Teachers

[Abbie]

**Btw, I'm sure that teachers in your county get sick & miss a day now & then, before or after a holiday...do they have to bring in a doctor's note for even just one day??

Y'know, I'm not sure about that. I'm currently retired but my daughter just started in the system and I'll check with her to see what the policy is now.

As far as the kids, the high schools in the county have put real teeth into their policy on unexcused absences. Miss more than 5 days in a semester and you automatically receive an F in all courses unless you are able to make up all work satisfactorily. It's harsh because that's even if the absences are legitimately due to illness!

 

[DawnM]

LET ME CLARIFY before the flames get too hot.....

I work in a PULL OUT program and would only go when I can't pull them out anyway, like during the exams week in Jan/Feb when I really don't have much to do. I work in a high school.

Dawn

well if my child can't go on a "family" vacation with out it being held against them. I don't see how the teacher can go on a vacation to be with their family with out it being counted against them IMHO.
I know everybody has very different opinions on this subject, but I don't think it sets a good example for the students if their teacher is taking off school for a vacation when they can't.

 

[cymomtx]

Technically in our district you can't take off before or after a holiday or break. But it depends on your campus administrator. I just resigned from our district but prior to that had gotten approved to take off the three days prior to Thanksgiving for our WDW trip as personal days.

 

[dougsmom98]

We are not allowed to use our personal days to extend either end of a vacation week or around along weekend. We get three personal days, and quite honestly with three children in school, I don't dare use them for vacation. I need to save them for parent/teacher meetings or special events like concerts. Some of our teachers (like my mother in law) call in "sick" around holidays or call in and claim their flights got "canceled or delayed" on the way back from a vacation, but everyone knows they are not telling the truth. I don't have the guts to be dishonest about things like this, so I just plan accordingly and book early. We have gotten great deals on flights, rental cars and hotels/villas during vacation weeks by booking early. With prior approval we may take unpaid days to go on vacation, but it has to be a special occasion. We would not get approved to do this yearly. Whether I am sick or needing to take time off for something for my kids, it is harder to be out of school than to be in school. I teach chemistry and have two hour blocks of class time so sub plans are a nightmare.

 

[Cruz91]

In my wife's old district (she's a hard working stay at home mom for now), she got 3 personal days that could carry over up to some limit (6 or 7, I think). They could not be used before or after a holiday. If a teacher were sick before or after a holiday - they had to fill out a special form telling why and could be required to take it without pay.

On a side note - that's the exact policy at my old job (I was an engineer at a major automotive manufacturer). We shut the plant down for two weeks (one in summer, one at Christmas). Anyone who took off the day before or after those holidays had to make a written statement about why they were off. If it were deemed to be unacceptable by administration, they would not only forfeit pay for that one day, but also for some and / or all of the paid week off.

 

[SavvyMom]

It simply doesn't make sense to have a rule that the children are forced to follow and then have the teacher make their own rules, thats all.

Do you not see a difference between a school-aged child and a college educated professional adult? I assure you that teachers do not make their own rules. The rules are just sometimes different. Do you follow the same rules as a 6 year old? Of course not. I'm sorry, I just have issues with the idea that teachers should be treated as children. JMHO of course.

 

[daisyduck123]

Do you not see a difference between a school-aged child and a college educated professional adult? I assure you that teachers do not make their own rules. The rules are just sometimes different. Do you follow the same rules as a 6 year old? Of course not. I'm sorry, I just have issues with the idea that teachers should be treated as children. JMHO of course.

I like that!! Very well-said!

 

[SavvyMom]

I like that!! Very well-said!

Thank you. I guess this hit a sore spot. At a parent meeting for my freshman daughter, the principal was discussing the cell phone rules. A parent spoke up and asked if teachers were allowed to have cell phones even though the children weren't. What? Teachers are not children. Teachers HAVE children. It's just different.

To answer OPs question, I have never taken time off during the school year for a vacation. We are allowed 3 personal days that are supposed to be for doctor's appointments, mortgage closings, lawyers... that kind of thing. It's a 'don't ask, don't tell' kind of thing. We are not required to say why we want the days off. My family takes our vacations during the summer when I and my children are out of school.

 

[DawnM]

Thanks guys.

I am just not used to being on a traditional calendar. It sounds like this prob. isn't a good idea, esp. my first year in a new district. I will have to find another time.

I have to take off for my son's surgery in Dec. anyway I just found out so that is more important to take time off for. (Can he recover at Disney???? )

Dawn

 

[tubachick]

Do you not see a difference between a school-aged child and a college educated professional adult? I assure you that teachers do not make their own rules. The rules are just sometimes different. Do you follow the same rules as a 6 year old? Of course not. I'm sorry, I just have issues with the idea that teachers should be treated as children. JMHO of course.

well said. In anyother proffession, people can use their days as they please (within reason). I have taken a friday or monday for a long weekend before, but never after a holiday and never for a full week. A long weekend can be a great mental health boost and get you through the year.

 

[dfarner]

Thank you. I guess this hit a sore spot. At a parent meeting for my freshman daughter, the principal was discussing the cell phone rules. A parent spoke up and asked if teachers were allowed to have cell phones even though the children weren't. What? Teachers are not children. Teachers HAVE children. It's just different.

This is OT, but I think every teacher should have a cell phone. I was in a lock down situation once and used my cell phone to reach the police.

 

[teacherforhi]

I was told you don't get ANY the first year in NC and that you accrue 2 per year after that, up to 5. That would mean 4 more years until I could take 5 days.

Oh well.

Dawn

This is only half true. You earn .2 days per month for a total of two in a school year, but you do start earning it in your first year.

You can't use it to extend a vacation, but if you ask for it in advance you cannot be asked for the reason you are using it.

 

[JoyG]

My district is huge...I think we have 78 schools. Although our contract is written the same way, it really depends on the principal of the school you're at.

Contract says we get 5 personal days and you don't have to give a reason to take them unless it's before or after a holiday.

In reality, my current principal would have a fit if you tried to take five days in a row and not give him a really good reason. For example, he knew when my son was having open heart surgery that I'd need all five days in a row. I'm sure he'd be expecting a similiar reason from anyone else. You don't want to be on your principal's bad side.

I've taken two days next to a weekend before without giving a reason and he tolerated it. I wouldn't try to push him for any more than that.

 

[belle&beast]

I'm a speech pathologist, but I have the same contract as teachers. In my district we get 3 personal days/year. If you don't use them , they roll into sick days. I used my 3 personal days in 2005-2006 to go to WDW and will use them again this December. I won't be doing this every year, but DH cannot leave his job to travel in the summer. I work only 3 days a week, so I can take them all and have a full week off. We cannot use them in conjunction with a holiday or break, but otherwise, they are our days to use.