Constant teacher absences

[Anonymous]

Op you can always ask the principal again but you likely aren't entitled to an answer as to why the teacher is absent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Just when I thought DCUM couldnt stoop any lower. Teachers get sick leave. It works out to roughly one day and change per month that you accrue. When I took maternity leave, I had to use 14 days of my leave or go unpaid before my short term disability kicked in. The short term disability doesnt pay 100%, so many teachers use additional days they have built up to get full pay. That is assuming they have been in the county for a long time and have been saving leave.

When I went back to teaching after maternity leave, my baby was in daycare and was often sick. I am not the breadwinner in my family, so I stayed home every time with the sick baby. My husbands job is high stress and what allows us to live in Fairfax County. Yes, I was super stressed out about my students missing out on quality instruction. It was a really crappy 2-3 years at work while I tried to balance it.

Read the room. There is a teacher and sub shortage. It sucks, but calling out a new working mom and complaining to the principal is a pretty dick move.

Well OP seems to thinks that the teacher should have either predicted her absences and quit her job for the year or have backup childcare providers on call for when her children can't be in daycare (which may be due to Covid exposure). Now that I think about it, why doesn't the teacher get a live-in nanny and housekeeper?!

I agree that complaining to the principal is a dick move but this seems to be the prevailing ethos on DCUM. No wonder we have a teacher shortage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gosh I’m so sorry I expected the teacher to have reliable childcare when she came back to work. You know how every other professional does when they have to go back to work? Yes we have been in this pandemic for the last two years!! Of course there will be closures and kids getting sick. So have all of us not planned for this so we are not constantly running around last minute when we have to show up to work? Like I said most of the teachers have little kids too but I don’t see them being absent so frequently. Those teachers take their job seriously

Taking a few hours off or a day off for an appointment or child’s sickness is completely different than literally not showing up 2-3 days every single week! Please stop being so defensive. And FYI other professionals get fired or get a warning if they are sporadically and frequently absent.

Unlike other jobs, people who have to miss for childcare reasons can work at night or remotely to get the job done. Teaching isn’t like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean “their teacher going on mat leave”

I know!! Couldn't she just drop the kid and keep teaching? And then she might have appointments. Why is she allowed to do that? I mean, is there a union or something?

Do you not know how to read? She was on mat leave for 4 months and just got back in Jan and ever since she has been back she is constantly absent at least two days every week. She was actually absent for one entire week in late Jan. She is allowed to do whatever she needs for her child and my child is also allowed to get a proper education form a teacher who takes her job responsibilities seriously.

Your child is entitled to a warm body to keep them in the building and nothing more. They are not going to fire the teacher or move your child. Handle it

[Anonymous]

If you want your child to actually learn, especially in elementary school, please either homeschool or go to private.

Public schools belong to the teachers. Accept it and move on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean “their teacher going on mat leave”

I know!! Couldn't she just drop the kid and keep teaching? And then she might have appointments. Why is she allowed to do that? I mean, is there a union or something?

Do you not know how to read? She was on mat leave for 4 months and just got back in Jan and ever since she has been back she is constantly absent at least two days every week. She was actually absent for one entire week in late Jan. She is allowed to do whatever she needs for her child and my child is also allowed to get a proper education form a teacher who takes her job responsibilities seriously.

They were out a lot... in January... during... the surge... of... ... ... COVID ... ... cases.

What
A
Terrible
Woman.

Oh being worried about my child’s lack of education makes me a terrible woman? You don’t know how appreciative I always am of teachers but I also expect them to take their job seriously and teach my child. I understand it’s a hard time with an infant and maybe she should have taken an entire year off and given someone else this job while she takes care of her kids and gets into a routine.

OP, any time someone posts a similar concern, they are judged, blamed, and scoffed at. However, you are identifying a real problem, which is systemic, and not the fault of any single teacher. Teachers, like all of us, have times when their work attendance is poor and that poor attendance has consequences. It doesn't matter if the absences are justified, the fact is that teachers with excessive absences are not doing their jobs effectively and it hurts their students. DCUM will tell you that you need to fill in the blanks as parents, but I don't agree that every family in a class of 20 should be ready to react based on absences that are not planned or expected. There really should be more backup built into the system with highly trained teachers to step in to help make up gaps in classes where the teachers have used large amounts of leave. This type of backup will probably never be available, but it would take pressure off teachers and benefit students, especially those whose families can't, for whatever reason, step in to fill holes created by circumstances they have no control over (and often no information about).

My best advice grounded in reality and personal experience with a teacher to missed a great deal of time and then left mid-year is that you have to accept that you need to step in to do more. Rather than complaining about the absences, perhaps you could ask for help working with your child to help keep them on track.

