What do you think about the TEACHER taking time off for a vacation?

[aprilgail2]

1st grade teacher here...I do it every year...

The reading teacher at my school just checked into the Poly yesterday.
I'm soooo jealous!!

***BTW, my county has crappy vacations for teachers....for Easter, we get 3 days off, and that's our only spring break.
Between Easter Monday & Memorial Day (March 24-May 26), we don't get even ONE day off.
We have 8 straight full weeks...not even an early dismissal in there.

wow I WISH our school had that. I think it is nuts the amount of time these kids have off!!!
Feb-16-24th- winter recess
March 20th-25th- Easter
April 18th-27th- passoverMay 23,24 25& 26

Do they REALLY need aweek a month off??? This is why we don't get out of school until June 27th this year, WAY to many breaks!! The early dismissals are the ones that really kill me. I don't even send my daughter those days since they don't offer the SAFE program after it so since I work I have to find someplace for her to go and I drop her off in a different town in the morning for someone to watch her so she doesn't go to school (along with half the school since they have the same problems!)

 

[fltwinmom]

Everyone deserves a vacation. Especially our hard working teachers! And, you can't always plan your vacations around the school holidays. Especially if you are trying to go to Disney. Has anyone ever been there during spring break??

I have no problem with my DD's teachers taking a vacation, and I have no problem taking my children out of school for vacation.

Everyone needs some relaxation time....

 

[KristiKelly]

I would not have a problem with it. I;ve told DD2nd grade teacher, who has kids, definitely go to WDW in the fall when the schools are back in.

 

[disneyjunkie]

***BTW, my county has crappy vacations for teachers....for Easter, we get 3 days off, and that's our only spring break.
Between Easter Monday & Memorial Day (March 24-May 26), we don't get even ONE day off.
We have 8 straight full weeks...not even an early dismissal in there.

I'd feel differently if we had your schedule.

I love our schedule. We have a ton of breaks throughout the year.

There are a number of 3-4 day weekends, 4 week long breaks, and of course summer.

All of the breaks mean we get out of school late (we also go back late, so it all evens out) but I would not want to see that change.

 

[Todd&Copper]

So you support the idea that a child shouldn't be taken out of school for a vacation as they receive the same holidays (actually more, as some days off for students are PD days for teachers)?

If so, that's cool. I'm just checking what your position is, not trying to start something, honest!

Well, I think the rules are different for students and teachers. The student's vacation time is dependent on the vacation their parents can take. I am sure there are some parents who cannot always schedule a week for a vacation in the summer because of work responsibilities.
Furthermore, the teacher is responsible to for the education of the entire class, which may be 20 - over 100 kids, depending on grade level and subject matter taught. The student is only responsible for his/her own work.

 

[KirstenB]

Like others have said, go if you want to go. Our older dd is in 4th grade. School doesn't come easily for her, so we've had to stop pulling her out for vacation. Our teachers will occasionally wrap an extra day or two around a holiday like Thanksgiving. A friend of mine who teaches told me how many days they have off during the school year, it's not a lot. Our PE teacher told me he could probably take a week of vacation every few years, but he got the feeling it would be frowned upon if he did it every year.

 

[Kitty 34]

I just subbed for a week for a 5th grader teacher who went to Disney. I didn't have a problem with her going. In fact I supplied her with tons of info on Disney. In fact at one point we suddently realized in all our Disney talking sessions that we better discuss what I was doing for the week in her class!!!

 

[java]

I think there is a difference between a child missing school (impacting himself) or a teacher missing school(impacting the entire class) Teacher's are getting paid to be there-by mine and others tax dollars. So yes I have a problem with teacher's taking time off UNLESS it is in their contract to do so. If their Teacher's union contract allows for time off then go for it.

 

[java]

Between Easter Monday & Memorial Day (March 24-May 26), we don't get even ONE day off.
We have 8 straight full weeks...not even an early dismissal in there.

Imagine people that work 52 full weeks.

 

[Forevryoung]

I think that this is interesting-

I'm going to be a speech teacher starting in Sept. Right now I'm interning for a school district.

If we miss a child's session for one day because we are testing other children, some parents throw a fit (There are no time slots set aside for testing, so the time has to come from somewhere)

If we were to go on vacation and miss 2+ days, parents would find out and there would be major drama (threatening of lawsuits etc.)

Yes, I know that these kids, by law, are required to receive the services. We are put under the same contract as classroom teachers and our impact on the child would be nearly nothing because they would be in class learning instead of with us!

 

[crossfamily]

I'm all for it... Yes they do have time off in the summer and various breaks during the year... BUT what if their spouse doesnt' get a choice on their vacation time and can't take it when they want to.. My dh works at a place where unless you have at least 20 years in you dont' get to chose your vacation weeks... I am one of those parents that takes their kids out of school so we can do a "family' vacation... I have never had a problem once I have explained our situation to the teacher.. Teachers have lives too..

