teacher myths

[golfgal]

Actually, if you read my next sentence, you'll see that I said that I hoped the school would be able to give more than a week's notice for the actual appointment times. At our school, kindergarten registration is in February. School starts in August. Tell the parents in February that assessments will be happening on August 25-27 in the afternoon. They might not receive their actual appointment time until July, but at least they'll be aware that they'll be receiving one. (But I also think the school should be able to assign the appointment times farther than 1 week in advance!)

If I knew that my child would be needed on one of three afternoons, I would do my best to make sure that I didn't schedule any critical meetings, business trips, etc for those days until I knew which day my appointment was on, or that I had a "back-up plan" in place for those afternoons. It's not unreasonable to ask parents to bring their children in for an assessment. It is unreasonable to give them a week's notice and assign a time without consulting them.

I will also bet that in some information sent home from the school or posted on the school website that there was information long ago about these assessments.

 

[torinsmom]

I have never seen a profession say "if spend you a week (day, hours) in my class you would know how hard I have it", "you would never make it a day doing what I do" all things along these lines more than I see teachers say it. That is what I mean by acting godlike.

There are tons of professions where if someone spend a day in that field they would be exhausted, not just teachers. But yet those are the lines I see all the time as if their jobs are SOOOO much harder than everyones. I bet if they spend a day in the life of a accountant, engineer, heck even a receptionist, they would see that those jobs are all difficult as well. Every job has it difficult times and lots of jobs are extremely stressful.

Again, statements like the ones in bold usually are made after another poster says something like "Anyone can teach; it is not rocket science" or "It's not really that hard". Of course, ask them why they aren't teachers if it is so easy and we get all this time off, and they will give all kinds of excuses. Truth be told, we all have our niche and NOT everyone can teach.

Truth is, there are many jobs I would never even want to try. Some of them are even teaching at other levels. Put me above first grade and I would be quitting in a heartbeat. I was born to teach the little guys, just like some are born to argue cases before a judge or repair heart defects. Me saying that many people would appreciate my job more if they had to fill my shoes for a week is not me acting Godlike. It's true for any profession. As much as I already admire doctors, I imagine I would admire them even more if I had to do what they do for even an hour.

Marsha

 

[golfgal]

Again, statements like the ones in bold usually are made after another poster says something like "Anyone can teach; it is not rocket science" or "It's not really that hard". Of course, ask them why they aren't teachers if it is so easy and we get all this time off, and they will give all kinds of excuses. Truth be told, we all have our niche and NOT everyone can teach.

Truth is, there are many jobs I would never even want to try. Some of them are even teaching at other levels. Put me above first grade and I would be quitting in a heartbeat. I was born to teach the little guys, just like some are born to argue cases before a judge or repair heart defects. Me saying that many people would appreciate my job more if they had to fill my shoes for a week is not me acting Godlike. It's true for any profession. As much as I already admire doctors, I imagine I would admire them even more if I had to do what they do for even an hour.

Marsha

When our twins were in kindergarten I volunteered to help in class, one day. NO WAY could I do that every day. I told their teacher I would be happy to help out cutting things out, making copies for her what ever but I could NOT deal with the short attention spans of those kids

 

[Scurvy]

I have never seen a profession say "if spend you a week (day, hours) in my class you would know how hard I have it", "you would never make it a day doing what I do" all things along these lines more than I see teachers say it. That is what I mean by acting godlike.

There are tons of professions where if someone spend a day in that field they would be exhausted, not just teachers. But yet those are the lines I see all the time as if their jobs are SOOOO much harder than everyones. I bet if they spend a day in the life of a accountant, engineer, heck even a receptionist, they would see that those jobs are all difficult as well. Every job has it difficult times and lots of jobs are extremely stressful.

Absolutely other jobs are stressful and difficult and not anyone could just waltz in and do them. But I don't see people on here saying that most other jobs are easy . . . I was going to say "very often" but honestly I can't remember ever seeing anyone say something like that about another profession on here. It's probably happened, but I haven't seen it.

I think part of the problem is that people don't seem to think just anybody could do most other professions as often as they do with teachers. I don't see people complaining about how underworked and overpaid doctors or engineers are. I also don't see posters who complain because people in those professions won't give up their private time to meet with people, or who expect to get those people's home phone numbers. People don't think accountants have it easy because they are just working with numbers. But I've seen all that on the Dis in regards to teachers. People think it's an easy job because you are just working with kids. I think some people think that anyone who can babysit could teach, and that isn't the case any more than it would be if I said anyone who can use a calculator could be an accountant.

