Inspired by another thread, another board: Teachers and vacations!

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Poll coming..

If you are a teacher or are familiar with the teacher benefits in your area--do the teachers per their contract receive paid "vacation" time (not to be confused with personal time for medical, personal, professional needs).

I'm talking--taking a week off while school is in session and the district allows this per contract.

I've never heard of this--but some on the thread mentioned that as teachers they can do this.

Thanks for your help in the is DIS-scientifc poll.

 

[chrissyk]

My teacher mother does receive both personal days and "sick days" that can apparently be used like personal days. Now, I have never heard of her or any of her friends taking a week's "vacation" using these days, but I suppose that they could if they got it approved ahead of time.

I have no clue if the policy is the same in our own school district. Even if it is, I guess that I can't imagine taking a "vacation" when my students are in class. A personal day is one thing, but a week's vacation during the school year should be frowned upon even if it's "allowed" IMHO.

ETA - In my mother's district, that personal/sick time is "use it or lose it". It can't even be donated to a bank for employees who get sick with cancer or something, thanks to their wonderful teacher's union there

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I tried googling for the policy in our county with no success.

I suspect the answer is no...I know a married with kids assistant principal and a formerly single with no kids (now married with new baby).

The AP--now and when he was a teacher....always vacations in the summer and plans his stuff for when school is not in session. He did this before his kids were even in school, so them missing school wasn't a factor.

The friend--was always planning her trips and stuff for when school was not in session as well.

I would suspect that such a policy does not exist in our county. I'm sure they do get paid leave for the usual medical and personal stuff that happens.

 

[RitaZ.]

I don't think it's the kind of thing that they (district) "advertise". However, my friend is a teacher and she took a week off to go skiing with her family in January. She was honest with the principal about where she was going and the vacation was approved.

 

[chrissyk]

I tried googling for the policy in our county with no success.

I suspect the answer is no...I know a married with kids assistant principal and a formerly single with no kids (now married with new baby).

The AP--now and when he was a teacher....always vacations in the summer and plans his stuff for when school is not in session. He did this before his kids were even in school, so them missing school wasn't a factor.

The friend--was always planning her trips and stuff for when school was not in session as well.

I would suspect that such a policy does not exist in our county. I'm sure they do get paid leave for the usual medical and personal stuff that happens.

You have to bear in mind that FL is a "right to work" state, whereas other states (like where my mom teaches) are heavily unionized. That is probably a big factor. I know that the teachers' union in my mom's state is way powerful and way out-of-control. The "use it or lose it" policy with the sick time/personal time does encourage teachers to just take off time during the school year for whatever. They just have to get it approved ahead of time (but sometimes not much ahead of time).

Seriously, though, I can't imagine going into teaching and thinking that I was going to vacation whenever the urge struck me. For one thing, teachers have a good amount of time off during the calendar year. For another, the career itself implies that you're there to TEACH the students. Vacations can wait for VACATION time, KWIM?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

You are right it is "right to work"...but if you don't feel like working--your employer can feel like not employing you .

I do get what you mean though.

 

[chrissyk]

You are right it is "right to work"...but if you don't feel like working--your employer can feel like not employing you .

I do get what you mean though.

That's what "right to work" means My former admin put it best when she said that the union protects the people who choose not to work. Employees in "right to work" states have no such luxury.

 

[Kermit]

I don't know what the rules are here.

I have a family member in Michigan who gets real vacation time, but she doesn't take any long trips during the year by her own choice. She has over 20 years' experience. I'm not positive, but I think I may have heard her mention that her vacation time is because she has so much experience. She may have been referring to the amount of time she gets, though, not the fact that she gets it at all.

 

[leighe]

Here in my district in Kentucky I am paid per day based on a 180 day contract. I get 10 sick days, 2 personal days, and 3 emergency days per year. Sick days get banked if not used, personal days convert to sick days at the end of the year, and emergency days are lost if not used. (My district is really strict about emergency days - usually only the funeral of a close relative or a true emergency like a family member being involved in an accident, etc.) I am going to be able to take 6 weeks of my maternity leave fully paid because I am going to be able to use up to 30 sick days. Our district is not really all that strict about what sick days are used for - you don't have to provide a dr's note or anything. We do have to have approval (very hard to get) to miss the day before a school holiday or break. Also, part of a teachers retirement includes paying you so much per day for each sick day you still have when you retire. (Although I can't remember what the limit on days you can be paid for is right now.)

