Possible New Job, WWYD?

chevronseven

I am a teacher at a year round preschool and am due July 8.  I get the standard FMLA 12 weeks unpaid leave.  However, my goal is to teach at the elementary level, so I am applying for other positions for the upcoming school year.  My worry is that if I get one, I am not sure how to go about quitting my current job.  If I weren't going on maternity leave, I would work there until August when district teachers report for work.  But since I am going on leave, I'm not sure if I would have to actually quit at that time.  It wouldn't make a difference money-wise since it was unpaid leave anyway, but then I would be without insurance during a pretty crucial time, unless they can keep me on record as a current employee on leave and then take me off their payroll when I start the new job.

Additionally, I am weighing whether a better job is worth having less time with my newborn.  If I do get a new job, I would only get a month after giving birth, versus two and a half months if I stay with my current employer.  (Since it's a teaching job, I wouldn't want to ask them to find a sub for me for the first several weeks of school before I even start.)  The trade-off is that I would get Christmas and Summer breaks that year and probably higher pay.  Really torn on this, would love some advice....

chevronseven

DH is a full time student on the University's health plan. I think I could get on there but it's pretty expensive for dependants. I didn't think about the deductible resetting though.... Although I used to have the kind of insurance he has and if I remember correctly the deductible is waived for prenatal and it is 100% covered.

thedash

If the baby came two weeks late would you end up with only 4 weeks or so off before you had to return to teaching full time? And at a new school? That may be enough for me to postpone the job search for a year.

chevronseven

I wouldn't necessarily be uncomfortable with starting with a sub, it just seemed like not a very good way to start off at a new job. Do you think, if I were offered a position, I would be reasonable to tell them I won't be able to start full time until a few weeks in?

FemShep

If you had a choice between two equally qualified candidates, one who could start when the school year began and one who would need a sub for the first few weeks of the school year, who would you pick?

Of course there is no such thing as "equally qualified", and you may be such an amazing candidate that they want to hire you anyway, but my point is that being pregnant may impact your chances of finding a new job. And as PPs have mentioned, you need to consider the possibility of a csection or complications. Personally, I wouldn't want to set myself up to start a new job 6 weeks after my due date.

brachysira

My friend teaches elementary school and was due in September.  She took the whole year off because she said that the first few weeks were super critical for bonding with a class and that it would be a hell year if she took M-leave and had a sub in her class at the beginning.  My second reason to encourage you stay at your current job is that the first year of any teaching job is much harder than the second.  You have to plan all the lessons and navigate the school dynamics.  People spend their entire summers working up their lessons for the year and setting up their classrooms.  That would be hard to do with a newborn.  Finally, if your DH's insurance is anything like my student insurance, it works great for strep throat tests, but it blows when you have anything real.  You should at least ask other people who had a baby on this insurance what it was like.  I once had to have a colonoscopy on student insurance and I only had to pay a small fraction of each bill but I was billed by about 20 different groups so it still ended up costing me about $600, and I was only at the hospital for a couple hours.  Plus, you want very very good insurance in place in case you have a baby in the NICU...if your baby is a few months premature, bills can be in the millions.  There is no way I would want to be in a questionable insurance situation when having a baby.

fitmom82

I would also putt off the job search for another year.  If teaching where you are is an competitive as most of the country, principals are going to have tons of applicants to choose from.  If all else was equal and I had to choose between a teacher who even if she started on day one would have to manage her time adjusting to a newborn with a teacher who has nothing to do but prove herself as a 1st year teacher, I'd go for the one who was going to give the classroom her full attention.  It may not be fair, but it's reality.  Next year your baby won't need to come up in an interview, this year it will be obvious you're expecting.  Assuming you don't get a job this year because of the new baby, you may have a harder time getting the interview next year.  I would assume if they interview you once, they may want a fresh pool to choose from next year.

chevronseven

You guys are probably right. I already have an interview that I don't want to back out of, but I won't expect anything to come of it except maybe practice for when I'm in a better position to start a new job.

I also didn't mention that DH is going into the Air Force next year so I'd be leaving whatever job I'm at when we move. I'm sure I can stick it out at my current job for one more year since the timing seems to make more sense that way. Thanks for all the advice!

mlee116

I agree with PP's that you should wait another year.  DH is a teacher and his first year was really hard.  He teaches high school, but I bet it's similar for any grade level.  There is so much work that goes into building your classes that first yr that I can't imagine doing that plus having a newborn. And I can't imagine doing all of that 6 wks or less after giving birth, esp if you have a c-sec.

IMO, it sounds like you have a lot of things going on right now between a new baby, your H being in school and joining the air force, possibly relocating, etc. If it were me, I'd absolutely stay at this job for another year and give myself and my family time to adjust to things before adding another change. 

Kbrittonhart

Think long term and be strategic... Do what is best for your family and future career goals.