People complain about teachers all the time on here. (I'm not referring to you - I can completely understand why you were unhappy. I think at the very least you should have had more warning and a bigger range of times to choose from.) I see posts (on the Dis and elsewhere online) complaining about teachers way more often than ones complaining about other professions, so I think it makes sense that there would also be more responses from teachers. I see it in "real life", too. So many people say "It must be nice to have summers off" and while it is nice, is isn't as nice as people think it is. Most teachers don't leave the school before Memorial Day and saunter back in after Labor Day, and then just work 6 hours a day for the rest of the year (except holidays) but I've seen people assume all of those things on these boards. It gets old after a while to see people spouting these misconceptions as truth, and many people can't help but try to correct those misconceptions.

Also, I think people take teachers' complaints much more personally than other complaints. I see threads on here all the time where someone is upset about a coworker or problem customer, and most posters are really supportive on those threads. But teachers are more likely to be upset about a student or parent. They get blamed when a student misbehaves or gets a bad grade, even when they are doing everything they can to improve the student's performance. It's hard not to complain about that! If they complain on here about a parent they've had trouble with, many posters get upset. Maybe they can see themselves in the place of the parent and they get offended. Even if a teacher is just complaining about a coworker or a policy or having to work long hours sometimes, people get upset. Maybe they worry that a teacher who is venting will also be taking their frustration out on the kids at school. I don't know, but the threads where people in other professions vent seem to go much better than the ones where teachers do. And almost always someone will come onto the thread and say that their job is so much worse than the teachers', by saying something like "Well at least you have summers off, try working 400 days a year with no breaks and getting paid $.03 an hour underwater with people shooting at you and see how you like it. You shouldn't complain!"

Maybe teachers are so used to the criticism that they are too likely to see implied criticism where there is none. They could be too quick to try to head that off. But most teachers do not think their job is harder or more stressful than most other jobs. They are just tired of everyone thinking that teaching is so much easier and less stressful than all those other jobs.

 

[Bethenny]

I'm gonna bake you some cookies!

 

[ilovesugar]

Again, statements like the ones in bold usually are made after another poster says something like "Anyone can teach; it is not rocket science" or "It's not really that hard". Of course, ask them why they aren't teachers if it is so easy and we get all this time off, and they will give all kinds of excuses. Truth be told, we all have our niche and NOT everyone can teach.

Truth is, there are many jobs I would never even want to try. Some of them are even teaching at other levels. Put me above first grade and I would be quitting in a heartbeat. I was born to teach the little guys, just like some are born to argue cases before a judge or repair heart defects. Me saying that many people would appreciate my job more if they had to fill my shoes for a week is not me acting Godlike. It's true for any profession. As much as I already admire doctors, I imagine I would admire them even more if I had to do what they do for even an hour.

Marsha

Absolutely other jobs are stressful and difficult and not anyone could just waltz in and do them. But I don't see people on here saying that most other jobs are easy . . . I was going to say "very often" but honestly I can't remember ever seeing anyone say something like that about another profession on here. It's probably happened, but I haven't seen it.

I think part of the problem is that people don't seem to think just anybody could do most other professions as often as they do with teachers. I don't see people complaining about how underworked and overpaid doctors or engineers are. I also don't see posters who complain because people in those professions won't give up their private time to meet with people, or who expect to get those people's home phone numbers. People don't think accountants have it easy because they are just working with numbers. But I've seen all that on the Dis in regards to teachers. People think it's an easy job because you are just working with kids. I think some people think that anyone who can babysit could teach, and that isn't the case any more than it would be if I said anyone who can use a calculator could be an accountant.

People complain about teachers all the time on here. (I'm not referring to you - I can completely understand why you were unhappy. I think at the very least you should have had more warning and a bigger range of times to choose from.) I see posts (on the Dis and elsewhere online) complaining about teachers way more often than ones complaining about other professions, so I think it makes sense that there would also be more responses from teachers. I see it in "real life", too. So many people say "It must be nice to have summers off" and while it is nice, is isn't as nice as people think it is. Most teachers don't leave the school before Memorial Day and saunter back in after Labor Day, and then just work 6 hours a day for the rest of the year (except holidays) but I've seen people assume all of those things on these boards. It gets old after a while to see people spouting these misconceptions as truth, and many people can't help but try to correct those misconceptions.

