Time off for teachers?

[daisyduck123]

I'm a public school teacher & I take time off every year for vacations.

In fact, I'm missing 6 school days this month for an 8 night WDW trip. (Check out my countdown ticker). We check-in at CBR on Sunday Jan. 25th & checkout of SSR on Monday Feb. 2nd.

For this upcoming trip, I'm combining sick days w/ personal days.

 

[Minnie_me]

From reading many threads on this topic, I can tell you that it varies all over the country.

In my district, teachers get the school breaks, and that's it as far as vacation days go.

We get 3 personal days, but it is stated in our contract that they are not to be used for "recreation".

We get 10 sick days a year, but they can be used only for our own or a family member's illness.

If we use a personal day or sick day to take a vacation, they can make us take the day(s) without pay. If untenured, we could even lose our job.

It seems very fair to me. We went to Disney in July, and had a blast. Was it crowded? Yup! We still had a great time.

 

[SnowWhite607]

DH and I are both teachers. He coaches softball (also football so he cant go in the fall either) so he cant go with me for our Mardi Gras trip. My mom is going instead. We usually do the summer vacation in June.

 

[smylie1]

That's why we go the week of the MLK holiday. We are out of school on Monday for the holiday and then have workdays on Tuesday and Wednesday. I take that week off so DSs and I are only out of school 2 days. As long as my lesson plans, confrences, and paperwork are complete, my principal doesn't mind.

 

[momx2]

What about the schools that don't excuse student absences for vacations. When am I supposed to vacation when it isn't hot or crowded? I understand teachers need off, but nowadays but when you can't take your child out of school for a vacation, I have to ask why should teachers get to take off for vacations?

 

[daisyduck123]

What about the schools that don't excuse student absences for vacations. When am I supposed to vacation when it isn't hot or crowded? I understand teachers need off, but nowadays but when you can't take your child out of school for a vacation, I have to ask why should teachers get to take off for vacations?

Being a teacher & being a student are not the same thing. If a teacher is able to use his/her leave for a WDW trip, then by all means, they should.

There are many parents that say their districts don't excuse days for vacations, yet there are always parents that are able to do it anyway. My district is one of them. On paper, it says that any absence over 3 consecutive days needs a doctor's note in order to be excused, but as a teacher, I know that nothing will happen if a student is out 5 or 6 days w/o a note.

 

[momx2]

Being a teacher & being a student are not the same thing. If a teacher is able to use his/her leave for a WDW trip, then by all means, they should.

There are many parents that say their districts don't excuse days for vacations, yet there are always parents that are able to do it anyway. My district is one of them. On paper, it says that any absence over 3 consecutive days needs a doctor's note in order to be excused, but as a teacher, I know that nothing will happen if a student is out 5 or 6 days w/o a note.

I agree that if they have days to take, so be it, take them. What I'm saying is that the parents also gets days off, but can't take their child out of school but for summers or crowded spring break, so I don't see why anyone should complain that they can't take off at others times. Basically, the school is preventing me from taking vacations at other times also.

My DDs' school is somewhat like you describe as in, won't really get in trouble for taking a week off for vacation, but middle school changes all of that for us. After my oldest starts 7th grade we are forced to vacation during fall break (can't because of soccer), spring break (too crowded) or summer (hot). These are the same times that teachers normally vacation.

I'm not saying teachers shouldn't be able to take off. I just think the students should be given some latitude to do so also. Otherwise, you are forcing every school aged chid's parents into the traditional teacher vacation time also.

 

[carj]

What about the schools that don't excuse student absences for vacations. When am I supposed to vacation when it isn't hot or crowded? I understand teachers need off, but nowadays but when you can't take your child out of school for a vacation, I have to ask why should teachers get to take off for vacations?

Our school doesn't allow time off for student vacations. I am okay with that. As a teacher, I don't take vacation time during the school year. I get plenty of time off we don't get "vacation days" we get sick and personal days.

We went in June last year. I guess it was crowded but we used TGM and had a great time. I can't say that we were bothered by the crowds. As far as the heat goes, we are from Texas so it was pretty much the same. The only difference was it rained most afternoons and cooled things off a bit. We just swelter in the heat and humidity here all summer long!

I love having summers off. I really treasure that time with my kids. We make it a priority to have fun!

I don't like to travel during the breaks because I like to have some down time. My extended family went sking for Christmas but we stayed home and relaxed. We did plenty of local things but I just didn't want to spend our entire time off travelling.

I just hate to get out of school and then immediately have to go somewhere, come home and go right back to school. I love to travel but I like to really have time to relax and hang out.

OP, I hope that you can figure out a good time for your family to vacation!

