NPR Article on Public Schools

[Anonymous]

It makes sense that in the career obsessed DMV people all think their job function is critical to keeping society moving and that they in particular could never miss a day or the world would crumble.
Guess what. That’s not true. Take a breath, enjoy your lives. teachers at my DCPS school take days around the holidays and we survive. The kids survive. If DCPS chose to close for a day, we’d still all survive.

Your work doesn’t have to be your everything. When you die, earth will go on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the point of all this leave comparision?

The teachers I know who are absent from work aren't (haven't been) taking discretionary leave. They are (were): in the hospital, or going to the doctor for an appointment before hernia surgery, or taking their disabled spouse or child to an appointment. Or they are home with a fever. Or home with a sick child -- no telework possible in that case. Or they are under quarantine. Or they just resigned because they couldn't meet their professional responsibilities -- and haven't, unfortunately, yet been replaced.

No one is taking discretionary or vacation leave right now; it isn't being approved and we aren't asking for it. We know it is all hands on deck, because when someone doesn't show up for work our colleagues need to cover for us and students get worse education.

The article was quite literally about teachers asking for discretionary leave around a holiday, in fact so many of them have that schools are bullied into closing instead of just telling teachers no.

You are correct; I only skimmed the first part of the article where the reason for closing schools for a day listed were "The cancellations aren't directly for COVID-19 quarantines; instead schools are citing staff shortages, staff fatigue, mental health and sometimes even student fights."

Later in the article two schools did mention that teachers put in for leave the day after Veterans Day.

I can tell you that this leave ISN'T being approved any longer in my school district. Nothing before or after a holiday and very little that isn't sick leave. We are all aware of the staff shortage and the sub shortage and no one expects it to get any easier. We need creative ways to deal with this situation because unlike other businesses, we can't just limit the number of "clients" we take each day to stay within staffing ratios.

[Anonymous]

In most professions everyone who wants leave can't automatically get it at the same time. Is this what the teachers are arguing for? That seems really out of touch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the point of all this leave comparision?

The teachers I know who are absent from work aren't (haven't been) taking discretionary leave. They are (were): in the hospital, or going to the doctor for an appointment before hernia surgery, or taking their disabled spouse or child to an appointment. Or they are home with a fever. Or home with a sick child -- no telework possible in that case. Or they are under quarantine. Or they just resigned because they couldn't meet their professional responsibilities -- and haven't, unfortunately, yet been replaced.

No one is taking discretionary or vacation leave right now; it isn't being approved and we aren't asking for it. We know it is all hands on deck, because when someone doesn't show up for work our colleagues need to cover for us and students get worse education.

The article was quite literally about teachers asking for discretionary leave around a holiday, in fact so many of them have that schools are bullied into closing instead of just telling teachers no.

So? Let them. How is it any of your business? If a teacher wants to take a day off then they should be able to. It is crazy that people like you are advocating that they should be told "no" when they want or need time off. What they are doing is a 'nice to have' but not 'need to have.' Nothing about teaching is mission critical unless you're one of those parents who insist that you need the childcare. IMO parents in public schools need to face up to the reality that if you need the childcare then hire childcare. Frankly, people like you are why we send our kids to private schools. Not only do our kids receive a better education but the teachers are treated more humanely, and that is something we value in our family.

Like any other workplace, not everyone can all take off at the same time. This is not new. Some kids are so far behind due to covid, not sure how closing extra random days benefits those kids that are behind. We were in private school last year and I miss it so much. I’m so disappointed by public school.

You get what you pay for.

+1

You complain about taxes and then sh1t on your teachers for two years. What did you expect would happen?

First, teachers in the DMV are not underpaid. And second, what evidence do you have that paying teachers more would change the situation. If it's fine to take off whenever, why would that change if pay was more?
Teachers will still have families which you believe are more important than doing what is best for students. Teachers and their families are more important than anything.

Teachers in our area *are* underpaid.
https://www.wric.com/news/education/virginia-d-c-ranked-as-worst-two-places-for-teacher-pay/amp/

They should also have days off (combination of holidays and PTO) to spend with their families.

