Breaking a contract

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Home : 2004 : September : 27

Breaking a contract
By Cathy-Dee

What you'll need to get is a copy of your current contract and it wouldn't hurt to talk to your professional organization as well.

Generally you can break a contract as in any job by giving adequate notice. In the case
of most teaching jobs you have to give at least 4 weeks notice (so if you wanted to quit for November 1st you would have to resign by September 30th). This is where the problem lies for most teachers is that other jobs usually do not want to wait for you to get out of your other contract.
Legally they cannot hire you until your other contract is terminated.
The only alternative would

be to talk to your current Principal and see if you can get out of your contract quicker - but don't do this until you have a job offer from the other Principal. While it is not great to quit part-way through a year many school districts will allow a teacher out of a contract especially if they are moving out of the district. However keep this in mind - if you do quit you will have probably have burned any bridges of teaching for that particular school district in the future.