 

[leighe]

I'm a teacher and we have been to Disney at all of the "peak" times (fall and spring breaks, Christmas break, summer vacation) and have always had a great time and found the crowds to be very managable with some planning. In fact, we have had some July vacations when the many of the major attractions had 20 minute waits and others were practically walk-ons!

 

[lntsmom]

Since you have the seniority, take an unpaid leave during your husband's spring break. If your district is like the ones where I've worked, you'd be best to do that as far in advance as possible...like the first day of school.

The gym teacher where I used to work took 2 weeks to go to DisneyWorld with her family. You know how that works...due to the way teachers get paid, those two weeks translated into a full lost paycheck. She said, however, that they still paid for her health insurance for that time and she didn't have to make a penalty payment to the retirement system. Be sure to check both of those things if you decide it's worth getting docked.

Personally, I'm a single parent so that is not an option. We do our Disney vacations the last week of May/first week of June.

 

[lntsmom]

What about the schools that don't excuse student absences for vacations. When am I supposed to vacation when it isn't hot or crowded? I understand teachers need off, but nowadays but when you can't take your child out of school for a vacation, I have to ask why should teachers get to take off for vacations?

This reply smacks of the typical lack of respect our culture has for teachers. While it seems it should be obvious, teachers are adults.

I seriously worry about a culture that is unable to differentiate between adults and children.

I wore uniforms all through school. I understood that silence was expected of students in the hallway. I never questioned why teachers could have mugs of coffee on their desk but students were forbidden to have food or drink in the classrooms. Children are children and adults are adults.

I've never heard anyone whine because their children aren't allowed to administer shots to each other at the doctor's office. I've never seen a parent go into a restaurant and order mixed drinks for their toddlers. How is it that people don't understand that teachers are professionals. We are university educated. We spend great deals of time learning about things like child psychology, brain functioning, and instructional techniques in order to plan and present lessons each day. We are not children! We do not function as children. To suggest that there should be one set of expectations for both teachers and students is absolutely ridiculous!

 

[momx2]

This reply smacks of the typical lack of respect our culture has for teachers. While it seems it should be obvious, teachers are adults.

I seriously worry about a culture that is unable to differentiate between adults and children.

I wore uniforms all through school. I understood that silence was expected of students in the hallway. I never questioned why teachers could have mugs of coffee on their desk but students were forbidden to have food or drink in the classrooms. Children are children and adults are adults.

I've never heard anyone whine because their children aren't allowed to administer shots to each other at the doctor's office. I've never seen a parent go into a restaurant and order mixed drinks for their toddlers. How is it that people don't understand that teachers are professionals. We are university educated. We spend great deals of time learning about things like child psychology, brain functioning, and instructional techniques in order to plan and present lessons each day. We are not children! We do not function as children. To suggest that there should be one set of expectations for both teachers and students is absolutely ridiculous!

I am in no way saying children deserve or need the same things as adults. My only point is that the parents (adults) of the students that teachers teach can't go to WDW during non-peak periods either if the school enforces very restrictive attendance policies.

I guess only teachers without children in school can go to WDW with their families. If you read and quote all of my posts you'll see that I never said teachers didn't deserve time off, just that I wish schools would understand not everyone can vacation during the summer.

 

[Tiger926]

This reply smacks of the typical lack of respect our culture has for teachers. While it seems it should be obvious, teachers are adults.

I seriously worry about a culture that is unable to differentiate between adults and children.

I wore uniforms all through school. I understood that silence was expected of students in the hallway. I never questioned why teachers could have mugs of coffee on their desk but students were forbidden to have food or drink in the classrooms. Children are children and adults are adults.

I've never heard anyone whine because their children aren't allowed to administer shots to each other at the doctor's office. I've never seen a parent go into a restaurant and order mixed drinks for their toddlers. How is it that people don't understand that teachers are professionals. We are university educated. We spend great deals of time learning about things like child psychology, brain functioning, and instructional techniques in order to plan and present lessons each day. We are not children! We do not function as children. To suggest that there should be one set of expectations for both teachers and students is absolutely ridiculous!

I'm a teacher and I'm going to suggest that this is why there is a lack of respect in society. Teachers and students should abide by most the same rules - not sure I understand how age (child vs adult) is equivalent to respect and professionalism? I teach at-risk high school students and have no problems with my students. In fact, my colleagues say I have a magical touch, guess what it is? It's called mutual respect - if they aren't allowed to drink in class, then I don't drink in class. Your example of kids not drinking in hallways, yet you having a cup of coffee on your desk is extremely disrespectful and hypocritical. Your example of administering shots is also ridiculous since that is a safety and legality issue, whereas taking a vacation is not. I am a very good teacher, so I have no problems with being treated as a professional because I always conduct myself as one. Age or amount of university education or professional training does not equal respect.

Perhaps these kinds of responses are why many people don't treat teachers as professionals?

