OT-Do teachers get vacation?

[mlraabe]

I teach and in my district we get 2 personal days a year that we can hold until our contract is up(we usally have a 5 year contract). Then it is use them, lose them or get $50 for each day you have left. We can not take the days before or after a break. Now, that said, I have been to disney twice in the past 3 years right after Thanksgiving. We always have the Monday after Thanksgiving off, I have to take the Tues without pay and use personal days for the rest of the week. Why shouldn't I be able to enjoy less busy times at Disney, too? There is no way my family of 6 could afford Disney if we did not go during the off season. In fact this year - my principal went the same week as me! We didn't know we had planned for the same week until I put in for my time!Nothing like spending a couple days of vacation with your boss! It was just fine. Our kids are friends so they enjoyed having a buddy.

Also, I teach part time making it a little easier for me to do this. I don't know when I go full time if we will still choose to do it or not. And although I love my job and absolutely love to teach I do have a family and a life too.

 

[mlraabe]

double post

 

[poohfriend]

and different school systems have different policies.

your friend says she has to go at school breaks. If that doesn't work for your family or your budget, just politely tell her that.

 

[mlraabe]

We do not get anything in addition to the days off the kids get. Personal days are not allowed to be in succession or the day before or after a break. BTW July and August are not "vacation" they are unpaid since we have a 10 month contract.

Thank you! In our district I can choose to be paid year round by getting less in each pay check and spreading it over the year. But I'm not getting paid in the summer just receiving the money withheld during the year.

 

[taximomfor4]

DH's district gives them 3 personal days per year to use but there are rules:

No adding personal days onto a long weekend or school break (so can't stretch Presidents Day 3-day weekend into a 4, 5, or 6 day weekend).

No using personal days for travel (leisure, business for your own second job or for spouse's job).



So DH and I end up taking the kids to WDW during peak travel seasons only. No choice.

Beth

 

[dsneygirl]

I have a very good friend who teaches in the public board here. They get 2 personal days per year. The rest is the same as the kids.

 

[ksloane]

Thank you! In our district I can choose to be paid year round by getting less in each pay check and spreading it over the year. But I'm not getting paid in the summer just receiving the money withheld during the year.

Same here except it's not a choice. We all get 12 pay checks a year, but you are correctly right that we are not paid for summer, etc. We are paid a daily rate * the number of days in a school year (187 in Texas).

OP, maybe you could find a time that isnt during peak if you look at her school calendar. I am able to go this year on th 19th of December. By getting there by that date I get the cheaper rate for the entire vacation even though the 20th starts peak time.

 

[beccalines]

My husband is a teacher in TN. They do get normal holidays off and one week in the fall (which is when we are going to Disny) and one in the Spring. Of course the summer of June and July (Teacher inservice is the first week of June and the last of July.)

He only has 2 personal days and the principal really likes you to have a good excuse for using those days.

I know he gets the summer off, but it makes it hard to schedule my doctors appt. when I don't have a sitter during the day. Also, he can't take off to go on field trips like some of the other dads do. (He also contracts houses on the side so he is busy most of the summer.)

I wish we could go to Disney during Sept. and possibly have free dinning, but it just doesn't work with teachers.

 

[starbox]

I think 2 personal days, with an excuse, that can't fall immediately before or after a school break is the norm for public school teachers. My system does not carry over unused personal days.

That said, I do think that most schools will grant an occasional exception for a teacher with tenure.

 

[crisi]

However, she doesn't seem to understand that the way we go to WDW at least once a year is by doing it off season. I don't think I can give her what she's wanting when she wants it. Even with our DVC points we couldn't afford it. We don't have enough points for the time of year/length of stay she wants.

Most of the costs are the same - except the room.

Why don't you let her know how many points you are willing to commit to a "school vacation" holiday. Have her rent and pay for the additional points and have them transferred into your account.

That will also create "ownership" on her part. You need to spend about a week on the DVC board before someone posts "I can't believe my friend/relative is backing out of this at the last minute - now we are stuck with an extra room!"

Unless you want to avoid the heat/crowds in the summer - understandable!

 

[disnutt]

No using personal days for travel (leisure, business for your own second job or for spouse's job).



Beth

Then why do they call them PERSONAL days? That seems rather intrusive.

Crisi- Yes the heat and crowds are also part of the reason we don't go during summer. Dear friend told me they have a long week in April not associated w/ Easter next year. She would be willing to go then. That would work for us w/ points and weather.