Also, I think people take teachers' complaints much more personally than other complaints. I see threads on here all the time where someone is upset about a coworker or problem customer, and most posters are really supportive on those threads. But teachers are more likely to be upset about a student or parent. They get blamed when a student misbehaves or gets a bad grade, even when they are doing everything they can to improve the student's performance. It's hard not to complain about that! If they complain on here about a parent they've had trouble with, many posters get upset. Maybe they can see themselves in the place of the parent and they get offended. Even if a teacher is just complaining about a coworker or a policy or having to work long hours sometimes, people get upset. Maybe they worry that a teacher who is venting will also be taking their frustration out on the kids at school. I don't know, but the threads where people in other professions vent seem to go much better than the ones where teachers do. And almost always someone will come onto the thread and say that their job is so much worse than the teachers', by saying something like "Well at least you have summers off, try working 400 days a year with no breaks and getting paid $.03 an hour underwater with people shooting at you and see how you like it. You shouldn't complain!"

Maybe teachers are so used to the criticism that they are too likely to see implied criticism where there is none. They could be too quick to try to head that off. But most teachers do not think their job is harder or more stressful than most other jobs. They are just tired of everyone thinking that teaching is so much easier and less stressful than all those other jobs.

I see both of your points and I can see how teachers would feel that way. I guess maybe I just don't see it because it is not typical of me to be in teacher threads. This week is not typical for me on the DIS.

I don't really have much to complain about and I appreciate and respect teachers. I don't think their jobs are easy and there is not a chance that I would ever want to be one, that is way to much craziness for me. However, I did have one issue and posted about it and kind of got jumped on by teachers and I guess that did not put a really good taste in my mouth. But that does not mean I hate, disrepect or have issues with teachers in general.

 

[crashbb]

I'm gonna bake you some cookies!

Should we put a file in them, to get her out of the "DIS jail"?

Scury - you make an interesting observation that people take teacher's complaints more personally.

Do we also have a high proportion of teachers on the DIS? There just seem to be a lot threads by teachers or a lot of threads in which many teachers are posting. You don't tend to see many accountant vents (either from one, or about one).


Sorry - hit send before I finished the thought

 

[ilovejack02]

 

[castleview]

Count me as a teacher who cannot complain about my job, and thinks teachers that do are whiners...

I have been teaching for 6 years, and have two credentials and a Master's degree in Special Ed. I make $62,000 a year in special ed. My hours are 8-3:15, but I get a 30 minute lunch and a 90 minute prep every day. I have 14 weeks, plus holidays off.

Yes, I grade papers, but I do that at home, on my couch, in my pajamas, so it's not so bad.

Yes, it's stressful, but what job isn't? All jobs have there ups and downs, but I wouldn't trade this for anything.

You do? Wow. I don't know any teachers who get 30 minutes for lunch or that long of a prep - unless you're on block scheduling.

DH doesn't complain about teaching in general, but like many posters have pointed out, few people say "Doctor, lawyers, nurses, engineers, etc. have an easy job". DH ignores that crap and keeps his complaining strictly about stupid administrators and board of ed members that keep throwing up all these obstacles that can keep an effective job from being done.

 

[monsterkitty]

I will also bet that in some information sent home from the school or posted on the school website that there was information long ago about these assessments.

I why exactly would you BET that I got something before hand? Do you work at my sons school? Are you the one the put together the sheets and sent them out? So please tell me, oh wise one, why would you bet?

I'm a teacher and I'm going to have to take ilovesugar's side on this one. I can totally see the district not sending information out with enough time so that parents can plan ahead. Why am I saying this? Because it happens in our district all the time.

Someone in our central ad building will have a "great" idea pop into their rocks, I mean brains, and call an emergency meeting for all building principals. They will then make the principals send home letters about the "great" idea and that there is a parent meeting in two days about the "great" idea. So, being told to do it or else, the principals go back to their schools and tell the teachers to send home the letter that day. Then they tell us we have to be at the parent meeting as well.

If a parent complains they didn't get the information about the "great" idea then central ad asks, "well did you go to the parent meeting?" Um, no because they had something else that night, or they actually have a life and weren't able to attend. Then central ad blames the school, the parent blames the school, and we think about installing a vending machine that sell more than just soda and water (just kidding on that part).

