss about everything she lied about, and I even told them what SHE was doing wrong, and how i didn't want to say anything because i didnt want to cause any trouble, but since she started it, we might as well be fair. well, what happened has happened, but in a kind and polite way explain to them how you feel. Than move on...my boss said, to just turn over a new leaf with this new teacher. inshAllah ur new teacher will be a lot better! don't let anyone control your life. dont leave the school because of the teacher who made you feel bad. Stay if YOU want to stay and leave if YOU want to leave, not for anyone else. yala, hopefully next year you will be the lead teacher adn you will remember how it feels to be an assistant and you will probably treat ur assistant soooooooo good, and she will love you *smile*. take care..... |
| Re: Need Advice |
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| timbuktu |
| 02/22/04 at 00:52:17 |
| [slm] unfortunately administrations are not entirely free of politics, and quite often decisions are not taken on the merits of the case. As someone who has been on both sides of the fence, I can assure you that taking decisions about employees is the worst task ever. the advice given by onemuslimgirl seems the best. |
| Re: Need Advice |
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| Maliha |
| 02/22/04 at 12:48:37 |
| [slm] hmmm...i don't know man..it sounds soo unfair like you said and if your record is tainted and hers is impeccable, that's just wrong! when i was first reading your post, i was thinking, if it is was me, I would just quit. Teachers are high in demand everywhere, and it's mad Dawah if you were teaching in a public school even and touching students lives in another setting. However, if you want to stay, I would file an official complaint with the board (anyone higher than the actual administration) and list my grievances. There may be politics, but *you* can do something about it. Explain to them the unfairness of the situation and demand your record to be cleared. I worry about your future, since you are gonna have probation and all this other stuff on your record..it just aint fair. So yeah, take it forward, and seriously if you think the drama is too much..go elsewhere. I am sorry but I have no patience for the politicking of our communities, and if they can't respect you for who you are...i am sure you will have mad other places welcome you with open arms. may Allah forgive me, if i said anything out of bounds. your sis in struggle. [wlm] |
| Re: Need Advice |
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| CAMuslimGirl |
| 02/25/04 at 04:17:42 |
| :-) [slm] Jazakum Allahu Khairan to all of you again, for your advice. I really do appreciate your willingness to read my ravings, and advise me. I see the merits in the advice that you have written here. I do want to mention that today was my first day working with the new teacher, and it was the first day that I have been happy while at work for about 5 months :-)! I am happy to be working with her, we get along very well outside the classroom as well, and have discussed our classroom relationship, responsibilities, etc, before ever setting foot into the classroom together, so I feel that our situation will be good. But, like I said, I still feel like in the end, I have been treated unfairly, and it has been placed in my permanent record that I am lazy, I am a liar, I have poor work habits, etc..., and that is not a good thing! I think that I am going to be quiet for the next 30 days while I am on probation, and let my work prove them wrong. At the end of the probation, when the Teacher I am with now gives me a good evaluation and tells them the truth about me, inshallah they will realize that they were wrong about me all this time. At that time, I am going to tell them what I think, inshallah, and see what happens from there. Inshallah I will let you know then. :-) [wlm] Tara |
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