I prefer my job where I might not get a month off annually (unless I saved all my days up) but where I got to do what I wanted on my 'personal' day. Heck, I've never worked anywhere that had 'sick' days. We have a certain number of days/year to do w/as we please including travel or even getting sick . As long as there is coverage and your work is caught up no one even asks what it's for.

Thanks to those teachers out there putting up w/ all the stuff that you have to put up with!

 

[daisyduck123]

I'm a teacher who misses school to vacation in WDW.

We go every May & I miss 6 days of school.
Last Jan., we threw in an extra trip & I missed 5 or 6 school days then.

Some of the DISers on this board are very misinformed about teachers as a whole.

Any DISer who teaches in my county (A.A. County in Md.) knows that we don't get a fall break, winter break, week long spring break, week long anything except Christmas. YES...that is the only vacation we have during the entire year that we have MON.-FRI. off.

We only get Wed.-Fri. at Thanksgiving.
We only get Thur, Fri, & Monday at Easter in the spring.

I know some areas get 2 weeks at Christmas...not us...just the one week.

No, I'm not complaining...Just stating the facts.
I chose to work in this county, so I deal with the lousy vacations by just going during the school year.

We check in to SSR on May 12....can't wait!!!

 

[daisyduck123]

Why shouldn't I be able to enjoy less busy times at Disney, too? There is no way my family of 6 could afford Disney if we did not go during the off season. In fact this year - my principal went the same week as me! We didn't know we had planned for the same week until I put in for my time!Nothing like spending a couple days of vacation with your boss! It was just fine. Our kids are friends so they enjoyed having a buddy.

Also, I teach part time making it a little easier for me to do this. I don't know when I go full time if we will still choose to do it or not. And although I love my job and absolutely love to teach I do have a family and a life too.

Well said. ...I would've quoted you in my above post, but I had not seen your post until now.

 

[flying_babyb]

Our teachers get 1 or 2 personal days per year depending on yrs teaching.

Wanna hear dumb? Ours get 3 personal days, 4 vacation days, and 4 sick days! AND they can bank them, I know a teacher thats got enough combined sick/personal/vacation days, to take a whole year off

 

[disnutt]

Wanna hear dumb? Ours get 3 personal days, 4 vacation days, and 4 sick days! AND they can bank them, I know a teacher thats got enough combined sick/personal/vacation days, to take a whole year off

Wow!!!!! Will she get the time paid out if she quits/retires? Does she have a life of her own? I hate to think of all that 'free' time locked up.

 

[Whosemom]

Here in Ohio it goes district by district. I worked in a district where we got 2 personal days, they carried over forever, and you got paid a little at the end of the year for not using any (not in exchange, because they still carried). You couldn't use more than 5 in a row. People RARELY used their days, in case they wanted to do something big down the road. THen once in a while you'd hear about someone taking a week for a vacation.

I worked in another district where we got three personal days. They did not carry over or pay out. We got zillions of memos outlining what they were and were not supposed to be for. EVERYONE used them up and refused to tell what they were for.

I think the first district spent less $$ all told on subs and bonuses than the second did on subs. Yikes, treat adults like adults!

 

[disnutt]

I think the first district spent less $$ all told on subs and bonuses than the second did on subs. Yikes, treat adults like adults!

Amen!

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Definitely ask the friend what her breaks are. If she teaches in NJ she might be available to go for a portion of Jersey Week.

In some cases schools have odd scheduling. A week off at the end of May if they haven't used their snow days for example. Other districts might have a week off President's Week. So no she can't go any old time but maybe you can find a date that works together.

PS. My Mom's district allowed accumulation of sick time. By the time she was ready to retire she had almost a year in the bank. Rather than taking the money she took the time off...ironic because it would have been cheaper if she had been paid her salary for the time rather than them paying her salary AND the subs salary. Of course many organizations have insurance to pay sick time.

 

[camdensmom]

We get three personal days.

The kick in the butt is that while I take these 3 days to go to Disney I will still need to plan every minute of those days so that a sub can teach my class. I can't think of many other jobs where you can't take a personal day or be sick without spending hours compensating for that time.

I do get my summer off (as a PP stated without pay) as well as a week at Christmas and holidays during the year, but the lack of flexibility is brutal.

 

[flying_babyb]

Wow!!!!! Will she get the time paid out if she quits/retires? Does she have a life of her own? I hate to think of all that 'free' time locked up.

Last I heard she was going to use them this year and take a year off, then return in the fall