EDD claim confusion - summer school contract after regular teaching layoff
I just got laid off from my teaching position but still have to work until June 6th. Here's my situation - I signed up for summer school teaching (4 weeks) before I knew about the layoff. Now I'm trying to figure out if I can file for unemployment on June 6th when my regular contract ends, or if the summer school contract will mess that up. They're completely separate contracts (one for regular 2023-2024 year, one for summer 2024). I've already contacted HR about backing out of the summer contract but haven't heard anything back. Will EDD consider me unemployed after June 6th even with this pending summer contract? I'm worried about getting denied benefits if I report June 6th as my last day but then have this summer contract issue hanging over me.
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Oliver Becker
Your situation is tricky but not uncommon for educators. EDD has specific rules about this. Since you have two separate contracts, your regular teaching position ending June 6th does qualify as a layoff. However, EDD will ask about any upcoming work during your certification process. You should file your claim right after your last day (June 6th), listing that as your last day of work. During certification, you'll need to report any hours/wages from summer school if you end up working it. If you successfully opt out of the summer contract, then you won't have to report anything. Make sure to keep documentation showing the contracts are separate, and any communication about your attempt to opt out of summer school.
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Amina Bah
•Thanks for the info! So even though I haven't actually started the summer contract, I should still file on June 6th? I'm just worried about them seeing that I have future work lined up and denying me outright.
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Natasha Petrova
OMG I had almost EXACTLY the same situation last year!!! The school district laid me off but I had already signed up for summer school before I knew. EDD is SUPER confusing with education jobs because they have all these weird rules for school employees. I ended up just being honest and it was a MESS. Took like 8 weeks to sort out!!!
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Amina Bah
•Oh no, 8 weeks?! That's what I'm afraid of. Did you end up getting benefits for the period between your regular job ending and summer school starting?
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Javier Hernandez
You're dealing with what EDD calls "reasonable assurance" issues. For educators, this can get complicated. Here's what you need to know: 1. Your regular teaching contract ending June 6th is a qualifying separation 2. The summer school contract is separate work 3. You should file your initial claim immediately after June 6th 4. Be 100% transparent about the summer contract 5. If you successfully cancel the summer contract, provide that documentation If you DO work summer school, you'll report those earnings during certification, which may reduce or eliminate benefits for those weeks. But after summer school ends, you can resume full benefits if you're still unemployed. Don't worry about being denied outright - the worst case is reduced benefits during summer school weeks.
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Amina Bah
•This is really helpful, thank you! I'll gather all the documentation showing these are separate contracts. Hopefully HR gets back to me soon about canceling the summer position.
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Emma Davis
my wife is a teacher and she gets unemployment every summer no problem
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Oliver Becker
•That's actually not typical for teachers who have reasonable assurance of returning in the fall. Most educators with continuing employment don't qualify for summer benefits. Your wife's situation must be different - perhaps she's a substitute, part-time, or doesn't have a contract for the following year?
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LunarLegend
Just sharing my experience - I was in a similar spot and tried calling EDD to clarify before filing. BIG MISTAKE! Spent 3 days trying to get through, constantly getting the "we're experiencing high call volume" message and disconnects. So frustrating!!
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Malik Jackson
•Same experience trying to reach EDD about my teaching claim! I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Totally worth it because the rep explained exactly how to handle my summer school situation. Saved me weeks of confusion and worry!
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Isabella Oliveira
Ugh the EDD system is DESIGNED to confuse educators! My district HR person told me they do this on purpose because they don't want to pay teachers unemployment during breaks. The whole "reasonable assurance" thing is a scam to save them money. I bet they'll find some reason to deny your claim no matter what you do. The system is rigged against us!!
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Javier Hernandez
•While I understand your frustration, the reasonable assurance provision isn't a scam - it's actually written into unemployment insurance law specifically for educational institutions. The rationale is that teachers with contracts for the following school year aren't truly unemployed during summer breaks, just on scheduled time off. However, in the original poster's case, they've been laid off and don't have reasonable assurance for the fall, which is why they should qualify for benefits after June 6th (with the summer school complication addressed separately).
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Amina Bah
Update: HR finally got back to me and said I can opt out of the summer contract! They're sending me an official cancellation form tomorrow. So it looks like I'll be completely done on June 6th with no future work lined up. Based on everyone's advice, I'll file my claim right after my last day and make sure to keep all documentation showing my situation. Thanks everyone for the help!
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Oliver Becker
•That's great news! Make sure to save that cancellation form as PDF and keep it handy in case EDD asks questions. Since you won't have any summer work now, your claim should be pretty straightforward. If you have any issues during the process, don't hesitate to come back here for more advice.
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LunarLegend
dont forget you have to do the ID.me verification thing when you apply! it took me forever to figure that out
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Amina Bah
•Thanks for the reminder! I haven't done the ID.me process before. Is it difficult to complete?
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Oliver Becker
•ID.me is required for all new claims. It's not too difficult, but make sure you have: - A smartphone for the verification process - Your driver's license or state ID - Social security number - A quiet, well-lit place to take a clear photo/video The process usually takes about 15-20 minutes if everything goes smoothly. Do it during business hours when their support is available, just in case you run into any issues.
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Sean Flanagan
Congratulations on getting that summer contract situation sorted out! That's a huge relief. Just wanted to add one more tip - when you file your claim, make sure to have your SF-8 form (Notice to Employee as to Possible Eligibility for Unemployment Insurance Benefits) ready. Your school district should have given you this when they notified you about the layoff. EDD will ask for information from this form during your application process. Also, keep any documentation about your layoff reason and effective dates handy. Since you're laid off (not just end of contract), you should have a smoother process than teachers who are just between school years. Good luck with your claim!
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Anastasia Popova
•Thank you so much for mentioning the SF-8 form! I completely forgot about that - I think I have it somewhere in my paperwork pile. I'll make sure to dig it out before I file. It's really helpful to know that being laid off (versus just end of contract) should make the process smoother. I was so worried about getting caught up in all the education-specific rules, but it sounds like my situation is actually more straightforward than I thought. Appreciate all the detailed advice everyone has given - this community has been incredibly helpful!
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