Teachers -- When do you go to WDW?

[Took]

Taking personal days off for a Disney trip? Dont teachers get enough days off?

I shouldve been a teacher.

If you think we've got it so good, then join us. You may find that you work harder than you have in your whole life for less money. Don't begrudge those personal days to teachers--they're absolutely necessary and well-earned.

took

 

[sammielynn]

Not a teacher but a College Adm. We always go in May as soon as the boys are out of school the car is packed and south we go Just love May.

 

[Mom24Princesses]

DH and I each have 20 years in teaching. You can see from my sig when we've been to WDW. We did not include weekend trips or offsight trips. Since we live in GA the heat does not bother us as much in the summer as it might some folks. We did the one Prez. week in 04 and I found it the most crowded we'd ever seen it. Combine that with the parks closing earlier at that time of the year and we were not thrilled. ALSO, while some folks work right up to their vacations all the time...heading out of town, like we did for the cruise, was very stressful. We may go back in Feb one of these years, but we will continue to go in the summer.

 

[mom2missmous]

A little OT, but since a lot of teachers have gone over Christmas I thought I'd ask. Are the crowds really that horrible at Christmas? I always thought it would be a nice time to go and see it all decorated. I can only travel during school holidays so we would have to go right around Christmas Day. Is it manageable at all with FP, EMH, etc.???

Like you implied, with a little planning Christmas can be well- worth the visit. I would not recommend it as a first- time trip, but if you have had the chance to go in the past, christmas is doable with preplanning.

 

[NemoPrincess]

We are going in August this year. My DH is a CPA and is into his taxes for the first 4 months of the year. We went last year in April (tax season ended and my break began). We had a lot of fun! We are a little worried about the heat, but we will pace ourselves and find all the cool places we can. If this year works out we'll try again next year.

 

[JungleJim]

My wife and I are both teachers in Ohio.

I can't believe how many of you can take personal days for vacation. It is spelled out for us when we can take personal days...and using them for a vacation is not allowed. We were only getting 2 personal days a year, but the most recent contract gives us 3. We are not allowed to carry over unused days, but the district now pays us for any days not used.

When our district voted on the calendar for this next year, the majority voted to have no spring break! I think they're all nuts (I'm going to be nuts when I don't get a break that time of year.)

I have found that going to WDW is August AFTER Florida schools have begun is the best time for us. We were at the MK two years in a row on a Tuesday. The first year we went the first week of August. The second year we went the second week of August and the crowds were half the size of the previous year. We will be in MK on the 15th of August this year....hoping for a repeat of the smaller crowds.

 

[pixieprincessmom]

2nd grade- Louisiana

We have gone for Thanksgiving twice and for Mardi Gras (personal days added with my principals permission)and twice in the summer. My ADHD DS has a really hard time with the heat, so we avoid it if we can.

Has anyone gotten out the week before Christmas and gone? I thought about it last year, but I was afraid it would be really crowded. When do the Christmas crowds start?

 

[jennyh2829]

Has anyone gotten out the week before Christmas and gone? I thought about it last year, but I was afraid it would be really crowded. When do the Christmas crowds start?

We went last year on Dec. 17 and returned on the 21. I think the crowds were fine. We did notice it seemed to be getting busier the closer it got to Christmas. We went on June 2 this summer and the crowds were way worse than the last day we were there on the 21.

 

[PattiPB]

WOW! I can't get over that post a while back saying you get docked $50 if you use a personal day!!! That is crazy!

Here in Vegas, the number of personal days you get is based upon the number of sick days you used the year before. Everyone gets one personal day, and you can get up to four more if you had perfect attendance the year before. You can use personal days without providing a reason, and can take sick days before and after a holiday, and are not questioned unless you take more than three consecutively (Dr. note).

The wrench for us is DH (and my two youngest) are in year-round school, so our vacations don't always match. However, we have common vacations of 2 weeks at Christmas, 1 week at Easter, and 2 weeks in August. Since DH is on the track most like 9-month school, he is off starting last week until we return the end of August, so he has most of a traditional summer. DH is also off from Thanksgiving through New Years (now that's a beauty!!!) and a month for Easter/Spring break.

To answer the question, we stick to school vacations for Florida, but can do DL any weekend without a problem.

 

[pixiedust23]

HS teacher in NJ. Went last President's Week and last April Break. I'm going back down for NJ Teacher's Convention (November) this year. We are also not permitted to use personal days before or after a scheduled break....and I'm not tenured so I would never ever attempt this!

 

[Mom24Princesses]

My wife and I are both teachers in Ohio.

I can't believe how many of you can take personal days for vacation. It is spelled out for us when we can take personal days...and using them for a vacation is not allowed. We were only getting 2 personal days a year, but the most recent contract gives us 3. We are not allowed to carry over unused days, but the district now pays us for any days not used.

When our district voted on the calendar for this next year, the majority voted to have no spring break! I think they're all nuts (I'm going to be nuts when I don't get a break that time of year.)

I have found that going to WDW is August AFTER Florida schools have begun is the best time for us. We were at the MK two years in a row on a Tuesday. The first year we went the first week of August. The second year we went the second week of August and the crowds were half the size of the previous year. We will be in MK on the 15th of August this year....hoping for a repeat of the smaller crowds.