OP here. Thank you for such a thoughtful and mature response. Yes I am appalled at the teacher brigade that pounced on me because I’m concerned about my child’s teacher constantly being absent. It is absolutely affecting the class. The subs come in and most of the kids don’t take them seriously and as a result nothing is being taught. My concern is that the teacher isn’t doing her job seriously and it’s affecting our kids. We expect healthcare workers to show up even if they have sick kids. Well teachers need to show up too because there are a lot of families counting on them especially given how last year was such a wash. And for the record, I was always very supportive of teachers taking a leave of absence in the midst of COVID and choosing what they are comfortable with. My mother was a teacher so I am well aware of what a demanding job it is. Yes they deserve higher pay and more respect but I also think showing up to work and taking your job responsibly is required in any profession. All the other teachers in the school are there and I know most of them have kids. Of course there are days when teachers have appointments, emergencies, personal issues but to make this a regular occurrence is not acceptable and you all can call me terrible or whatever you want for that.

You are not their boss, so it doesn't matter a single, solitary damn what you deem "acceptable" or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean “their teacher going on mat leave”

I know!! Couldn't she just drop the kid and keep teaching? And then she might have appointments. Why is she allowed to do that? I mean, is there a union or something?

Do you not know how to read? She was on mat leave for 4 months and just got back in Jan and ever since she has been back she is constantly absent at least two days every week. She was actually absent for one entire week in late Jan. She is allowed to do whatever she needs for her child and my child is also allowed to get a proper education form a teacher who takes her job responsibilities seriously.

Your child is entitled to a warm body to keep them in the building and nothing more. They are not going to fire the teacher or move your child. Handle it

+100

OP, you cannot fix this. Start applying to private schools if you have the means. If you do not, see if you or your partner can switch jobs or pick up extra work. It’s not going to get any better for a few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean “their teacher going on mat leave”

I know!! Couldn't she just drop the kid and keep teaching? And then she might have appointments. Why is she allowed to do that? I mean, is there a union or something?

Do you not know how to read? She was on mat leave for 4 months and just got back in Jan and ever since she has been back she is constantly absent at least two days every week. She was actually absent for one entire week in late Jan. She is allowed to do whatever she needs for her child and my child is also allowed to get a proper education form a teacher who takes her job responsibilities seriously.

They were out a lot... in January... during... the surge... of... ... ... COVID ... ... cases.

What
A
Terrible
Woman.

Oh being worried about my child’s lack of education makes me a terrible woman? You don’t know how appreciative I always am of teachers but I also expect them to take their job seriously and teach my child. I understand it’s a hard time with an infant and maybe she should have taken an entire year off and given someone else this job while she takes care of her kids and gets into a routine.

OP, any time someone posts a similar concern, they are judged, blamed, and scoffed at. However, you are identifying a real problem, which is systemic, and not the fault of any single teacher. Teachers, like all of us, have times when their work attendance is poor and that poor attendance has consequences. It doesn't matter if the absences are justified, the fact is that teachers with excessive absences are not doing their jobs effectively and it hurts their students. DCUM will tell you that you need to fill in the blanks as parents, but I don't agree that every family in a class of 20 should be ready to react based on absences that are not planned or expected. There really should be more backup built into the system with highly trained teachers to step in to help make up gaps in classes where the teachers have used large amounts of leave. This type of backup will probably never be available, but it would take pressure off teachers and benefit students, especially those whose families can't, for whatever reason, step in to fill holes created by circumstances they have no control over (and often no information about).

My best advice grounded in reality and personal experience with a teacher to missed a great deal of time and then left mid-year is that you have to accept that you need to step in to do more. Rather than complaining about the absences, perhaps you could ask for help working with your child to help keep them on track.

OP here. Thank you for such a thoughtful and mature response. Yes I am appalled at the teacher brigade that pounced on me because I’m concerned about my child’s teacher constantly being absent. It is absolutely affecting the class. The subs come in and most of the kids don’t take them seriously and as a result nothing is being taught. My concern is that the teacher isn’t doing her job seriously and it’s affecting our kids. We expect healthcare workers to show up even if they have sick kids. Well teachers need to show up too because there are a lot of families counting on them especially given how last year was such a wash. And for the record, I was always very supportive of teachers taking a leave of absence in the midst of COVID and choosing what they are comfortable with. My mother was a teacher so I am well aware of what a demanding job it is. Yes they deserve higher pay and more respect but I also think showing up to work and taking your job responsibly is required in any profession. All the other teachers in the school are there and I know most of them have kids. Of course there are days when teachers have appointments, emergencies, personal issues but to make this a regular occurrence is not acceptable and you all can call me terrible or whatever you want for that.

You are not their boss, so it doesn't matter a single, solitary damn what you deem "acceptable" or not.

Yup. Zero accountability to parents in FCPS. Schools are not actually responsible for learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gosh I’m so sorry I expected the teacher to have reliable childcare when she came back to work. You know how every other professional does when they have to go back to work? Yes we have been in this pandemic for the last two years!! Of course there will be closures and kids getting sick. So have all of us not planned for this so we are not constantly running around last minute when we have to show up to work? Like I said most of the teachers have little kids too but I don’t see them being absent so frequently. Those teachers take their job seriously

Taking a few hours off or a day off for an appointment or child’s sickness is completely different than literally not showing up 2-3 days every single week! Please stop being so defensive. And FYI other professionals get fired or get a warning if they are sporadically and frequently absent.

