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Now let’s talk time on the clock. My wife leaves for work @ 7 am, comes home @ 5 pm. We live 15 –20 minutes from work, so commute time is not the issue. She plans and grades tests after dinner and on the weekends. These hours are normal for most teachers. When you look at the normal working hours per year in America, that total is 2080 hours. I guarantee you that my wife works those hours, but in the ten months.

I agree. My wife leaves at 6:50 am. Arrives at work five minutes later. Doesn't get home till 6 pm. Her workday in the classroom is 11 hours minus ten minutes for a quick lunch at her desk. At night she grades papers for two or three hours. When my son played soccer she would go to games and grade papers on the sidelines. When we go to a performance at school, she grades papers till they turn the lights out. The way I see it she works about 14 months a year, not the ten official ones.

Alan, I respect teachers as much as anybody else, but my BS detector is on full alert. I don't know what subject she teaches, but are you telling me that she is in the classroom teaching 11 hours per day?

I've got two kids in school now (middle and high school). I know there are conference times, and other activities, and innumerable meetings that waste everybody's time. Her life would be better if these bureaucrats would take time management classes so that she could grade her papers before she goes home.

She could change her career and become a CPA. Then you wouldn't have to worry about seeing her until 9-10 PM 3-4 months out of the year! Then there's that little issue about licensing. To maintain my license in Texas runs at least $1,000 per year, when you add in fees, dues, continuing education, and oh yeah, something called PEER REVIEW (which we know teachers don't have to worry about).

That's the choice I made, and I can live with it. At least I don't have to put up with 65-70 hour weeks anymore, now that I work mostly for myself. The vibes I get from many teachers is that they can't live with their choices any longer, but they are unable or unwilling to make a change.

As I thank those who served in the military for their contributions, I tip my hat to all those dedicated teachers as well.