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When I was still in school long time ago, couple of my teachers told me they got maybe a few weeks off in June and had mandatory meetings and/or lectures to update them on changes and such starting in July. Our school year started day after labor day, but the teachers reported to the school in August for registration and to start planning curriculum. And then during the school years they even spent weekends grading papers and writing tests. When my daughter was in school they used print out tests that were premade for them to give to students, but when I was in school the teachers wrote their own tests and used their own curriculum.
Yes. During the school year we put in many extra hours during evenings and weekends planning, grading, etc. We report August 17 and the students start August 28, but we get paid for the days before school begins. I hVe never been required to do anything when not under contract.
They "don't get paid for summer break"? They get an annual salary for the entire year; that would be getting paid for summer break. They can always work another job those three months and make even more money that others who get an annual salary but have to show up every day of the year.
They "don't get paid for summer break"? They get an annual salary for the entire year; that would be getting paid for summer break. They can always work another job those three months and make even more money that others who get an annual salary but have to show up every day of the year.
This was covered by another post actually. Some districts pay you for the months you work, some pay you throughout the year and a few others give you the option either way. Only hourly staff like aides, instructional assistants, etc. are truly paid for the hours they work. If their work calendar is 180 days and 10 holidays, they only get paid for 190 days while office staff or district staff will likely even work summers, making their pay about 35 days more with two additional paid holidays. Teachers and admin who are salaried are not paid for that.
As for they could just get another job, many actually do whether it is summer or all year. Some work retail, some work summer camps, some work entertainment venues...
Yes. During the school year we put in many extra hours during evenings and weekends planning, grading, etc. We report August 17 and the students start August 28, but we get paid for the days before school begins. I hVe never been required to do anything when not under contract.
Again, who doesn't in this day and age?
This is what I don't understand about these arguments over wages and working conditions. I work in IT in the private sector for a large employer. I'm fortunate in that I generally work a flat 40 hours, but many other staff in my department routinely work 50+.
I'm salaried. I don't get overtime, or even comp time for any hours over forty. I'm part of an on-call rotation. If I have to work all night when something breaks, the expectation is that I'm back in the office the following day.
We only get the six major holidays off, much less a week and a half at Christmas, a spring break, and all the other nonsummer vacation days schools get. Yes, teachers will have in-service and other days, and may work longer hours during the school year, but their annual hours are not going to approach many professions in the private sector. Not even close.
My initial knee-jerk reaction to this is that our whole education system, especially K-12 is a complete joke. It's not surprising, however, when teaching - as a profession in America - carries little respect in most states and even less pay. Except for the wealthiest districts, we generally expect teachers to be happy with salaries which are solidly low-income and then complain about student performance. There's a direct correlation! Look at countries where teaching is actually a respected profession; licenses are difficult to obtain (i.e. high bar for performance) and the pay in return is high. Also, college degrees are affordable, making it possible for actually intelligent people (not just those with good credit or wealthy parents) to pursue teaching as a career. Are we actually surprised that teachers are burning out, and turnover is high? And we think it's heroic that they use their own money to pay for school supplies, while also in many cases paying off student loans, while on food stamps. Why isn't our reaction instead one of shock and disgust that our education system is so broken that it's actually come to this?
We will only get out of our education system what we put into it, and continually throwing money at classroom technology and bloated administration costs while failing to actually address the *root cause* of the issue (inadequate emphasis on education at the Federal level, under-qualified teachers, low salaries, poor funding structure that unequally allocates resources based on zip code), will result in American kids in public schools continuing to struggle when compared to their peers globally. It's a fact that our mathematics, science, and technology education is lacking, now what are we going to do about it?
My initial knee-jerk reaction to this is that our whole education system, especially K-12 is a complete joke. It's not surprising, however, when teaching - as a profession in America - carries little respect in most states and even less pay. Except for the wealthiest districts, we generally expect teachers to be happy with salaries which are solidly low-income and then complain about student performance. There's a direct correlation! Look at countries where teaching is actually a respected profession; licenses are difficult to obtain (i.e. high bar for performance) and the pay in return is high. Also, college degrees are affordable, making it possible for actually intelligent people (not just those with good credit or wealthy parents) to pursue teaching as a career. Are we actually surprised that teachers are burning out, and turnover is high? And we think it's heroic that they use their own money to pay for school supplies, while also in many cases paying off student loans, while on food stamps. Why isn't our reaction instead one of shock and disgust that our education system is so broken that it's actually come to this?
