Posted on 02/04/2006 8:54:24 PM PST by george76
$10 million spent annually by district for classroom subs...
Driven by parental concerns about teacher absenteeism, the Chicago Public Schools for the first time will start scrutinizing schools with high numbers of teachers taking sick days.
On any given school day in Chicago, an average of 1,500 teachers, about 6 percent of the teaching staff, call in sick or take a personal day, according to a Tribune analysis of teacher payroll records.
The absentee rate is highest on Fridays, when an average of 1,800 teachers don't show...
For each of the last six school years, Chicago teachers missed an average of 12 unscheduled days in their 39-week work year. Their current contract calls for 10 sick days and three personal days.
By comparison, salaried employees nationwide take an average of five sick and personal days during their 50-week work year...
Last school year, the district tapped 280,000 substitutes, with the peak coming in February, when demand for substitutes topped 47,000--or about 2,350 each day.
The demand for subs in the 2005-06 school year is even higher, up about 27 percent for the first five months of this school year compared with the same period the year before...
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
GOOD suggestion in the first paragraph. One of my students went on vacation for two weeks and then we had a three week break. She came back for 3 days and then her family was off on vacation again for 2 more weeks. It took her about a month to get back to where she had been. I loved the parents so I didn't get down too hard on them (I couldn't do anything anyways). But I did let them know that she had lost a little bit from being off so much. I do realize that there are family reunions and timeshares scheduled so I am fairly flexible on vacations. The trouble is that some parents expect you to provide every assignment for the time gone. That takes time so some of the time I am not able to get them to them in time.
"But on the surface a teacher missing over 40 days of school in one school year looks bad--real bad, until one looks at the reason and then at the long term history."
Yes, and that can curve the averages a bit. Don't forget pregnancies either. I try to miss as LITTLE as I can. I have probably missed about 12 or 13 days total over 10 years, none of them a sick day. I really don't care if I ever use them to be honest. I just love being in the classroom.
That's pretty sad for a bunch of people who don't even have to work weekends and get the Whole summer off.
HUN? I work more UNPAID hours as a teacher than I do paid. Often those summers are spent working, attending classes, or other school-related stuff by teachers. Every day after school (I get home on average about 7 or 8, sometimes later), I know I have about another 3 or 4 hours worth of stuff to do. Hey, got a pen handy?:)
Oops, I don't think you're Attila. Hun, should be Huh?
My grammar isn't perfect, but she sure is nice.
You forgot to put the sarcasm tag on that post.
I can't think of any other "profession" that works an average of 200 days a year, yet desires to be paid as if they work "full time".
Further, I can't think of any profession , as a whole, who does less to complete their tasks. Educators are few and far between, that actually are contributing to our children's educations. Most of the "learning" these days is all about feelings, rather than facts and figures. Instead of the 3 R's, we have banana demonstrations of condoms, and lockdowns in the halls.
My younger son is a teacher. He actually cars about the kids. He tells me that there are less than half of the teachers at his school that care about progress in the education of their charges. Most of them are just sitting in a room, getting paid way too much... and bitching!
As for your idea about scheduling, you take vacations when the time is open. In moany industries, they shut down in the middle of the summer for a week or two, and everybody goes at the same time. I guess you think teachers are supposedc to go whenever... I say bullshiite!
The charter schools here get more than the regular schools get. We've wanted lower class sizes here for a long time. It's used against us here. Though, personally, I just take whom I get and do the best I can.
Many teachers I know are indeed good, caring individuals who work hard to educate their students. But it is a TEAM effort, requiring parents and the individual efforts of the students as well. That's why I try to work WITH parents and let them know what is going on.
I haven't seen any of the things in your second paragraph here (I don't know about other areas so I will only say it for mine). But I do see lots of the 3 R's being taught every day and not "feelings." I don't have TIME to teach all of that "other" stuff.
I do agree with your first sentence of your last paragraph. You take it when the time is available. And that's how parents do it which I have long since learned, sometimes conflicts with the school year (many times MORE than once or twice a year), but I just do the best I can to help the kid catch up when he or she gets back.