And the teaching profession and individual teachers should be respected.

You get what you pay for.

I just have to comment on this...do you think other professions get 3 days off at Thanksgiving? Or two weeks at Christmas? They don't. Especially in this area - sure there are probably some corporations who give more then one day off at holidays, but think of the countless Fed workers in the DMV who only get 1 day off - Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day - and try to see if they can add 2 or 3 on to that (and often can't because the government has to keep running even on holidays) and your honestly complaining that teachers don't get enough time off at holidays? Its like some teachers seriously live in another reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the point of all this leave comparision?

The teachers I know who are absent from work aren't (haven't been) taking discretionary leave. They are (were): in the hospital, or going to the doctor for an appointment before hernia surgery, or taking their disabled spouse or child to an appointment. Or they are home with a fever. Or home with a sick child -- no telework possible in that case. Or they are under quarantine. Or they just resigned because they couldn't meet their professional responsibilities -- and haven't, unfortunately, yet been replaced.

No one is taking discretionary or vacation leave right now; it isn't being approved and we aren't asking for it. We know it is all hands on deck, because when someone doesn't show up for work our colleagues need to cover for us and students get worse education.

The article was quite literally about teachers asking for discretionary leave around a holiday, in fact so many of them have that schools are bullied into closing instead of just telling teachers no.

So? Let them. How is it any of your business? If a teacher wants to take a day off then they should be able to. It is crazy that people like you are advocating that they should be told "no" when they want or need time off. What they are doing is a 'nice to have' but not 'need to have.' Nothing about teaching is mission critical unless you're one of those parents who insist that you need the childcare. IMO parents in public schools need to face up to the reality that if you need the childcare then hire childcare. Frankly, people like you are why we send our kids to private schools. Not only do our kids receive a better education but the teachers are treated more humanely, and that is something we value in our family.

Like any other workplace, not everyone can all take off at the same time. This is not new. Some kids are so far behind due to covid, not sure how closing extra random days benefits those kids that are behind. We were in private school last year and I miss it so much. I’m so disappointed by public school.

You get what you pay for.

+1

You complain about taxes and then sh1t on your teachers for two years. What did you expect would happen?

First, teachers in the DMV are not underpaid. And second, what evidence do you have that paying teachers more would change the situation. If it's fine to take off whenever, why would that change if pay was more?
Teachers will still have families which you believe are more important than doing what is best for students. Teachers and their families are more important than anything.

Teachers in our area *are* underpaid.
https://www.wric.com/news/education/virginia-d-c-ranked-as-worst-two-places-for-teacher-pay/amp/

They should also have days off (combination of holidays and PTO) to spend with their families.

And the teaching profession and individual teachers should be respected.

You get what you pay for.

I just have to comment on this...do you think other professions get 3 days off at Thanksgiving? Or two weeks at Christmas? They don't. Especially in this area - sure there are probably some corporations who give more then one day off at holidays, but think of the countless Fed workers in the DMV who only get 1 day off - Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day - and try to see if they can add 2 or 3 on to that (and often can't because the government has to keep running even on holidays) and your honestly complaining that teachers don't get enough time off at holidays? Its like some teachers seriously live in another reality.

+1 I just don't understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In most professions everyone who wants leave can't automatically get it at the same time. Is this what the teachers are arguing for? That seems really out of touch.

No, it’s not. And in DCPS at least, teachers have leave restriction days

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In most professions everyone who wants leave can't automatically get it at the same time. Is this what the teachers are arguing for? That seems really out of touch.

No.

What we need are more teachers to replace those who have quit, and more substitute teachers.

[Anonymous]

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/schools-across-the-country-are-struggling-to-find-staff-heres-why

In depth look at the problem here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In most professions everyone who wants leave can't automatically get it at the same time. Is this what the teachers are arguing for? That seems really out of touch.

No.

What we need are more teachers to replace those who have quit, and more substitute teachers.

But they want more subs so everyone can take off at Thanksgiving for a week, I think. That part seems pretty out of touch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It makes sense that in the career obsessed DMV people all think their job function is critical to keeping society moving and that they in particular could never miss a day or the world would crumble.
Guess what. That’s not true. Take a breath, enjoy your lives. teachers at my DCPS school take days around the holidays and we survive. The kids survive. If DCPS chose to close for a day, we’d still all survive.

