A few weeks in advance, our member had verbally arranged with her teaching team and principal to leave school early one afternoon. However, the day after her planned early departure, she received a concerning email from her principal instructing her to attend a meeting…and to bring union representation.

Understandably, she was anxious when she contacted Christian Educators. Having never faced a disciplinary issue, she didn’t know what to expect. She explained that she believed everything had been properly communicated to her team and principal, but noted that there was no written record of her requested leave. I told her I’d be happy to attend the meeting with her if she could confirm that it would be allowed.

Thankfully, I was able to join the meeting via phone. We began by acknowledging the principal’s position and concerns and our member’s responsibility to submit and receive written approval for any time away from the building. During the conversation, her principal realized he had previously discussed the plans with her but had forgotten due to the lack of documentation. The conversation went well—he was open, listened, and the misunderstanding was ultimately resolved. I believe our calm, non-defensive approach played a key role in the success and peaceful resolution of the issue.

Later, our member expressed how much it meant to her that I was able to step in on such short notice. She even mentioned that her principal commented positively about the interaction with Christian Educators, which reaffirmed for her that joining us was the right decision. Moments like this remind me why I do this work.