So, golfgal, yes, there are schools out there that do not warn parents ahead of time about any changes, meetings, testing, etc. However, 99% of the time the lack of warning is caused by central ad and our outstanding leadership team. In fact, our superintendent is so outstanding that I would love to send her back to Minnesota where she was hired from.

Signed,
A teacher who just wants to teach!

 

[Daisy&Max]

Signed,
A teacher who just wants to teach!

I always say this about my job. I would have the most perfect job in the world if I could just teach and not have to deal with admin, paperwork, and all the junk that we are given. Let me just teach!!!!

Daisy

 

[doxdogy]

You would lose that bet too. Lady that works in my building was telling me that school supply list for her daughter's school was not published until right before school started. To make matters worse, it was AFTER the tax free shopping weekend.

I honestly feel there are two types of teachers; the ones that teach because they love it and the others do if simply for the schedule. My dad was the former, he taught because he loved it. I enjoy teaching others, but could not do it in this day and age.

I will also bet that in some information sent home from the school or posted on the school website that there was information long ago about these assessments.

 

[golfgal]

You would lose that bet too. Lady that works in my building was telling me that school supply list for her daughter's school was not published until right before school started. To make matters worse, it was AFTER the tax free shopping weekend.

I honestly feel there are two types of teachers; the ones that teach because they love it and the others do if simply for the schedule. My dad was the former, he taught because he loved it. I enjoy teaching others, but could not do it in this day and age.

Are you under the impression that I am a teacher, I am not. I am just a mom that gets sick and tired of teachers getting bashed all the time when I know most of what people say about teaching is no where close to true.

 

[december]

How about this:

I love my job, and my students. I love that my life isn't working 30 yrs with 2 wk breaks thrown in. I love that every year I get an ending, and a new beginning. I love that I can see the importance of my job in the eyes of my students. I love that I can take my kids to school with me in the morning, and bring them home with me in the afternoons, and have lots of time off during the year with them. I love when students come back and tell me how important I was to their lives.

There are many plusses to teaching. I've tried to leave it 3 times since 1995, but I always came back. I think teaching is my calling, if you believe in that kind of stuff. I hope to move into a counselor's office soon, but I don't plan to leave education until I retire.

But can some of you not see how your attitudes would upset me as a teacher?

No, I don't work harder than everyone else in the world. But I do work hard.

Yes, I make a living wage. But is that the ultimate goal for most of us? Yes, I knew the pay was low when I decided to become a teacher. Does that mean we shouldn't hope it gets better?

No, I don't work 6 hr days 9 mos a year. I have a contract to work 187 8 hour days. But if you can do all you need to do as a teacher in 8 hrs a day, you are a better person than I am! Plus, we work until 7pm on report card nights, work ball games (for free), have meetings after school weekly, etc. I am off for June and July, 2 wks at Christmas, and a week for Thanksgiving and spring break. That is an awesome job perk. Just know that for part of that time I am working on lesson plans and trying to make my classroom a great learning environment.

No, I'm not a member of a union, we don't strike, and we don't negotiate our contracts. Apparently, NJ is a utopia for teachers. It isn't like that down here. Maybe that is why there are still shortages?

No, I'm not a "god." But I'm also not overpaid and underworked. I'm not here to make your child's life miserable. And I'm tired of opening the newspaper or turning on the computer only to read about how horrible people in my profession are. It gets really old.

I have to go now. I have a big red bag of paperwork I have to get done. All part of my "part-time" job.

 

[RabbitFood]

I don't know too many (if any) teachers who think they're gods, but just about every person has an opinion of teachers. Maybe because we've all been through the school system ourselves, we feel entitled to share our opinions?

Anyway--I'm not sure whether these are myths, but a few comments regardless:

1. Myth: Teachers' jobs are protected forever.
We need to get rid of the current teacher tenure system. Non performing teachers do not deserve a $100K salary, a $50K salary, or even any salary. Administrators need to DO THEIR JOBS and get rid of those teachers. Unions need to STOP PROTECTING poorly-performing teachers. In our current economy, with many talented teachers currently unemployed, there's no excuse for crappy teachers in the classroom.

2. Myth: Teachers don't deserve to be paid as much as others with similar educational/professional backgrounds.
Teachers who do their jobs should be paid well. Why can't we have a teacher able to (almost) support his/her family on his/her salary? Other professions do. Why not teachers?

Teachers choose their jobs, like most everyone else. They know the good, bad and ugly of it before going into it. I have teachers in my family and they love their jobs despite the negatives. I'd guess a good 90% of teachers out there do, too.