Your work doesn’t have to be your everything. When you die, earth will go on.

It makes sense that in DCUM’s bubble people don’t understand how many people are paid hourly and don’t get vacation days. Either families lose income or they’re leaving the kids home alone without supervision because they can’t afford not to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It makes sense that in the career obsessed DMV people all think their job function is critical to keeping society moving and that they in particular could never miss a day or the world would crumble.
Guess what. That’s not true. Take a breath, enjoy your lives. teachers at my DCPS school take days around the holidays and we survive. The kids survive. If DCPS chose to close for a day, we’d still all survive.

Your work doesn’t have to be your everything. When you die, earth will go on.

It makes sense that in DCUM’s bubble people don’t understand how many people are paid hourly and don’t get vacation days. Either families lose income or they’re leaving the kids home alone without supervision because they can’t afford not to work.

THIS. Last minute closures like this could make the difference for some families being able to afford their rent. Or the parent will still work and leave a 5 year old home alone. I don’t get why this is so hard to understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It makes sense that in the career obsessed DMV people all think their job function is critical to keeping society moving and that they in particular could never miss a day or the world would crumble.
Guess what. That’s not true. Take a breath, enjoy your lives. teachers at my DCPS school take days around the holidays and we survive. The kids survive. If DCPS chose to close for a day, we’d still all survive.

Your work doesn’t have to be your everything. When you die, earth will go on.

It makes sense that in DCUM’s bubble people don’t understand how many people are paid hourly and don’t get vacation days. Either families lose income or they’re leaving the kids home alone without supervision because they can’t afford not to work.

THIS. Last minute closures like this could make the difference for some families being able to afford their rent. Or the parent will still work and leave a 5 year old home alone. I don’t get why this is so hard to understand.

And it's not just that. Even people who have the luxury of stable income have made choices and sacrifices in their lives and careers to accommodate an already difficult school schedule, so these additional closures are a slap in the face.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In most professions everyone who wants leave can't automatically get it at the same time. Is this what the teachers are arguing for? That seems really out of touch.

No.

What we need are more teachers to replace those who have quit, and more substitute teachers.

But they want more subs so everyone can take off at Thanksgiving for a week, I think. That part seems pretty out of touch.

Really, no. At least in DC area schools people aren't being given personal leave for Thanksgiving week. But SUBS didn't want to work Mon-Wed so it was even harder to find subs for those teachers who were ill or had resigned or were quarantined etc. At least that's what happened in my school. We managed -- we just put several classes together in the cafeteria and let them hang out there with one teacher. But it wasn't great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It makes sense that in the career obsessed DMV people all think their job function is critical to keeping society moving and that they in particular could never miss a day or the world would crumble.
Guess what. That’s not true. Take a breath, enjoy your lives. teachers at my DCPS school take days around the holidays and we survive. The kids survive. If DCPS chose to close for a day, we’d still all survive.

Your work doesn’t have to be your everything. When you die, earth will go on.

It makes sense that in DCUM’s bubble people don’t understand how many people are paid hourly and don’t get vacation days. Either families lose income or they’re leaving the kids home alone without supervision because they can’t afford not to work.

This comment was made by me in response to the feds who could never take off a day or schedule a dr appt bc their work was too important

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In most professions everyone who wants leave can't automatically get it at the same time. Is this what the teachers are arguing for? That seems really out of touch.

No.

What we need are more teachers to replace those who have quit, and more substitute teachers.

But they want more subs so everyone can take off at Thanksgiving for a week, I think. That part seems pretty out of touch.

Really, no. At least in DC area schools people aren't being given personal leave for Thanksgiving week. But SUBS didn't want to work Mon-Wed so it was even harder to find subs for those teachers who were ill or had resigned or were quarantined etc. At least that's what happened in my school. We managed -- we just put several classes together in the cafeteria and let them hang out there with one teacher. But it wasn't great.

Okay, thank you for explaining. That is helpful to understand.