We will only get out of our education system what we put into it, and continually throwing money at classroom technology and bloated administration costs while failing to actually address the *root cause* of the issue (inadequate emphasis on education at the Federal level, under-qualified teachers, low salaries, poor funding structure that unequally allocates resources based on zip code), will result in American kids in public schools continuing to struggle when compared to their peers globally. It's a fact that our mathematics, science, and technology education is lacking, now what are we going to do about it?
To be fair, even in Arizona which depending on study is 49th or 50th out of the 50 states pay wise, requirements require a teaching degree. I would be a teacher already if not for that fact since I've basically subbed due to the nature of special education classrooms where subs do stereotypical sub work (nothing except attendence). The only thing i didn't do was plan but because of state requirements. Yet the governor tried to decrease them but it really hasn't gone into effect at all and has been a waste of government intervention into the school problem. Maybe try actually tossing money at them rather than a race to the bottom?
Teachers get paid for the days they work, typically 185-205 days. Those teachers who get paid during the summer are actually getting deferred compensation, the pay is spread over, typically but not always since some systems issue paychecks once a month, 26 pays rather than 22.
yep that's what I was saying, sorry if it didn't come across that way.
This is what I don't understand about these arguments over wages and working conditions. I work in IT in the private sector for a large employer. I'm fortunate in that I generally work a flat 40 hours, but many other staff in my department routinely work 50+.
I'm salaried. I don't get overtime, or even comp time for any hours over forty. I'm part of an on-call rotation. If I have to work all night when something breaks, the expectation is that I'm back in the office the following day.
We only get the six major holidays off, much less a week and a half at Christmas, a spring break, and all the other nonsummer vacation days schools get. Yes, teachers will have in-service and other days, and may work longer hours during the school year, but their annual hours are not going to approach many professions in the private sector. Not even close.
So do teachers yet states fear giving them the dreaded raise even though they are forced to do more for less. Now yes, hourly work is similar with some days of meetings or sports working to be 12+ hours just as being told to stay Saturday and Sunday in IT. Just as you are told to cover sometimes, in high school you will have to cover for an out teacher from time to time due to a lack of subs (I can't comment on elementary) and not be able to grade or prep for classes that day or the next similar to IT with departing team members. However one example that is different is supplies. For IT, your computer, desk, chair, etc. are paid for within reasonable request for the most part as are teachers, however if they want to follow the syllabus and there aren't say cooking supplies and food allocated, it comes out of the teachers pocket most times. This adds up over the 180 school in session days, even the week, week and a half prep time before school starts up.
I can concede that they work fewer days. They get roughly a month and a half, off during summer besides any outside training. But it isn't the 3 months that the idiots who think they know teaching better than the teachers themselves think it is. I'm not saying you are one, but we have seen it in this thread and others.
This is what I don't understand about these arguments over wages and working conditions. I work in IT in the private sector for a large employer. I'm fortunate in that I generally work a flat 40 hours, but many other staff in my department routinely work 50+.
I'm salaried. I don't get overtime, or even comp time for any hours over forty. I'm part of an on-call rotation. If I have to work all night when something breaks, the expectation is that I'm back in the office the following day.
We only get the six major holidays off, much less a week and a half at Christmas, a spring break, and all the other nonsummer vacation days schools get. Yes, teachers will have in-service and other days, and may work longer hours during the school year, but their annual hours are not going to approach many professions in the private sector. Not even close.
I get really tired of the "teachers are saints" thing. It's actually one of the easiest courses of study you can follow in college. And we won't mention all that scandals lately with teachers having affairs with students. They can carry guns in school when they start showing some maturity and good judgment...
West Virginia doesn't have the money. There isn't one area in the state that has an economic boom. The state doesn't have millions to give to raise salaries. I feel for the teachers, but when you took the job, you knew what the pay was. If you wanted to make more money, then you should find a job that pays better. I don't know anyone who went into teaching who became wealthy or even really well off.
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