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So, wanting a fair wage for a fair day's work is greed? Wanting to be able to save for your children's college is greed? Wanting to be able to retire someday is greed? Then count me among the greedy .
Yes, my income makes a difference to my family. Why is that so hard to believe? And no, I don't make enough. I've said before that if I stayed proportionally under what district teachers make I'd stay because it would only be a few years before we'd be ok but the school I work at does not give raises. They just watch teachers leave when they, finally, find something that pays a fair wage.
Why are you playing out such a personal decision and life quality issue out in a public forum with people you don't know? How do you know this hasn't got back to someone who has influence on your current and possibly your future employment?
Oh, of course all of those folks work with: a) CHILDREN b) The SAME children every day.
Top notch analogy. Uh huh.
So change it to a nurse caring for chronically ill children or a day care provider. No one is going to tell them there's an acceptable window during the year when you can leave and during the rest of the year you can't.
Nurses and daycares are year-round. There is no September-June (or at least to a nice semester break) schedule. In those professions it wouldn't make sense to have a certain calendar-based window of time.
I'm showing my pro sports ignorance here, and maybe this isn't at all applicable, but it comes to mind as another profession that's based on seasons and teams. I would assume that in most cases it would be frowned on to leave a team in the middle of the season.
I don't think society should hold teachers to a higher standard, but in general there should be some different standards to reflect the different nature of the job. Obviously it sounds like some tinkering of the larger schedule would go a long way to alleviate some of the pressures, and there needs to be protections in place for both the school and the teacher (it does need to be fair to both, and I agree, Ivory, that your particular school sounds like it has policies in place that do make it more justifiable to leave early), but overall the education system should be looked at in a different way than many professions. There shouldn't be higher standards, just different.
Nurses and daycares are year-round. There is no September-June (or at least to a nice semester break) schedule. In those professions it wouldn't make sense to have a certain calendar-based window of time.
I'm showing my pro sports ignorance here, and maybe this isn't at all applicable, but it comes to mind as another profession that's based on seasons and teams. I would assume that in most cases it would be frowned on to leave a team in the middle of the season.
I don't think society should hold teachers to a higher standard, but in general there should be some different standards to reflect the different nature of the job. Obviously it sounds like some tinkering of the larger schedule would go a long way to alleviate some of the pressures, and there needs to be protections in place for both the school and the teacher (it does need to be fair to both, and I agree, Ivory, that your particular school sounds like it has policies in place that do make it more justifiable to leave early), but overall the education system should be looked at in a different way than many professions. There shouldn't be higher standards, just different.
The point is, no one looks down on them for quitting. They just deal with it. Why should it be different for teachers when one of the major hiring times is after the school year starts? And, actually, there is a window for day care providers. Most families take the most time off in the summer making the summer a better time to quit if you're a day care provider. When I switched my girls from one day care to another, I did it late in the summer for this reason. My kids had been spending a minimum amount of time with their day care provider and were spending more time with us. We were the stability during the transition.
You could say that a nurse could leave between patients. She could stop taking new patients when she knew she was going to leave so as to minimize the impact of her leaving.
Honestly, if schools want teachers to stay the whole year, all they have to do is give an end of year bonus . Reduce the base pay and pay a certain amount on the last day of school.
As to that sports analogy, if they paid me like they pay sprots figures, I'd stay too. There is no issue of inadequate wages there. They're some of the highest paid people around.
A lot depends on what's in the contract you sign. Here, union teachers are paid very well. So leaving because of a "Pay issue" would pretty much be greed but, you know, people kind of have the right to be greedy if they want to be so I still don't get people getting their nose out of joint if a teacher did quit to take a higher paying job. Just put an end of year bonus into the contract like I said. The penalty is you don't get it if you leave.
So change it to a nurse caring for chronically ill children or a day care provider. No one is going to tell them there's an acceptable window during the year when you can leave and during the rest of the year you can't.
Already addressed the Day Care provider.