I can not imagine. In GA we get 1.25 sick days per month for a total of 12.5. We can use 3 for PDs. Some systems allow free use others are tough. My system is pretty flexable. DH's has a long list of blackout dates. My former principal was known for saying "I guess you'll be sick if you don't get to take that trip." We had several to take big week long trips. (PE teacher went skiing EVERY winter for a week.)

MY SYSTEM STARTS 8/1(kids)( I return 7/25) takes a week off in SEPT. A week at TG, 2 at CH/NY a week at Prez and the 1st week of April for SB. Our summer is 7 weeks long! The breaks are nice when they come BUT DH and DDs are not in my system.

MOST OF Georgia and Alabama start in early Aug. too. (In fact a good number of southern states do) Aug would be a great time I'd bet.


CHRISTMAS????????
How do you manage to go to WDW at Christmas. Our families would kill us. (Even to go before and be back home.) HOWEVER DH finished up on 12/22 this past year and 12/21 THIS YEAR!!!! (I finish 12/15 and return 1/2. He goes back like 1/8! I can not imagine leaving town at that time of the year. DH wants us to go one Dec. as he has taken his 8th graders several years in early Dec. and loves it then.

 

[CheshireVal]

To those who have asked about Christmas:

My school usually gets out around the 16th of December. The week BEFORE Christmas at Disney is actually really nice. Not too crowded at all, though if you stay til around the 23rd or so, you'll notice crowds start picking up the closer you get to Christmas Day.

As for family, my family is always there (actually it's my mom who spearheads the trips ), and DH's family is in Australia so that's a whole different problem!

 

[MrsG]

We usually go in July, but are going mid August this year. We also go during Feb. break. We went during Easter week once and the weather was lovely, but crowded.

 

[klmall]

I can't imagine that! Our elected school board is very conscious of teacher and substitute issues and would never dream of eliminating spring break which always includes Christian Easter and Jewish Passover holy days. The various contract groups (teacher, supporting services, and administrators) have all seen the proposed school calendar and suggested changes needed if any and would never agree to giving up spring break!

We always have the upcoming school year calendar approved in February or March of the preceding year so that everyone can book vacations but it's very predictable even years ahead based on prior year's calendars.

I guess having a minimum of 3 personal days a year and 10 sick leave days with flexibility in use is a benefit of working for the 17th largest school system in the country (and under the watchful eye of the federal government next door)!

What could be worth giving up a spring break???????? More money? Smaller class sizes?

 

[JungleJim]

I can't imagine that!
We always have the upcoming school year calendar approved in February or March of the preceding year so that everyone can book vacations but it's very predictable even years ahead based on prior year's calendars.

What could be worth giving up a spring break???????? More money? Smaller class sizes?

We have a calendar committee that gets together every 3 years. They propose three different possible calendars for each of the next 3 years. We vote and narrow it down to two choices for each year. Then we vote again for the final calendar.

We have always had a spring break every year of my 16 years teaching. This time, we only get a spring break one out of the three years. Many teachers just want the longest summer break possible (it's not long enough?).Some teachers have summer jobs. The bus drivers were included in the calendar voting for the first time....maybe that was the difference.

I and my students need a little mental break in the spring. We always fly down to Florida for Easter with my parents who live on the gulf coast.

We get 3 personal days and 15 sick days each year, but very strict rules of use. There have been teachers caught at airports and etc. using a "sick" or "personal" day, who had those days deducted from their paychecks (plus a letter placed in their file).

The teachers with a lot of flexibility are very lucky. A little advice: Don't abuse a good thing!

 

[DisneyParkFan]

I either go in early June when school lets out or I go over the Thanksgiving break taking Wednesday as a personal day. This year I am going in early December and taking Thursday as a personal day (we are off on Friday). Well I still have to tell the new principal I am taking a personal day, the assistant principal already knows and has to line up a sub for the day.

 

[tubachick]

a little OT.... but my new principal and I were talking about vacations, and yes!!! He's a Disney Freak TOO!!!!


He said he likes long weekends at WDW too!!!

ahhh... a new job and a boss who just might understand

 

[JungleJim]

I either go in early June when school lets out or I go over the Thanksgiving break taking Wednesday as a personal day. This year I am going in early December and taking Thursday as a personal day (we are off on Friday). Well I still have to tell the new principal I am taking a personal day, the assistant principal already knows and has to line up a sub for the day.

You are lucky. We cannot use a personal day the day prior or the day after a scheduled break.

 

[phisigprincess]

My parents both teach, so pretty much every trip was in the summer. Usually the last week of June before the 4th of July craziness. Once I discovered the wonderfulness of an off peak vacation (since DH and I aren't teachers), I'm DYING to get my parents there too. Currently the plan is so to send them enough links and pictures of MNSSHP and the food and wine festival to convince them to take off for 3 days and fly down for a long weekend with us. We'll see what happens. They'll only be one year away from retirement in 07, so I think I have a chance.

 

[taximomfor4]

You are lucky. We cannot use a personal day the day prior or the day after a scheduled break.

Neither can DH. Not even the day before or after a long weekend (like Labor day weekend.)

Beth