My resignation letter to my old principal. On to a better environment, where I will not be harassed and abused. Hopefully.

Dear Mr. ___ and Staff,

     This is a sad day for me. I am writing this letter to inform you that I have been interviewing, have been offered two positions, and upon pending budget, will be accepting a position elsewhere for the Fall 2015 school year.  As of right now, I am still an employee, but very soon, I will not be. It saddens me to have to write this letter because I thought I would be here longer than I have been. I did not originally plan on ever leaving. My plan was to stay here, teach here, grow here, learn here, until the time came for me to leave the profession.

     Seven years; seven years have passed, and for most of that time, I was happy. I was happy because I was treated with respect, my intellect was never questioned, I was challenged in ways that allowed me to grow into a better teacher and a better person. Unfortunately, that has changed. The leadership change in the English department does not allow for growth, questioning, thoughts, discourse, or happiness. It only allows for disrespect, discrimination, harassment, abuse, fear, retaliation, and a disconnect in collaboration.

     It has been an unfair and extremely unpleasant year and a half, not only for me, but for many. I have hit many walls, and I have not been supported when I reached out for help with the struggles I have faced. This is no longer the type of place I want to be part of. I used to be a proud teacher, because I knew we worked together to better our students and ourselves. This is no longer the case. The treatment I have endured has left a very bitter taste in my mouth, and I know others feel the same way. I know I am not alone.

     I want to, first and foremost, thank you for the many years of opportunities, smiles, conversations, and love. I will never forget all those memories and beautiful moments. I will never forget how we all come together to help each other in our times of need and celebrate our lives and successes. It breaks my heart to have to leave my family. That is what we are: Family. It is disheartening to know that one person can come around and change that beautiful atmosphere; one person and a blind eye is all it takes to dismantle all that was built. I hope this letter and the exodus of English teachers will help you understand how this change has hurt our school. I hope it helps you think about the future decisions you make for your school, your staff, and your students, and I hope, as a leader, you make the right ones.

I wish you and the family the best of luck.

Sincerely,

EG