Moral dilemma

If you had bother to join twitter when you got your invitation, you might be up on the happenings. You would have seen the following entry:

There is some absolutely heinous
and unethical shit going down at work.

So let me tell you the story.

This year at my school, we had two teachers in their first, probationary year. To be completely truthful, there was one I liked more than another. I've gone into Sam's classroom and seen a thoughtful, empathetic, earnest teacher -- in a few years, Sam was going to be a very good teacher. I can't say the same of Terry, who's class I worked in as well. Terry is "very by the book", organised, but doesn't have any passion for teaching. Let's just say I know who I'd want my children to be taught by: Sam.

Well, a temporary teaching position came up, which could be filled by either Sam or Terry. Under the Scottish probationers scheme, Sam and Terry would be out of a job at the end of the school year, their positions to be given to other NQTs (nearly qualified teachers). So how would it be decided whom to hire? Our headteacher (HT) was keeping his cards close to his chest. And the memo detailing assignments for next year were handed out; Terry had the position.

I was gutted for Sam. I, and some of my colleagues, felt Sam deserved more as Sam was clearly the better teacher. But why hadn't Sam been hired? Rumours were swirling: Terry only obtained the position due to luck. Luck? The luck of Terry's name being pulled from a hat. This can't be true, I thought. But it wasn't a rumour: the name pulling had been confirmed by another teacher, who had been in on it.

Right now, I want to report my HT to the union, who would definitely take up the case. I do think it is the right thing to do. But I have reservations. One, I don't think I'm ready to deal with the repercussions on my career, short- and long-term, if it came out that I did this. And two, why should I do this? This isn't my problem and it has bugger all to do with me. There's a definite British attitude that you "keep yourself to yourself" and that you don't butt into business that has nothing to do with you. If he was to be reported, it should be by the union representative from our school, not me. Plus -- a big plus that I have to face, even if I don't want to -- would I be this indignant, this self-righteous, if the one hired had been Sam, the "right man" for the job? Honestly, I'd probably not thought any more than, Oh, that's a shame for Terry, and I wouldn't have gone to my union, lest to ruin it for Sam. So this is not entirely not out of moral outrage, but out of outrage for an injured friend.

But on the other hand... I'm ashamed and angry at my HT. He took advantage of his position of authority and trust. Shit, he might as well had been some sort of paedophile, as these people looked up to him and they were in vulnerable positions, needing a job and being completely inexperienced with employment situations like this. They wouldn't have dared to question the pulling of names from a hat; it probably wouldn't have even crossed their minds to question the situation. I know it wouldn't have if it were me, and it's been nine years since I started teaching. In a way, this part of the argument for reporting him has little to do with the action, but the attitude of my HT. He took advantage of his position and lied about it when confronted by others. Oh yes, did I mention that he was confronted by my school's union rep?

I have other reasons for wanting this to be reported. It's unethical and, I think, illegal what the HT did. All positions have to be advertised, even if the interview process is a formality as someone who has worked in the school is been promised the position. That's the way it is, the policy of my district. And he said that Terry's name was pulled from a hat, but who was there to witness this? Was there some sort of independent adjudicator?

Let me share this aside, which I promise as a point. On the very last day of school one year (early in my teaching career), a fellow teacher wanted to observe me teaching a lesson, an observation that she should have conducted earlier in the school year, something she hadn't gotten around to. I was shocked and felt cornered, but somehow came up with a lesson for this woman to see. When I told my friend Helene this story, she went absolutely crazy. That's completely inappropriate, she roared, and marched me down to the principal's office and made me tell my story. And was I ever grateful she did that. I didn't have the experience to know to do that. And I certainly didn't have the cajones to do it on my own. I tell this story because it reminds me of the Terry and Sam's situation, and I feel that it's my turn to take the Helene role: to take Sam and Terry's hands, march them down and demand justice and to be heard. But I don't want to do this just for their sake; I want to do it for all sorts of injustice going on at my school. I want it to be known that this -- and things like this -- will not be tolerated. To let it be known that I won't let him do anything like that to me.

So I'm sorry for the long entry, but I don't know what to do . I really need to hear from you -- now, more than ever. Please let me know how you think I should proceed.