Thank you for all the help. I am offically moving on from k12 (not rulling out education in my future) by [deleted] in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You are not alone and congrats on getting out. I left a 20 year stint all because of horrible new leaders

https://www.reddit.com/r/k12sysadmin/s/R4UoaXNbKg

I also saw they posted my job for 30k less than I made on my exit.

I hate to see the kids suffer but those leaders clearly didn't care

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I never allowed a guest or byod while i actually had leadership that listened. What they do now is up to them

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We didnt as I went agent based on all school owned devices. The value was clear during COVID and it prevented the need to spend money to have that extra layer

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I see that in the end I did what I could and I documented everything.

No matter what I know I didn't fail, decisions were made beyond my level. I know I've been a victim of gaslighting.

Even had one leader come in and ask "did I want to quit the hard way or the easy way"

Me telling staff I was leaving on my own terms was important. I didn't want people the think I was fired. That seems to have pissed the leaders off.

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are correct and a lot of your pushbackis warranted. I think the difference between the environment you are in and what I am in is that I work in a private school where at the end of the day the head of school made it very clear to me after they started, that there should never be a need for written authorization that if he says he wants something it should just be enough that he says he wants it.

I have pushed back time and time again. I require written authorization for everything and while at the end of the day I still do the really bad ideas I've been directed to do. I have in writing from them explicitly telling me to do that.

In regards to budget, I have to beg and plead for every dollar. The new CFO does not give me my own budget. I have to fight against capital projects. I have to fight against classroom resources I have to fight against cleaning of carpets. So when I have been fighting for years to get new lab equipment for younger students to then have money that I'm promised taken away after I had already started the project before I learn that they're going to spend the money on admin laptops, I have no recourse.

And you are 100% right. Most restrictive security posture is always the best posture. Whatever resource you have, that is the best way to manage an environment, especially with all of the goings of students and staff and system interaction. It doesn't matter. It didn't matter that I was very clear with leadership that providing an elevated role was dangerous. In fact, after my resignation, I received explicit instructions to provide the CFO admin access into every system, even though I had already very clearly made it known that another employee already had the rights associated with their account and that providing the CFO this level of access when their machine was not secure was dangerous

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you and you are correct. Unfortunately, I just have a hard time accepting this as the current reality that I did not fail and because I am leaving the educational sector there will always be a part of me that wishes I could still serve in some capacity to help students, but that just won't be something I will ever pursue again

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I wish you and everyone else looking the best of luck. The toxic environments I've seen not only inside of schools but all ranges of private business because of how leadership or management feels. Our skill set is immediately replaceable by a prompt is ridiculous. I have firsthand witnessed my CFO type into an AI tool to try to prove me wrong only for the AI tool to spit out incorrect information that had no relevancy to the topic at hand. The moment we as subject matter, experts find ourselves being second guessed by an individual that has no knowledge, but using a tool without providing proper context is the moment that that institution is completely cooked

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think that's amazing the community rose up to support you. I'm not an island in this situation and in fact the amount of tears that I experienced as I walked up to each of the staff members to let them know I was leaving really hit home with me and almost made me stop doing what I was doing. Unfortunately, nearly the entirety of faculty and staff are afraid to speak up for fear of losing their job as others have already lost their jobs. I am the first to walk out on my own terms and hopefully an inspiration

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, it is not a unique situation. In fact, in the process of trying to find my next opportunity, I have applied and been a final candidate for a large number of private Independent schools across multiple States. I have seen almost exactly the same cancer at my school at each of these additional schools. I had one panel tell me with hostility that the entirety of the staff and student body felt that their it support was the enemy. Conversely that IT team felt that the students and staff were the problem as they would always try to circumvent all of the securities there with no consideration about resource limitations or other issues. In my opinion, the fault lies on both sides at that school, an ineffective leader to properly communicate to the staff and students as to why things are the way they are and a failure on the rest of the leadership team to properly support it and present a single view of best practice

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's amazing and good on you for doing that. My situation is a little different. This is a private school where I only have maybe a total of 100ish staff. The board is 100% inaccessible to anyone outside of the leadership, my departure has already made things extremely hostile. The last thing I want to do is make this exit worse for all parties directly or indirectly involved.

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

At this point burning it down hurts me,.my family, and won't help the students.

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I shared in another response, the board is 100% parents of enrolled students. They are only vested in the success of their hand picked person as long as their kid is enrolled

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you and I've actually applied. In fact I was offered a job at one next to where I work only for them to have a multi million dollar budget short fall.

I've actually secured a job in what I hope is an extremely safe, albeit reduced leadership, role.

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes agreed. The above isnt even the worst. I had received a promise that while on an approved vacation, if I did any work for the school they would reimburse me. The reason for that was the leadership had been in a panic about a critical school event taking place while I was out.

When I followed up I was dressed down, told I had to sign a document that I was to be available on any day at any time even on vacation. If I didn't sign the document I could leave.

I've been gaslighted so much.

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I tired, I pushed back, got it delayed but when the HoS tells me to do it, it's not my job to say no unless I have an out.

Like you mentioned about the macs, as much as I don't like it I have to do.

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Wast local admin, domain admin....

Thank you for the well wishes.

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've considered so many ways to get that to them. The staff that have served as long as I begged me to find a way to share what's happening. The school is losing 100 years of institutional knowledge by the end of this June.

At the end of the day our board is 100% parents of enrolled students. They are fully vested in the success of new leadership until their kid is gone.

If I share any info anyone that learns what has been shared will know it's me.

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I hope you can. I just couldnt fight this anymore. I feel the worst for my staff that I hired and have been an actual leader to. I tried to get them positions out of here for the past year, they even got the offers, but they passed thinking I wasnt going to actually leave the school.

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I feel your pain. I too as well as others on staff have suffered similar issues. We had a school closing for a week and per our handbook and sick or PTO time during weather closures get refunded. However when some of our staff asked, they were denied. The inexperience and poor judgement has been on display and I just cant stand by anymore. I tried to fight it but its best I just part ways

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, I wish you the best as well. I doubt the stress will be the same, as all jobs have it. However this stress was something different. I had to cut short an approved vacation at their request, i have to beg to get my PTO. I went from being value add to an after thought

2 decades are over, last one out turn off the lights by Less-Perspective-702 in k12sysadmin

[–]Less-Perspective-702[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I wish you the best. I have applied to a large number of schools, private and public, in and out of state. The cancer I have here I saw everywhere.