Working during your mat leave?

ficbot

Is anyone planning/thinking about working during their mat leave? I get a year, but an opportunity has come up that I was waiting a long time for, and now I am wondering what the best way to play this out would be. It may involve working during my mat leave and I have mixed feelings about that.

I just found out that I finally got onto the school board substitute list for September, after years of trying, in a very competitive job market. I am ecstatic. There is no way into the board other than by subbing first. I was also told that since I have French as a teachable, it was likely I would not even have to sub for the whole year, but I could get pulled into a short-term contract if one became available.

I knew we were trying to get pregnant, but the school board policy states that as long as you do twenty days during a given school year, you can maintain your spot on the list for the year after. So, now I am wondering what the best way to approach getting those days might be:

1) I will be seven months pregnant in September. I could theoretically get in most or all of these 20 days before the baby. Then I would be off for awhile and so I would not really be making connections with principals per se, but I would maintain my spot and then when I go back the following September as a sub again, I could more aggressively network, be back full time, and hopefully get pulled into a contract. Con would be that the year would be pretty much a write-off as far as advancement goes, but I would have a guaranteed spot on the list when I am ready to go back to work.

2) I try and get as many days of work as I can before the baby, take a few months off, and then make myself available one consistent day per week (say, every Friday) with the grandmothers watching the baby. They are not good options for permanent daycare, but they could do one day a week for something like this. Con would be that I would have to work during my mat leave and I would not get the full year. But maybe I would be bored at home. Maybe one day wouldn't be so bad. And I might be able to network a little and maybe get a contract (not just subbing) for the following September.

3) Work at my current private school for September since there would be guaranteed hours and money, then go back on a more full-time basis in June, when the board is chronically short of subs (retired teachers can only work for a specified number of days, so their ranks thin as the year goes on). Pro would be that I could network more aggressively and have a better option come September. But if I don't get enough days, I could have a problem, and I don't know how ready I would be for full-time daycare when baby is so little. Leaving it with the grandmas seems less scary to me than daycare does in the first year...

I guess my issue is I am not sure how useful it would be to go somewhere in September, make a great impression with a principal who might want to hire me later, and then drop off the map for the rest of the school year once I have the baby. I am leaning toward option 2 right now. It does mean I wouldn't get to be home full-time with the baby, but giving up one day a week might not be so terrible if it means job stability forever after that! I do have a friend who did her first year subbing part-time (she worked at my current school, got on the list and then went part-time). She said it was fine to simply say X were the days she was available.

So, this is exciting news for me, and I am not complaining :-) Just wondering what the more business-savvy of you can advise me on what the best option is here.

mrsasolomon

I think I would go with option 2, if I had a full year of maternity leave I would not mind working one day a week during that time. I only get 6 weeks off  

jarethinafrock

I would go with option 2 as well. 

yosemite2018

Option 2 sound great. I think 1 day a week at work (and not even for the whole year) sounds doable, especially since you have people to watch the baby.

shevaCC

From a professional advancement standpoint, options 2&3 both sound good. I like the balance of personal and professional in option 2, but I would rather pay someone to watch my kids than ask my very sweet MIL for help. She's great and has a wonderful relationship with my kids but doesn't listen to anything I say. Make sure the grandmas are ready and willing, plus willing to follow your non-negotiables. Car seat safety, newborns sleeping on their backs, not sneaking solid foods extra early...all things my MIL disregards my concerns.

atcwag

I only get 12 weeks, so definitely won't be doing an ounce of work while I'm on maternity leave. With that said, if I had a year, I'd be ok with option 1 or 2. 

jolydan

***lurker***
I dont know if you are in Canada or the US because you said you get a year so I'm assuming Canada. But if you are receiving money from the paid maternity leave make sure they know because you could get a severe penalty or have your benefits cuts by going back to work even part time!

Chcaggie1

It does sound like you are somewhere outside the US. I'm pretty familiar with the US education system (particularly Texas) and what you are describing doesn't sound like the US. So definitely consider what previous poster mentioned.

But $$ aside, I think working one day a week is very doable. I came back to work with my first child, after 3 months of maternity leave, part time working 3 days a week. I didn't love it but it was way better than returning full time. So I think one day a week would be no big deal.