 

[Texan Mouseketeer]

My district gets 10 days per year. If we want to take a Friday and a Monday off or if we want to take time off before or after a school holiday we have to get prior permission before doing so.
We can take the days off for a vacation, but it is very looked down upon, especially any time right before or during TAKS.
My friend went on a 25th anniversary cruise in January last year for a week. Principal approved it, but was upset with her and had a negative attitude towards her afterwards.

 

[In a hurry]

We have 8 personal/vacation days. Anymore that 3 in a row need prior permission.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Principal approved it, but was upset with her and had a negative attitude towards her afterwards.

Makes me wonder....why bother approving it if that attitude is going to be taken!

Hope she enjoyed her cruise.

 

[luvmydogs]

I know my ds10's former kindergarten teacher gets several paid personal days that she may take anytime during the year. She always combines them with our President's Day break in February and takes a week in WDW. One of her children has severe disabilities, one being the inability to regulate her body temperature. They go during the cooler months because it's better for their daughter.

 

[Bayshore Bandit]

We accrue sick days based on # of days worked (not quite sure what
the exact formula is), and we have 3 personal days, which if not used
we are paid for.

Any other time requested off has to be unpaid leave.

My wife's district is the same with sick days, but her personal days
are use them or lose them (3).

 

[swilphil]

Our district gives 10 sick days a year, 2 of those days can be personal days and 1 or 2 personal days can carry over to the next year so you can have a max of 4 personal days. The district is very strict about approving Mondays and Fridays for personal day leave, especially toward the end of the school year, and you can't even request personal days before or after a holiday or 3 day weekend. I've never known a teacher who has taken an entire week off for vacation. If you call in for more than 4 sick days, I think they can require a doctor's note.

Also, remember teachers don't get 'vacations' during the summer and Christmas. They aren't paid for these days. Teachers work under a 185 day contract, and they aren't paid for the days when school is not in session. It's more like they are "seasonal" employees, just like construction workers, etc.

 

[MinnieM3]

Our district gives 10 sick days a year, 2 of those days can be personal days and 1 or 2 personal days can carry over to the next year so you can have a max of 4 personal days. The district is very strict about approving Mondays and Fridays for personal day leave, especially toward the end of the school year, and you can't even request personal days before or after a holiday or 3 day weekend. I've never known a teacher who has taken an entire week off for vacation. If you call in for more than 4 sick days, I think they can require a doctor's note.

Also, remember teachers don't get 'vacations' during the summer and Christmas. They aren't paid for these days. Teachers work under a 185 day contract, and they aren't paid for the days when school is not in session. It's more like they are "seasonal" employees, just like construction workers, etc.

Exactly! We are daily workers. We don't get "vacations" over the summer. We aren't paid! We usually must take classes to keep up certification. Any we thus have NO choice when to take a family vacation other than when everyone else is. UGH!

We get 10 sick days. Period. AFter that you are docked a full day's pay if you are sick, in the hospital, out with cancer, whatever. It sucks.

 

[Chicago526]

I put "other". I'm answering on behalf of my friend who lives in Broward County, FL. I believe she gets several days (not sure how many) of paid time off. I believe it's designed so they can take a long weekend here or there, or take care of things during the week that can't be done on the weekends or evenings (doctors apointments and such). I think week long vacations are discouraged.

 

[Sirius]

I get paid to work a 200 day contract. I do not get vacation time during the school year other than school holidays - these are not paid, however, just like summer. I get a check every two weeks only because I have my salary divided into 24 checks. I could not get a week off to go to WDW while school is in session. I can take two personal days per year when ever I want. I rarely take them because getting ready for a substitute is a huge pain. I also get 1 sick day per month. They accrue if unused.

 

[disykat]

In most districts around here the teachers have a 186 day contract, but it is divided by twelve so they get a paycheck each month. The students are in session 182 days. The teacher gets 10 days of sick leave, 3 days of emergency leave which are docked from sick leave, and two personal days to use as they wish.

One year I used personal days to go to my Dad's retirement party in another state. Another year I used them right before my wedding. My principal gave me heck about the ones for my wedding because they were right before Christmas break, but they did eventually get approved. Most years I didn't take my personal days, but if I were working now, as a parent, I'd take them to go to school programs or conferences for my own kids. I believe that is what most teachers who have kids do.

 

[thinkerbell]

We get 10 sick days per year and 2 personal days. If I don't use them they roll over to the next year as all sick days. I can accrue up to 90 days and then I am paid for the leftovers (very small pay though--somewhere around $25-$35/day). We can not take days before or after a holiday unless it is an emergency-- death, hospitalization, etc. I usually take my personal days at the same time, along with the weekend, to take a short trip.