As for me, my vacations are to go back home to see my family. I often smile when some of the kids say they're "only" going to Disneyland this year.
I wonder if people ever stop to consider the fact that sick days are meant to be taken if they are sick? Is it a lie if they call in sick and use that day for personal business?
I have worked in a couple of manufacturing plants that do not have sick days. The plants run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each worker works their 8 hour shift or until they are relieved. The person will be forced to work another shift if his relief doesn't show up. 16 hour shifts are not uncommon.
Exactly correct.
I cruise three or four times a year. We have an enrolled 16yo daughter, who we take out of school for those times. She learns more on the cruises, probably, by visiting foreign and exotic destinations.
My eldest son is a cop. He takes time off when the department tells him time is available. They have a sign-up list to post your desires, and the off times are doled out by RANK.
My second son is a school teacher. He said he wanted to be a school teacher because he knew of no ther job where he ould make $50 grand and have the summer off!
My eldest daughter just changed jobs. she decided to spend a few weeks in South America and her employer didn't want to give her the time. She told them that she would find another job when she got back.
I may be old fashioned enough to think that such things as vacations and paid leaves are "benefits", not rights! Just ask the average construction worker...
Must be that a 3 month paid annual vacation just isn't enough these days ;-)
Not trying to diss teachers for their fine work but, some aren't putting out the effort.
Well, at least on this one, you're right down my line, though I should point out that as a teacher I don't get any paid leave or paid vacation, just the time off. We have to pay for our substitutes too.
If you take certain cruises there are only certain times of year to take them. I have dealt with that many a time with students so it's second nature to me. There's only certain times my wife can go on vacation in her job and they don't coincide with my schedule. It's been a few years since we've been able to take a vacation together.
Be thankful that you can go on 3 or 4 cruises a year. I go to visit my family for a week once a year on average (about what I can afford). I go on a couple of "little" vacations sometimes too to visit relatives a couple of hours away for a day or two. Most of the time at either, I'm just visiting. I went and saw my grandma and grandpa in December. My grandpa took me around the valley and showed me some things. I've NEVER had that opportunity before as our family vacations were often to see relatives and there were always people around them. I felt like a 7-year-old kid when he gets to ride with his dad. It was one of the funnest things I've done in a while and worth more than almost any vacation I could ever go on.
Your son gets paid $50,000 a year? Where do I sign up? Mine isn't even close to that.
I like your old fashionedness. That's the way I am too. BTW, it sounds like you raised your kids right. You should be proud of them and I'm sure you are.
Not trying to diss teachers for their fine work but, some aren't putting out the effort.
Then state that. That goes for about any job. At my wife's last job, there were a LOT who didn't do their job (programmer) and she often had to cover a lot for them. The same goes for my dad in his job. He does a lot of the grunt work while his lazy boss takes the credit. The same goes for my siblings in their job. The same even goes for parents. Not everyone is perfect, that's for sure. I always joke that as the oldest child, I was so bad and messed things up, that it took my parents 7 more times before they finally were able to get it right. Looking at how good my brothers and sisters are and how dumb and idiotic I am, it actually is probably right:).
Thanks. I'm hoping I won't have to wait THAT long! (average wait at the transplant center I go to is 1.5 years)
I am self-employed. I don't get any paid leave or paid vacation.
You are employed in a profession that factors many things into the actual monies paid. Part of that consideration is the amount of time that you HAVE OFF. When that is factored (time working v. wages), the income for the average teacher PER HOUR, PER DAY, or any other way to figure it, is way too high for too many people!
To any reasonable layperson, it is easy enough to understand. Most of us have a 52 week calendar on our walls! Most of us have a day or two off for Christmas. Most of us don't whine so much!
I have no pity for whiners. If you don't like what you are doing, or you think you can do better, change jobs, or change professions. Self-employment gives the greatest financial compensation, and allows you to take control of your time for yourself. Just remember that your time spent working will increase exponentially, if you wish to be successful!
