Do you feel that you could go to the principal and say "I will NOT teach this class next year?" Would you refuse to take a Praxis in a content area that you are more than able to pass, simply because you do not want to teach a certain course? Do teachers that are more senior at your school get to cherry-pick they classes they teach?
None. Although a couple of years ago, half the freshmen were going to another teacher. I asked for all of them and was given all of them. However, I've begged for classes to be split before and it was a no go. I don't want middle school English and I still have middle school English. A few years ago, one of the English teachers quit. And they let the new hire pick what classes she wanted which ticked me off because I felt like I had been there for 7 years, I should have gotten the pick.
Early in my career I absolutely avoided taking the math praxis because I'd likely get pushed into teaching it. Our new hires are still pretty much told "We have these sections to fill, you're teaching them." For example, we are currently hiring for a 4 social studies, 1 PE period split teacher - specifically. For those who have been there longer there is more say to it. As long as someone is willing to take the class on we're fine but it does sometimes come down to a lottery. I don't think anyone can flat out refuse something unless it is an elective since our contract states those are voluntary.
There's only two of us really in the high school English department. We get some say and if we both wanted to switch, that would probably be okay. However, we do get a lot of say in the electives we teach. I'm creating two brand new electives this year. I'm really excited about that! We do keep the same courses though. They don't move us around a lot. They try really hard to give us what we want. We pushed for honors courses for 9th and 10th and got it.
I don't think my admin would ask anyone to take a praxis to get certified in a certain subject. But we don't really have much say in what subjects we get to teach if we are certified. For example, I voiced that my preference is to teach juniors, then seniors and sophomores, but I really didn't prefer to teach freshman. This really only came into play because a new teacher was being hired.
It's kind of a given that I teach the juniors and seniors. Reassigning classes would mean we were undergoing changes bigger than someone saying, "I want to teach this class / I don't want to teach this class." I'll teach whatever I'm told, but I will fight to keep teaching juniors and seniors. I LOVE having the same students 2 years in a row, and I LOVE the age group.
Every year, every teacher at my school gets a survey of what classes he or she wants to teach the next school year, including the option of staying put. Our principal uses those requests before making any other shifts to staffing needs. However, that is contingent upon there being required changes.
Technically no say. If my principal really wanted me to teach something, I would have to do it. I absolutely did not take the math CSET (California subject matter tests) because I would have been forced to teach math. It happened to many teachers at our school. I'm sure if I said I was very uncomfortable teaching a specific subject, my principal would take those concerns under advisement. I think I'm one of the teachers she would rather not lose.
At the end of each year, my department chair asks us (16 social studies teachers) what we would like to teach and (if we have a valid reason) what planning periods we would like. For instance, 2 of our teachers automatically get lunch-bell planning because they have senior class responsibilities. I'd say 70% of the time, we get to teach at least a portion of what we request. She won't hesitate to deny if need be, though. We're pretty lucky that everyone loves a variety of subjects and covers all areas. This year I got the classes I requested and 1/2 of the planning I requested. I did "refuse" to teach a certain class next year. "Refuse" is a hard word, but it was an elective I got thrown into 2 months into the school year last year and I HATED it all year. She saw how miserable I was and I did state that I wouldn't teach it again. She promised not to give me that elective any more.
In regards to adding or not adding endorsements, my recommendation is to never add an endorsement that you would be unable or unwilling to teach. My observation is that once you add it, it is fair game, and you have no recourse but to teach it if instructed to do so. Over the past year, we have witnessed some posters who wanted to drop an endorsement to keep from having to teach it. It is a version of "Be careful what you wish for."
I'm certified for elementary so I don't really know how it works but can secondary teachers be made to teach subjects that they're not certified in?
If you are content K-12, there is nothing magical that says you will only teach HS. If they need that content taught in MS, and you aren't needed in the HS, you would go where they send you. So you aren't being asked to teach subjects you aren't certified in, you are being told where they need you and where you are being assigned. Some teachers have tons of endorsement - I am one of them, but I refuse to become certified in math simply because I don't want to teach it - ever. I also won't take the Chemistry or Physics Praxis exams because teaching that would be torture to me. My school can ask me to consider the endorsement, but they can't make me take it. It is up to them to find a qualified candidate, not up to me to become qualified in something I would hate. Don't get the endorsement if you never want to teach it. Period!
There are, like most things, exceptions to almost any question, and I missed one in the prior answer. If you are hired to be a Physics teacher, and you have taken the Praxis, but results aren't in, you are hired with the expectation that you will become a Physics teacher. Heard of someone hired to be just that but couldn't pass the Praxis for it despite intensive efforts by all involved. They were able to use another endorsement to teach, but could not teach what they were hired to teach, so after two years, the teacher was let go. Similarly, in NJ, a content area teacher without a TOSD certificate can get a provisional certificate if the other endorsement is a standard certificate, and teach while taking the coursework. I don't know if there are other endorsements like that, but I am well versed in that one. The state will give you one renewal, and if you don't have completed coursework by then you no longer can teach SPED. For many, that would be the end of the job. This isn't being told to teach something you aren't qualified to teach, but rather being hired with the full expectation that you fulfill your end of the bargain and complete all requirements.
My department head and her "inner circle" get all the best classes, every year. They always stick the male teachers with the bottom-of-the-barrel classes/students.