 

[castleview]

I'm a teacher and I'm going to have to take ilovesugar's side on this one. I can totally see the district not sending information out with enough time so that parents can plan ahead. Why am I saying this? Because it happens in our district all the time.

Someone in our central ad building will have a "great" idea pop into their rocks, I mean brains, and call an emergency meeting for all building principals. They will then make the principals send home letters about the "great" idea and that there is a parent meeting in two days about the "great" idea. So, being told to do it or else, the principals go back to their schools and tell the teachers to send home the letter that day. Then they tell us we have to be at the parent meeting as well.

If a parent complains they didn't get the information about the "great" idea then central ad asks, "well did you go to the parent meeting?" Um, no because they had something else that night, or they actually have a life and weren't able to attend. Then central ad blames the school, the parent blames the school, and we think about installing a vending machine that sell more than just soda and water (just kidding on that part).

So, golfgal, yes, there are schools out there that do not warn parents ahead of time about any changes, meetings, testing, etc. However, 99% of the time the lack of warning is caused by central ad and our outstanding leadership team. In fact, our superintendent is so outstanding that I would love to send her back to Minnesota where she was hired from.

Signed,
A teacher who just wants to teach!

These bolded parts say it all.

 

[Tinkh]

Here in our district in Ohio the elementary teachers do NOT watch the kids at lunch. You have 1 aide per grade that takes the kids out. The teachers had to vote rather to have new libraries added or have aides at lunch. About 10 years ago, they hired aides to take the kids out to lunch. Many of the parents were upset and a few started volunteering at the school because 4 classrooms per 1 aide is not safe. To this day, parents still try to come up to volunteer during recess. No teachers are ever on the playground unless they are walking down the hallway and see a violation, then they are required to inform the aides. The kids have specials each day music, gym, computer lab, art. The elementary hours at the 3 schools in district are 9:05 - 3:25. Once a month the kids are not in school for the second half of the day for planning days for the teachers. There is no kindergarten on these half days. That is 6 hours and 20 minutes. The teachers usually get there about 10 minutes before school starts and some do stay over, but just as many leave as soon as the last bus is gone. The days that they do one on one assessments they hire substitutes for the lower grades. The older grades the teachers do the assessments during a missed special. Conference days are off twice a year.

Middle school 7:25 - 2:20 with one day a month as a half day for planning. Conference days are Fridays off twice a year. Principal, counselors, office aides and assistant principals are in charge of lunch room. Usually one adult to two adults per lunch period. Each teacher has 5 classes out of 7 periods. The teachers revolve weekly watching the lunch room to aid the other adults.

High school 7:55 - 2:55. Except for Wed. when only at-risk students come in before 9:30 for an extra class that the one teacher from each grade will work extra with them. One day a month is half day for planning and 2 conference days on Fridays twice a year. Exam week (that are done on scantrons other than the writing portion) are early dismissal at 11: 20 or so each day of the week. We have two weeks of exams a year. The teachers take turns watching the lunchroom at the high school .

We get Wed, Thurs and Fri off for Thanksgiving and over two weeks at Christmas. We have a week of spring break. School this year is Aug 24, 2010 through June 3, 2010.

We have had amazing teachers that we adore and still keep in touch with. My son's third grade teacher took the time to save every story that my son had written over the year. When 4th grade started she found me at the school to bring me a bound book that she had made for him. She said he was a gifted writer and wanted to encourage him to further that. I cried like a baby. How kind was that? Unfortunately, we have had some very crappy teachers as well. One year, my son had a science teacher who was obsessed with fantasy sports and was CONSTANTLY on the computer. My niece and her friend had her middle school teacher (he was also a coach) send her 40,000 text messages posing as a student and eventually tried to start a relationship with her and telling here their love was like Edward and Bella. Yes, he has pled guilty to his crimes and has had his teaching certificate revoked.

I do think teaching is hard. Questioning teachers is our job. As parents, it is our job to monitor who is watching our children and to question the teachers. That is a lesson we have learned over the years. Not all teachers are perfect. Some are pretty darn near amazing. Celebrate the ones that are and help them get acknowledged. I do think that every teacher I know has an amazing schedule! From first hand witnessing and being a daily volunteer in our district for many years, I have seen that with my own eyes. God bless those teachers that make a difference. Let's get rid of the ones who don't.

 

[goofy!]