Thanks. I'm hoping I won't have to wait THAT long! (average wait at the transplant center I go to is 1.5 years)
GOOD LUCK!! To add insult to injury, or maybe pain to injury, my friend's brother fell off a cliff and died on a Boy Scout outing on the VERY DAY that tests showed he was a match to be a donor for my friend. My friend did dialysis all that time, but is now doing okay.
In kentucky, your sick days accumulate and un-used days are applied towards your retirement (you get paid a certain dollar amount per day) in a lump sum. Some teachers in my district have a whole years pay equivalent coming to them when they retire, in addition to their pension.
Sounds like a great idea.
I worked 5 1/2 years in a NYC hospital. Used every sick day. We considered it mental health days. And as you know in nursing sick calls leave everyone there very overworked. It's like a vicious cycle.
I came to a suburban not-for-profit hospital and tried that. I was put on probation. Especially calling in on a Monday, Friday or weekend. A tough supervisor set me straight.
Before I left 15 years later I had 5 months of sick time (considered it like insurance) which would have been nice as some kind of compensation at the end. At least I left with the knowledge I didn't screw the place and have a good reputation.
And you don't often when you are. BUT you do have flexibility at certain times of the year that maybe others don't, maybe. I always do admire self-employed individuals and make sure that I frequent their businesses.
You are employed in a profession that factors many things into the actual monies paid. Part of that consideration is the amount of time that you HAVE OFF. When that is factored (time working v. wages), the income for the average teacher PER HOUR, PER DAY, or any other way to figure it, is way too high for too many people!
That's news to me actually. When I figure the ACTUAL time (outside time that I DON'T get paid for) I put in combined with teaching time, the wage is much less than $10 an hour. I'm sure that yours is too with all the time you put in. Actually, here it's JUST the teaching time and contract days figured in, nothing else. The same could be said for MANY other professions too.
To any reasonable layperson, it is easy enough to understand. Most of us have a 52 week calendar on our walls! Most of us have a day or two off for Christmas. Most of us don't whine so much!
Lots of people whine about something. I don't like teachers whining either, but it's not confined to them. My next door neighbor whined about not being able to go on four vacations two years ago (never mind that last year they went to Florida, CA, Las Vegas, and a few other places). Another lady with a 10 thousand square foot house complained about not being able to pay her mortgage. There's some around here who complain about that their 4000 square foot houses aren't big enough. It's funny that it is sometimes those with the most that complain the most. Complaining is just in many of our natures today I guess.
I am thankful for what I have. I didn't have a car full-time until 2 years ago. There is NO ONE more thankful to have a car than me. I can get to where I need to go. I don't need the latest sportscar. My little Neon works just fine.
I have no pity for whiners. If you don't like what you are doing, or you think you can do better, change jobs, or change professions. Self-employment gives the greatest financial compensation, and allows you to take control of your time for yourself. Just remember that your time spent working will increase exponentially, if you wish to be successful!
Good statements and good advice. I don't have ANYTHING to complain about as a teacher. I actually have a dream job right now. I still do fall into that trap of complaining, but I'm trying to do better. Yes, the more I teach, the more time I spend at it. But sometimes it's all worth it. I had a parent last year who went around to a bunch of parents and got letters from them about how "good" I was as a teacher. She presented me those in a notebook. Such was worth MORE to me than a whole year's pay. This year she's nominating me for some big award. I really don't care whether I get it or not, but I do appreciate this parent more than anyone could know. That's why I try to compliment others as much as I can. Others need to know that their efforts are much appreciated.
I respect ANY person who works hard with integrity and a good attitude in ANY profession (well maybe, except the "oldest" profession:). You sound like one of those. I am trying to be. Heck, I'd teach for free if they paid me enough:).
Teachers should use sick days if they are sick or they have a family member who is sick.
This should be defined as really sick...not sick of work, hung over, or going to a hockey game.
This should apply to us all, not just to one profession.
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