unemployment for teachers during Covid (insurance, how much, employment)

[mvpsharky]

Hello. I have a question about unemployment for teachers during Covid. I am a teacher in MA, and due to the pandemic, there was no Summer school (which I work every Summer). I applied for unemployment, and my determination came back "ineligible, not denied" because of a "contract of reasonable assurance". I appealed, but was wondering if any other teachers that had this issue. Some of my coworkers got approved. thanks for any help.

[mvpsharky]

Any teachers out there?

[jtolpin]

I wonder if you would qualify for pandemic unemployment since the school was closed for the summer.

[yesmaybe]

Originally Posted by jtolpin

I wonder if you would qualify for pandemic unemployment since the school was closed for the summer.

I think what OP is talking about is Summer School gigs.

If OP is employed full time by a school, I would have to think they would still be considered employed even though they don't technically work in July and August.

[mvpsharky]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

I think what OP is talking about is Summer School gigs.

If OP is employed full time by a school, I would have to think they would still be considered employed even though they don't technically work in July and August.

well, I'm contracted from Sept to June. my contract ended June 30th. Summer school is a seperate contract. the reason I was denied ... well, they said "ineligible, not denied" ... was because I have a contract in Sept. they claimed "reasonable assurance" as the reason. but I wasn't offered any Summer work because of Covid. I appealed, and if denied again I guess I'll apply for pandemic reief. was curious if any other reachers went through this

[yesmaybe]

Originally Posted by mvpsharky

well, I'm contracted from Sept to June. my contract ended June 30th. Summer school is a seperate contract. the reason I was denied ... well, they said "ineligible, not denied" ... was because I have a contract in Sept. they claimed "reasonable assurance" as the reason. but I wasn't offered any Summer work because of Covid. I appealed, and if denied again I guess I'll apply for pandemic reief. was curious if any other reachers went through this

It sounds to me that they consider you an employee of the school and not unemployed. Are you still getting benefits from the school?

You could try PUA, but I dunno. Not sure how much longer it has though.

[mvpsharky]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

It sounds to me that they consider you an employee of the school and not unemployed. Are you still getting benefits from the school?

You could try PUA, but I dunno. Not sure how much longer it has though.

no benefts, no pay in Summer unless I'm working

[porterhouse]

You lose your insurance over the summer? Where do you teach?

[mvpsharky]

Originally Posted by porterhouse

You lose your insurance over the summer? Where do you teach?

we still have insurance, but the Summer months are paid for durring the school year. I work for a not-for-profit collaborative. not a school district.

[OtterTrees]

It sounds like seasonal work that you get hired for every summer. If that is the case, then you technically didn't lose employment since the job didn't exist in the first place this summer. They could argue that you could have looked for other seasonal employment. If it isn't part of your regular job or contract then I don't see how it is a job or income loss.

When I was in college, I had a seasonal summer job that I did year every year. It had a start and end date every year even though I usually just called up and told them when I was available and was rehired every year without actually formally reapplying or anything even though my phone was basically my "application." After graduating, I had a full time job and would no longer be doing seasonal work. I didn't have to quit that seasonal job or anything, I just didn't reapply/get rehired because, as I said, the job was seasonal with beginning and end dates. There was no guarantee that job would exist every summer season, I was just lucky that it did.