You do? Wow. I don't know any teachers who get 30 minutes for lunch or that long of a prep - unless you're on block scheduling.

This post is just info on how our district runs things, in response to the above poster that said that they know of nobody that gets 30 minutes for lunch or that long of prep.

Our teachers get 30 minutes at lunch. Paras do the lunch duty. I am a para and I do two lunch duties with 2 other paras for 3 classes of each grade.

Our parent/teacher conferences are after school, however, two extra days off are added to both Thanksgiving vacation and Spring break. For Thanksgiving M & T are off as fall conference exchange days and then W,T, and F as holidays, so a full week for Thanksgiving. Spring break is a full week and then the following M and T off as spring conference exchange days, so a week and 2 days for spring break.

2 weeks off at Christmas. Then 2 additional days off for students so the teachers can have M and T as work days.

Average of one day every month, students have off and teachers have a planning day (some months have more than one, some have none, bu it averages out to one per month)

No block schedule. School year for teachers this year August 11 - May 27. Students are Aug. 17 - May 26.

Health and Dental for employee is paid. Adding family members is extremely high.

 

[december]

This is what interests me about these threads. I find out so much about how things are done in other places. Our contracts this year run from August 3 until May 26. The kids are here from August 9 until May 25. We get 25 min for lunch. In that 25 min, we walk the kids from the classroom to cafeteria (across the street), sit and eat with them, and walk them back. High school teachers aren't assigned morning duty-we are in our rooms in case the kids need us. We have to arrive by 7:25 and our first bell is at 7:45. We alternate break duty (1 wk on, 2 wks off, 1 wk on, 1 wk off, repeat). We get 53 min for planning, and teach 6 53 min pds. Our dismissal bell is at 3:05, we have bus duty every day, and we can start clocking out at 3:25, unless there is a meeting.

My health ins is paid, but I have to pay for dental. The ins isn't great (and is ridiculously expensive) so my kids are on dh's ins.

 

[monsterkitty]

This post is just info on how our district runs things, in response to the above poster that said that they know of nobody that gets 30 minutes for lunch or that long of prep.

Our teachers get 30 minutes at lunch. Paras do the lunch duty. I am a para and I do two lunch duties with 2 other paras for 3 classes of each grade.

Our parent/teacher conferences are after school, however, two extra days off are added to both Thanksgiving vacation and Spring break. For Thanksgiving M & T are off as fall conference exchange days and then W,T, and F as holidays, so a full week for Thanksgiving. Spring break is a full week and then the following M and T off as spring conference exchange days, so a week and 2 days for spring break.

2 weeks off at Christmas. Then 2 additional days off for students so the teachers can have M and T as work days.

Average of one day every month, students have off and teachers have a planning day (some months have more than one, some have none, bu it averages out to one per month)

No block schedule. School year for teachers this year August 11 - May 27. Students are Aug. 17 - May 26.

Health and Dental for employee is paid. Adding family members is extremely high.

I think we are in the same metro area but different districts. While there are similarities between your calendar and ours, I think there are a few more differences. I am in one of the poorest districts in the metro area, with the highest homeless rate. We are contracted for the following:

We do get a 30 minute lunch and one period as a plan. So we teach seven 53-minute class periods with one 53 minute plan and a 30 minute lunch. We are on an 8.5 hour contract day, which is from 7:45 - 4:15.

We have two sets of conferences - fall and spring. The first day of each set is from 5-9pm and the second day is from 8 am to 9 pm with an hour for each lunch and dinner. Our flex days for this time are the day before Thanksgiving and the day before Spring Break.

Teachers are contracted for 210 days with student contact days an extra 10 for our teacher work days and staff development days. We do not do any staff development days during the student calendar, they are all before the students start or after the end of the year. We get three plan days at the beginning of the year, one at the end of the first semester, and one at the end of second semester.

Holidays are 3 days at Thanksgiving, usually 10 days for Winter Break, 5 days for Spring Break, and a few days such as MLK and Presidents Day. Of course kids do have off the two days that we have conferences all day.

This year we are paying about $200 towards our health insurance, $15 towards our horrible dental plan, and $10 to vision. Adding a family member is at least $700 this year.

Oh, I did forget we are taking two furlough days this year, so students will have those two extra days off.

Our district, like most in the country, took big hits in funding this year, but because of the furlough days, the increase we pay towards insurance, and a pay decrease, we did not have to cut any student programs or busing.