Any teachers here take their vacation during the school year?

[BensWife]

I've only missed school a couple of times for a vacation. The first time was a week off for my honeymoon, and I got it cleared by my principal before we booked the vacation. The other was for a cruise during Thanksgiving week. We had the whole week of Thanksgiving off for the past 5 years, so when we made the reservations a year in advance, I figured we would have the whole week off. Well, of course our district changed the schedule for that year only and I ended up missing 2 days. One time I did miss a day because of a weekend getaway and our plane was delayed, so I missed Monday - but that wasn't my fault. Anyway, DH and I are planning DLR vacation for our 10th anniversary. We want to go the actual week of our anniversary. So, that means I will miss a week of school. By contract, I do have 5 "personal" days I can take, so technically I can do it with or without my principal's permission, but I don't want it to be like that. I now have a different principal than I did when I missed the week for my honeymoon. One thing in my favor is that I teach music, which is not a tested subject on our state tests. Any advice for me when asking for the time off? It isn't until next September, but we would like rent points for a DVC villa at the Grand Cali and we would need to do it soon. Thanks!

 

[NiceOneSimba]

Five personal days a year, and you can use them all at once? I am jealous!

If you can "technically" use all five of your personal days without your principal's decision, don't give him/her the opportunity to say no, especially if your contract doesn't give him/her that right. You have every right to follow the provisions of your contract without feeling guilty, including taking all five of your days at once to take a vacation.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't give your principal a heads up that you are planning a trip, but that's all it should be--a professional courtesy to let him or her know you are planning to take a vacation next September. I'd just tell him/her (and the person who is responsible for sub coverage in your building): "My husband and I are planning a vacation for our 10th anniversary, which is next September. I'll be using all five of my personal days, and will be missing a week of school. I'll be formally requesting the days at the appropriate time, but I thought I'd inform you as a courtesy."

Then, you go ahead and make your plans!

Before you book, I'd make sure you know the provisions of your contract and your district's procedures for requesting those personal days. Does your district let you request days off a year in advance (some of them do that around here), or just when the school year starts (how mine works)? Either way, request the dates as soon as possible, especially if your district puts a limit on how many people can use personal days at any given time.

Also check to make sure your district doesn't have policies about when you can use the days. We can't use them during the first or last 3 weeks of school. If your district has policies like that, and you start after Labor Day, it could be an issue depending on the actual dates.

Just follow the procedures set forth in your contract for requesting the days off, make the travel plans, and inform the necessary parties well ahead of time, and enjoy your vacation!

 

[teacherlisa1978]

I'm an elementary specialist too (reading) and I only get 2 personal days a year. Our policy is to ask for permission to be gone as soon as we know our dates. We don't have to share the reason but we usually do. We don't have any requirements about time of year, although I know some nearby schools won't allow you to tack them on to holiday weekends. It's not a problem at my school though.

I have Fridays off and just returned from a 5 day DLR vacation a couple of weeks ago. We left Thursday night after work and I was back at school Wednesday morning.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[teach1abc]

Being a music specialist, do they let you get a substitute when you are absent? The only problem you might run into is that if there is no substitute, your absence would affect every teacher in the school. If you don't get a substitute, I would run it by your principal. As a classroom teacher, I think it is easier to take time off, as long as you get one substitute for the whole week, which shouldn't require the principals permission.

 

[nikkislaght]

I travel with my boss..
she takes her niece and I my son, and we arrange subs and we go.. !!
I know that doesn't help you, but that's how I get my time off..


Always pays to be nice to the boss

 

[deanimal]

Five personal days is pretty good. Are there any restrictions such as only one teacher per school allowed off at once or anything? My husband only gets three and he still needs prior approval and the principal usually won't okay it if anyone else is already taking the days off. We had a huge problem one year when we booked a cruise for the first week of January with my husband's parents based on his mom's school calendar in another province. When we got our school calendar a few months later we found that we had the week before Christmas off and were supposed to be back the day after New Years! My husband had to use all his personal days PLUS pay for a sub out of pocket for the last two days. So if you can get a week, I'd say take it!

 

[lucysmom]

I get three personal days and I am tacking them on to the regularly scheduled holiday break. My son is taking me to DLR for the Christmas celebration. I have a student teacher and he will love subbing for me.

 

[lalasmama]

DH took his 2 personal days off for a DLR trip this last February. He's a teacher in a self-contained SpEd class.

