Job Sharing Secondary School

Millem

Hi All,

Just looking for some information on job sharing. Am considering applying for September 2018.
How long does it take for an increment? Is it two years? Or do you get it in less time if it's based on hours worked?

Can you request how you would like your work pattern eg 3 days etc? Or are you at the mercy of waiting for your timetable in the last week of august?

Thanks a million.

Bean Scoile

Increment will take twice as long as normal.

Timetable will depend on your subject, core subjects are every day, so unlikely to have a day off. Option subjects tend to have doubles, so you are more likely to get a day off.

I think it depends on the school a bit too. In some schools class groups might be shared between two teachers, other principals would avoid situations like that for continuity. I taught with a maths teacher who jobshared, and he worked til lunchtime every day.

Is there anyone in your school jobsharing at the minute? That might give you an idea as to how it would work out for you.

Millem

Bean Scoile wrote: »

Increment will take twice as long as normal.

Timetable will depend on your subject, core subjects are every day, so unlikely to have a day off. Option subjects tend to have doubles, so you are more likely to get a day off.

I think it depends on the school a bit too. In some schools class groups might be shared between two teachers, other principals would avoid situations like that for continuity. I taught with a maths teacher who jobshared, and he worked til lunchtime every day.

Is there anyone in your school jobsharing at the minute? That might give you an idea as to how it would work out for you.

Thanks for that! Yes there are lots of job shares in my school but no option teachers (which I am!)
I can see working 3 days would be fine in my subject but not for English etc where students have 5 single periods a week.

My fear would be timetabled for say 5 days....3 days is what I am looking for for childcare. If not possible I will work full time.

Just wondering is there any official information on how work pattern is set?

Bean Scoile

Needs of the school come first, so there's no hard and fast rules. Some schools will have policies though, so it might be worth asking the principal if your school does.

We had one option teacher jobsharing, and she had 4 days. I've never heard of anyone getting 3 days, but I'm sure it's possible.

Millem

Bean Scoile wrote: »

Needs of the school come first, so there's no hard and fast rules. Some schools will have policies though, so it might be worth asking the principal if your school does.

We had one option teacher jobsharing, and she had 4 days. I've never heard of anyone getting 3 days, but I'm sure it's possible.

Just looking at my timetable this year and it would of worked no problem. I would need to do 16 periods plus give 3 for s & s. In 2 and a half days there are 24 periods. We share classes anyway. It works well in my subject. But I wouldn't of even had to share classes. I suppose the nature of my subject having triple classes or double classes swallows up a lot of slots on the timetable.

When you apply for job share is there an official place where you ask for a work pattern? I just want to know before I ask my principal

I know after I take parental leave this year I am entitled to ask for a change in my work pattern (not that they have to grant it!!!). I will write the letter anyway

feedthegoat

The needs of the school and its pupils are paramount.
In my experience it is unlikely that your Principal will be able to ensure a 3 day a week. There are already so many constraints in building a timetable.
As far as I know there is no "official" place to request this, obviously you can mention it to your Principal.

rainbowtrout

There have been quite a lot of jobshares in my school in the last few years (lots of babies). There isn't a formal way to apply to change your work pattern and as all the other posts said, the needs of the school come first.

What happens in my place is that the teacher tells the principal that they want to go on job share, they indicate what they would prefer and the principal says whether that is workable or not. Most of the time it is if certain subjects/classes are the ones removed from their timetable.

E.g. A home ec teacher is going on jobshare this year and because LC classes would have 5 class periods a week across four days and she wants a 3 day week she's giving up all senior classes and taking JC Home Ec only which has 3 class periods a week. She also teaches stuff like SPHE and CSPE so they will also fit in easily to her timetable.

Teachers with core subjects with us tend to drop them at senior level or do a 4 day week. I think for most the 1/2 days off is preferable to say working all mornings where the cost of your commute is still the same, child still ends up in childcare 5 mornings of the week and you end up being caught up in stuff in school more when you are in five days.

r93kaey5p2izun

All you can do is ask but everyone, full time or jobshare, is at the mercy of the timetable. There's no official way to request any particular timetable. My principal has been pretty good at giving nice jobshare timetables though. Core teachers usually get 3.5 days and option teachers get 2.5 days. PE is down to only two days.

Millem

rainbowtrout wrote: »

There have been quite a lot of jobshares in my school in the last few years (lots of babies). There isn't a formal way to apply to change your work pattern and as all the other posts said, the needs of the school come first.

What happens in my place is that the teacher tells the principal that they want to go on job share, they indicate what they would prefer and the principal says whether that is workable or not. Most of the time it is if certain subjects/classes are the ones removed from their timetable.

E.g. A home ec teacher is going on jobshare this year and because LC classes would have 5 class periods a week across four days and she wants a 3 day week she's giving up all senior classes and taking JC Home Ec only which has 3 class periods a week. She also teaches stuff like SPHE and CSPE so they will also fit in easily to her timetable.

Teachers with core subjects with us tend to drop them at senior level or do a 4 day week. I think for most the 1/2 days off is preferable to say working all mornings where the cost of your commute is still the same, child still ends up in childcare 5 mornings of the week and you end up being caught up in stuff in school more when you are in five days.

I actually don't mind what I teach....home ec/TY/lca/SPHE/learning support. When children are in primary school I wouldn't mind 5 mornings. One job sharing teacher in my school has this! Ideally 3 days though for now. Anything more and it just wouldn't be worth it financially as I would need to pay for childcare and would be down €1k per month in salary. If it can't be done I will just have to suck it up and work full time.

Neleven

Has anyone ever come across a jobshare where the work is split up in calendar blocks rather than daily/weekly splits? That is, one sharer works to mid January, then the other takes over until the end of the year. Is this a runner or is there a reason why it wouldn't be? As I get older it seems to me that this would be a great way of managing the transition to retirement (admittedly still a good way away) - though of course it does raise the question of how it would affect the way pension would be calculated.

Millem

Neleven wrote: »

Has anyone ever come across a jobshare where the work is split up in calendar blocks rather than daily/weekly splits? That is, one sharer works to mid January, then the other takes over until the end of the year. Is this a runner or is there a reason why it wouldn't be? As I get older it seems to me that this would be a great way of managing the transition to retirement (admittedly still a good way away) - though of course it does raise the question of how it would affect the way pension would be calculated.

I think that it would mess up your prsi?