THEY CANNOT FIRE TEACHERS WHEN THERE IS A NATIONAL, SYSTEMIC TEACHER SHORTAGE.

Are you always this much of a moron?

[Anonymous]

I just can’t imagine being this teacher. Stressed beyond belief, dealing with a newborn, potentially dealing with covid. Maybe checking out DCUM for a brain break and seeing this privileged POS OP. It’s honestly so disgusting that your this capitalistic that you think a new parent who is dealing with their own challenges should drop everything in their life, including their most likely UNPAID leave, to teach your admittedly gifted child.

Pinnacle of privilege. You need a hobby OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gosh I’m so sorry I expected the teacher to have reliable childcare when she came back to work. You know how every other professional does when they have to go back to work? Yes we have been in this pandemic for the last two years!! Of course there will be closures and kids getting sick. So have all of us not planned for this so we are not constantly running around last minute when we have to show up to work? Like I said most of the teachers have little kids too but I don’t see them being absent so frequently. Those teachers take their job seriously

Taking a few hours off or a day off for an appointment or child’s sickness is completely different than literally not showing up 2-3 days every single week! Please stop being so defensive. And FYI other professionals get fired or get a warning if they are sporadically and frequently absent.

THEY CANNOT FIRE TEACHERS WHEN THERE IS A NATIONAL, SYSTEMIC TEACHER SHORTAGE.

Are you always this much of a moron?

Well, they could, but that won't stop OP's child from having a revolving door of substitute teachers since there is no pool of good candidates to take the job midyear. Isn't it great that they actually have subs for the class and the students are not split between other classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Teachers are way underpaid and subs are beyond way underpaid. You get what you pay for. The public education system is headed downhill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean “their teacher going on mat leave”

I know!! Couldn't she just drop the kid and keep teaching? And then she might have appointments. Why is she allowed to do that? I mean, is there a union or something?

Do you not know how to read? She was on mat leave for 4 months and just got back in Jan and ever since she has been back she is constantly absent at least two days every week. She was actually absent for one entire week in late Jan. She is allowed to do whatever she needs for her child and my child is also allowed to get a proper education form a teacher who takes her job responsibilities seriously.

So volunteer to watch the teachers kid!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Just when I thought DCUM couldnt stoop any lower. Teachers get sick leave. It works out to roughly one day and change per month that you accrue. When I took maternity leave, I had to use 14 days of my leave or go unpaid before my short term disability kicked in. The short term disability doesnt pay 100%, so many teachers use additional days they have built up to get full pay. That is assuming they have been in the county for a long time and have been saving leave.

When I went back to teaching after maternity leave, my baby was in daycare and was often sick. I am not the breadwinner in my family, so I stayed home every time with the sick baby. My husbands job is high stress and what allows us to live in Fairfax County. Yes, I was super stressed out about my students missing out on quality instruction. It was a really crappy 2-3 years at work while I tried to balance it.

Read the room. There is a teacher and sub shortage. It sucks, but calling out a new working mom and complaining to the principal is a pretty dick move.

Your husband was the breadwinner and you were able to stay in FFX county because of him. You think it’s ok to have 2-3 crappy years at work TEACHING STUDENTS? This is an AAP class so the students are at least ahead of their peers and generally more focused on learning. But do you not realize in those 2-3 crappy years, some students must have missed out on quality instruction or failed to form a solid base during their elementary school years? How entitled are you? Why did you not take a leave of absence for those 2-3 years so you can focus on your family and some other teacher can come in to teach those students? Surely you weren’t the breadwinner and surely there wasn’t a teacher shortage during those 2-3 years. Gosh the entitlement some of you have! This isn’t some admin job where you have a crappy couple of years and it’s no big deal! It IS A BIG DEAL.

I am extremely appreciative of all teachers and make it a point to express that to them throughout the year! I have the utmost respect for this profession and always vote for candidates that are big proponents of increased funding in education. I have an issue with ONE teacher who constantly seems frazzled and the reason I am venting is because it’s affecting the students and they are all acting out and nobody is learning anything. But the teacher brigade gets so upset as if I threw all the teachers under the bus! Unbelievable!

Private school seems very enticing indeed. My husband and I have decided if this goes on, our kids are definitely going to private in high school! I am sure there will be no teacher brigade there getting upset if we have the audacity to question the quality of education our kids are getting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean “their teacher going on mat leave”

I know!! Couldn't she just drop the kid and keep teaching? And then she might have appointments. Why is she allowed to do that? I mean, is there a union or something?

Do you not know how to read? She was on mat leave for 4 months and just got back in Jan and ever since she has been back she is constantly absent at least two days every week. She was actually absent for one entire week in late Jan. She is allowed to do whatever she needs for her child and my child is also allowed to get a proper education form a teacher who takes her job responsibilities seriously.

So volunteer to watch the teachers kid!

I have a full time job where I am expected to show up everyday and where I am expected to arrange for childcare so my work doesn’t suffer.