The nurses for chronically ll children a) do not have a start and stop date, b) often try to stay until the particular child they are working with gets past a critical health point, c) tend to retain contact after the child has left their care and is healthy - they seek to build connections with children, d) are seldom on a one year contract.
Further, none of them would deny that their leaving will have a detrimental impact on the children they leave behind.
The point is, no one looks down on them for quitting. They just deal with it. Why should it be different for teachers when one of the major hiring times is after the school year starts? And, actually, there is a window for day care providers. Most families take the most time off in the summer making the summer a better time to quit if you're a day care provider. When I switched my girls from one day care to another, I did it late in the summer for this reason. My kids had been spending a minimum amount of time with their day care provider and were spending more time with us. We were the stability during the transition.
You could say that a nurse could leave between patients. She could stop taking new patients when she knew she was going to leave so as to minimize the impact of her leaving.
Honestly, if schools want teachers to stay the whole year, all they have to do is give an end of year bonus . Reduce the base pay and pay a certain amount on the last day of school.
As to that sports analogy, if they paid me like they pay sprots figures, I'd stay too. There is no issue of inadequate wages there. They're some of the highest paid people around.
A lot depends on what's in the contract you sign. Here, union teachers are paid very well. So leaving because of a "Pay issue" would pretty much be greed but, you know, people kind of have the right to be greedy if they want to be so I still don't get people getting their nose out of joint if a teacher did quit to take a higher paying job. Just put an end of year bonus into the contract like I said. The penalty is you don't get it if you leave.
Why the bonus as you said they can easily replace you. As you said they don't factor longevity into their pay scale so they expect people to leave and that is a trade off for the low pay. You have the right so find a job and do it.
So, wanting a fair wage for a fair day's work is greed? Wanting to be able to save for your children's college is greed? Wanting to be able to retire someday is greed? Then count me among the greedy .
You pointed out that you turned down a job, hoping to make still more.
If your need was so great, then you would have taken the earlier position.
You gambled. THAT was the greed. (And your definition of a fair wage for a fair day's pay is debatable.)
Yes. As I've said, repeatedly, leaving isn't violating our contracts. We are at will employees. You are reading more into our signing contracts than is there. Our contracts are simply wage agreements. They state right in them that employment for the entire year is not required or guaranteed and that the contract can be cancelled by either party at any time for any reason. Where's the violation in leaving?
Throwing her a going away party would have been good for the kids.
Staying would have been good for the kids.
You, of all people, should not be making the "best interests of the kids" argument, when you have made it clear what your priorities are.
I have no idea if their throwing a party for her would have been better for the school or not, but if she left them hanging the way you are proposing leaving them hanging, then I see nothing constructive in their spending the childen's time doing so.
And I already pointed out, you don't know that the school refused to let her come back.
As to that sports analogy, if they paid me like they pay sprots figures, I'd stay too. There is no issue of inadequate wages there. They're some of the highest paid people around.
Great!
Go join A level baseball, where most first year baseball players start - you can make a whopping $850 per month in season.
The women playing professional football, perhaps? $100 per game, in 2001. Unclear that they get paid much now, either.
Boy, those glamorous professional athletes!
You mean the Major League players of football, baseball, etc.?
You are, by your own admission, not in their league.
So, wanting a fair wage for a fair day's work is greed? Wanting to be able to save for your children's college is greed? Wanting to be able to retire someday is greed? Then count me among the greedy .
Yes, my income makes a difference to my family. Why is that so hard to believe? And no, I don't make enough. I've said before that if I stayed proportionally under what district teachers make I'd stay because it would only be a few years before we'd be ok but the school I work at does not give raises. They just watch teachers leave when they, finally, find something that pays a fair wage.
Fair enough. So leave the profession. But why do you so badly seem to want for people on here to tell you that it's definitely not going to be perceived as unprofessional or inethical to leave a teaching post midyear?
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So, wanting a fair wage for a fair day's work is greed? Wanting to be able to save for your children's college is greed? Wanting to be able to retire someday is greed? Then count me among the greedy 
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