By the way, we are not allowed to take vacations at all, except during school breaks - Christmas/NY, March Break and Summer. We also have several long weekends throughout the year as well for holidays. I take my summer vacations during the summer - July. It's hot, but where we live in Canada, we experience the same weather as in Orlando, so we are used to it. Even with asthma and allergies we are able to work it out as we are DVC members and take it easy.

I don't believe that teachers should vacation during the year. I totally feel for the OP and people in her situation, but school is very important and should function with the least amount of stress as possible. Teachers and students constantly vacationing during the year would make for lots of inconsistencies, chaos, etc. It's a difficult position for many, but as teachers, most of know that this is how vacationing works and we accept that for the love of what we do. This is why year round schooling may be a viable option as the traditional school schedule has become outdated for today's lifestyles, family situations and job requirements.

Good luck to all struggling with the vacation decision, Tiger

 

[lucigo]

I don't believe that teachers should vacation during the year. I totally feel for the OP and people in her situation, but school is very important and should function with the least amount of stress as possible. Teachers and students constantly vacationing during the year would make for lots of inconsistencies, chaos, etc. It's a difficult position for many, but as teachers, most of know that this is how vacationing works and we accept that for the love of what we do. This is why year round schooling may be a viable option as the traditional school schedule has become outdated for today's lifestyles, family situations and job requirements.

Thanks, I realize this is just a phase in our lives. I have kids in primary school, middle school, high school and college, and a husband teaching school in a different district. This wont last forever. DH is probably going to work on his masters at a different college than DD, so thats 6 school schedules to deal with...we just will end up taking smaller group vacations for the next couple of years. I just am glad my older kids still want to spend time with us! LOL

 

[nessz79]

Thanks, I realize this is just a phase in our lives. I have kids in primary school, middle school, high school and college, and a husband teaching school in a different district. This wont last forever. DH is probably going to work on his masters at a different college than DD, so thats 6 school schedules to deal with...we just will end up taking smaller group vacations for the next couple of years. I just am glad my older kids still want to spend time with us! LOL

Wow- that must be a balancing act!

DH and I are teachers and we only take vacations during our times off. However, a day off once or twice in a year is perfectly acceptable with prior permission from an administrator. For example, we're taking a short Disney trip April 3rd-6th this year. Our Spring Break doesn't start until the 4th, but I was able to ask wayyyyy in advance for the 3rd off so we could start early on our trip. And while that is generally allowed, teachers start getting turned down when they ask for several days off or always ask for days off around vacation times. It's one of those policies that are there for you, but not to abuse.

However, I haven't known anyone who's been able to ask for an entire week off for vacation purposes during the school year. Usually only sickness or a death in the family will permit that kind of time off.

 

[DisneyAllison]

I have been teaching for 10 years. We typically vacation in the summer. The other times we get off are typically the busiest holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. We usually have so many things to do during those weeks that we don't have time to vacation then. Plus, I am usually pooped when those breaks get here, and usually TRY to get caught up on much needed rest. Summer just seems to give us all a little longer to relax and enjoy the vacation, and still have time off afterwards to have a "vacation from the vacation" aka: recovering from the vacation.

 

[daisyduck123]

I guess only teachers without children in school can go to WDW with their families.

No, not true. (Read my countdown ticker). I'm missing 6 school days later this month.

Heck, my school's reading teacher is going down the week before I am & she's missing 5 school days.

 

[waltskids]

DH and I are teachers in the same school district, and ours does not allow for vacation days or time off before or after a holiday. We vacation during our summers and holidays which works fine for us. We have a traditional schedule (which we both love), so we are off from mid June until Labor Day. I cannot imagine year round schooling, especially when trying to coordinate schedules when our DS starts school in a few years.

 

[tink2]

I have been teaching 12 years. I have taken 'vacations' two times during the school year. Once last year to wdw in Jan. and 3 years before for a week in Dec. We get 3 personal days a year and then I took two without pay. They don't mind this as long as you don't do it often and you aren't out before/after a holiday. At our school, as long as parents talk to the principal and teacher before the vacation and you don't do it often, the absences for students are generally excused. I did have a student whom the principal refused to excuse a vacation b/c they had already missed two separate weeks for vacations earlier in the year.
I don't do it often, and planning for a sub. for a whole week is a nightmare in 2nd grade, but it was so worth it to be allowed to go to wdw without the crowds and heat. And, it may not ever happen again as my children are getting older and them missing school is becoming more and more difficult too!

 

[momx2]

No, not true. (Read my countdown ticker). I'm missing 6 school days later this month.

Heck, my school's reading teacher is going down the week before I am & she's missing 5 school days.

My point was that if a teacher with children in school had the same rules for student attendance as many of us do, then the teacher might be able to go to WDW during school, but then would be hauled into court for truancy due to the child missing school.