Do My Work For Me

(North Carolina)

I am a teacher in a small community school. I have 3 new teammates this year and I am the only one who has taught this grade level previously. One of the teachers on my grade level has been bullying me since we began the school year. I finally filed an official complaint and now am waiting to see if it stops.

I felt criticized by the administration for filing the complaint, I don't think they want to be bothered. What is unfortunate is that she has also bullied students and the parents of these students don't have the economic or social means to stand up to the teacher. This teacher had a student last year that was stealing food from her. Rather than handle the student (7 years old) in a professional manner, the teacher went out and bought bags of candy and smeared them in honey and set them around her room so she would have proof that the little girl was stealing from her. Of course, the girl took the candy and the teacher bragged of her victory. Really, entrapment of a seven year old is sickening.

I had one meeting with her where she said she didn't answer my emails because she reads them and forgets. When I suggested to my administration there should be a reasonable expectation that she respond to me just as I think they have a reasonable expectation I answer the administration's email, they said that maybe they just forget. Really?? My grade level doesn't come to recess with me so I am down in this valley which lines up next to a street by myself with the kids. I told the administration that it was punishing the kids so they finally made all the teachers go at the same time. (3 months later.)

This teacher's biggest problem is that she is hostile towards me all the time because she doesn't think she needs to ask for help, that it should just be provided to her by me. I told her I would be happy to help her with her plans if I knew what she needed help with. She still cannot articulate what she needs help with so instead she will walk by and not say hello when I speak to her, she has thrown stuff at me without even acknowledging me and refers to me "that one" to my co-workers.

Four good families from our school left our school after their children had been in her class and still nothing has been done. I can understand why people have problems with a teacher keeping her job when she has no business teaching children.