 

[declansdad]

For me it would depend on the reason.

If he or she has a spouse in the military or if the spouse isn't able to vacation during school breaks - I wouldn't have a problem


If he or she was vacationing during school time to avoid crowds, heat or to save money, then I'd be upset.

(Of course I'd never know why the teacher decided to vacation during the school year)

I schedule our trips during school breaks. If it's at all possible, I expect my son’s teachers to do the same.

I agree completely and my dw is a teacher.

Well, I think the rules are different for students and teachers. The student's vacation time is dependent on the vacation their parents can take. I am sure there are some parents who cannot always schedule a week for a vacation in the summer because of work responsibilities.
Furthermore, the teacher is responsible to for the education of the entire class, which may be 20 - over 100 kids, depending on grade level and subject matter taught. The student is only responsible for his/her own work.

Same can apply to a teacher. A teacher's spouse may not have control over their vacation time. Seems like a double standard to say it is ok for the parents but not the teachers.

 

[jrmasm]

Kids missing and teachers missing are not the same thing. Not even close. A teacher's vacation is much more of a disruption.

Ideally, I would prefer that my DD's teachers take their vacations in the summer and over breaks. I do not think they should be able to take more than a day ata time during the school year. However, this is not an issue that I would make a stink over. But I will admit that I was not thrilled when 2 of my DD's 5 teachers were out on the same Thurs and Fri so that they could fly out to see a Notre Dame football game.

Regarding 8 weeks in a row without a day off? You have the weekends off. Most people work that kind of schedule. Xmas, NY's, Thanksgiving, Memorial, July 4th and Labor Day. I really cannot see the complaint.

 

[kangareaux]

This is no flame to sub's - but seriously, I don't ever remember accomplishing too much when our teacher's were gone.

Speaking as a sub....

We do WAY more than our subs EVER did. We are expected to carry on with whatever the teacher was doing just like if she were there and doing it herself. AND WE DO! I nearly killed myself (and greatly annoyed a LOT of kids ) completing everything the teachers left for me the first month or 2 I was a sub......until they told me that they leave WAY more work than they usually do when they are there and don't expect all those worksheet s to be completed...just in case the kids finish early...so they won't be bored. Now, we do our best to finish MOST of the work (The lessons and the *regular* work) and don't sweat over the worksheets and stuff. Anyway, point is...a lot DOES get accomplished at my kids school when there's a sub. LOL!

I have no problems with teachers taking vacations during the school year. Heck, the only way WE could afford WDW this year was to go during value season. (which meant missing a week of school) Right after Christmas, I subbed for a week for a teacher who was in WDW.

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

Teachers deserve to take a vacation too with their family. Just because they have the summer off and a couple of weeks off in Feb and April, doesn't mean that their spouse or significant other does too. This is why i pull my children out of school to go on vacation. I dont have the chance when they are off from school. Families need that time together and if the only time is during the school year then so be it. I dont think that my child is worse off because their is a substitute. I do think its a big deal.

 

[java]

Again you are comparing apples and oranges in my opinion. Teachers get PAID to be at school. They negotiate contracts through their unions. Children are their to learn. If they miss a week it is their loss. If a teacher misses a week it is 25 kids loss. I don't think you can compare the two.

 

[DawnCt1]

My SIL is a school nurse and she is not allowed to take a vacation outside of the school calendar. I think that is ridiculous.

 

[puffkin]

No they should not.

They get off the summer, week at Christmas, Spring Break, Fall Break and a myriad of other times the rest of the work force doesn't get off. They are paid by tax payers dollars and their disruption affects a whole classroom of students.

I work in public accounting (but not doing tax work) and I don't get 1 day off from New Years to Memorial Day. And technically I am not supposed to take vacation time either. Yes, I was well aware of this when I took the job and felt my pay and other perks made up for it. The dates of the school year are no secret to anyone....they are well aware before they even go to college for their degree. I think they should be expected to be there during the school year.

Let me add though that I don't see a problem with a days off here or there for funerals, weddings or something else along those lines.

 

[StrwLady]

I think if the teacher's employer allows it then who are we to question.

I knew someone that her and her husband both taught in CA and were in districts that had year round school. Only problem was is she taught in one district and her husband in another. Their time off was always different. I know she said family vacations were next to impossible. It was almost impossible for either her or her hubby to take the kids on vacation seeing her daughter attended school in her district and her son in hubby's district.

 

[dcgrumpy]

My brother and SIL are teachers and I know that where they work once you're tenured you're allowed to take a few days off but it's really frowned upon. They even scheduled their wedding around spring break.

I don't know if it's allowed in my district but so far I've never encountered it.