That being said... leaving for a week in September seems like bad timing. I know you can't change your anniversary, but it seems like DH spends most of September getting kids into daily schedule routines, and it seems like that would be more difficult to do if there's a sub during your class, especially if you only have the kids once to twice a week. I don't know, just my rambling thoughts!

(On a side note, DH said [and I agree] he is totally jealous of 5 personal days per year!)

 

[BensWife]

Thanks for the great info. In my district, the only limit to our personal days are to give them 2 weeks notice beforehand (if possible) and you can't take them right before or right after a holiday to extend a vacation. Also, we have lots of subs, so getting a sub won't be a problem. And, being that I have all the kids every year, they already know my procedures (other than the new students to our building) even at the beginning of the year. Thanks for the info.

 

[Pacific Northwest]

I don't usually do it because I hate missing multiple days in a row. It's hard on my students and it's a pain to plan for and recover from. I teach math and it's difficult to find a sub that is capable of teaching it which means I have to have the kids do review work.

I am making an exception this March though. It'll be my family's first Disney trip in about 5 years. My district has an optional professional development day on a Friday that I'm opting out of. I'll take Thursday and Monday off using personal leave. As was mentioned by another poster above, I followed the procedures outlined in my bargaining agreement for the use of personal leave.

NO guilt at all and very excited to visit my happy place again!

 

[PattiPB]

My previous principal questioned my days off to take my 82-year-old father to Chemo.

My new principal felt that taking days off for the Tower of Terror 10-miler qualified as medical because the doctor thinks my health is important.

Can you tell why I changed schools???

If you were in my [huge] district, I would tell you to hold out until you can gauge your principal's feelings about both you and time off. Since you have time, I'd wait until the right time and circumstances to talk about how important your marriage is to your effectiveness as an educator.

As a teacher married to a teacher, time off during the school year doesn't come easy or often, but it is worth it every time.

 

[sandysue]

My children's unexcused absences, such as a family vacation, count against our school. We schedule our vacations when they are out of school, though we will head straight to the airport on the last day of school, which is only a half day.
I have fond memories of month long road trips during summers as a child with my parent teachers. They weren't luxury trips because teachers aren't paid enough, but having summers off did compensate some.

 

[mjh2901]

I work in a high school district. Because of my position I work hard in the summer and take vacation during the school year. Give your management as much notification as humanely possible. Everyone knows you have vacation and the union backs you in using it.
I would recommend finding your dates, checking with your manager then booking and turning in the formal paperwork. Because vacation and personal days are money that have to be carried over in budget most people try to approve everyones requests because lowers that budgetary amount. (unused vacation and personal leave is issued as a check upon termination. That money is a budget item that follows people around keeping the number low is a good thing.)
A lot of time if a direct supervisor just says no to everything a quick talk with your shop steward will fix everything especially since there is pressure from above your management to get people to use vacation, not save it up.

After all that I agree with others above september is a bad time. Look to the end of september early october. Depending on when school starts. The first month is sort of untouchable. Its to much of a marathon to get school started and the first few weeks are so hectic everyone likes things to calm down before teachers start taking on off on vacation.

Its a great time of year to head to the parks though.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

My husband has been at his school for 10 years. He gets 10 sick days per year and 3 family days per year. In his 10 years I think he has called in sick maybe twice. So he takes a week off of school every year for DL and 2 days off in March for March Madness.

He just puts in for a sub, no issues.

 

[Malcon10t]

I would be nervous about using all the days and not having anything should something come up towards the end of the year.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

My district gives 10 days per year that can be used as personal or sick days. We can accrue them from year-to-year. I think right now I have over a month of time accrued. As a teaching assistant, I don't normally take days off during the school year unless I need to. Even with so much time accrued, I'm afraid either I or one of my kids will suddenly need me to be off work. I took a few days off when the oldest got his wisdom teeth out. Several years ago I sprained my ankle badly and was able to take three weeks off with pay.

That said, our contract says that we aren't entitled to actual "vacation" time during the year. We do accrue vacation days, but we get paid off for them every month. I work 25 hours a week and get paid for just over 4 hours of vacation each month. If we put in for an absence, we have to give a reason (illness, personal necessity, jury duty, bereavement, school business, etc.). I think using our personal time as vacation time would be frowned upon. I know people have done it plenty of times and had it approved. I also think some principals don't like it.