teacher needs advice

[yorkie]

Underwent IVF cycle last June - was sucessful but sadly I miscarried. I am a teacher whose head teacher is VERY unsympathetic to any kind of illness/health problem. She was quite difficult about me having time off last May/June despite the fact that I gave them plently of warning so they could find a supply teacher (they didn't), postponed my cycle until after GCSEs and made sure plenty of work was set for my kids.

I intend to try IVF again in December/January and if that fails I will hope to try again in May/June. I'm sure my boss will be very difficult about me having time off. She considers IVF to be some kind of 'lifestyle choice' and as it is not an operation for something like a heart bypass she is seems to feel it is not necessary for me to have time off for it!

Are there any other teachers out there (or anybody) who have had similar difficulties? How did they deal with their awkward bosses?

Thanks to anyone who can advise me!

Yorkie

[DebraP]

Hi there, sorry your boss is unsympathetic, there are plenty about!

There are other teachers on the board, quite a few I think. You might want to try posting a 'Advice needed from teachers' type of Q. post on both the General Forum and Pg after Tmt to get the maximum response.

One thing that occured to me, as you've already got a timeplan, is it not possible to coordinate your tmt with the Christmas and summer holidays? Is the former too tricky with clinic closures??? I appreciate you might not want to use your holiday but if your boss is really so miserable and this puts stress on you, why have the tmt in term-time? It's NOT a lifestyle choice and shouldn't be seen differently from any other medical tmt but she's your boss Alternatively, have you asked your union for advice? what about the local education authority HR people? you might find, given teaching's high female ratios, that there are plenty of examples of this in other local schools and how they handled this.

You didn't say how much time you took off last time but many people only take EC + ET and part of the 2ww off but again, this is personal choice.

hth
Debra