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Anonymous wrote:That sucks, and I'm sorry. There must be something really difficult going on in that teacher's life right to make such a decision.

She probably got fed up with the a-hole parents.

Honestly, this is probably accurate.

I wouldn't blame her.

Not this late in the year. It’s unprofessional and rude. Anyone can work another 6 weeks. That’s a really $hitty thing to do to her students. Just finish the damn year and move on.

No one here has any idea what is happening with this teacher in her personal life.

They shouldn't quit. people were not quitting their jobs like this 3 years ago. Biden needs to banned this and do something to stop people from quitting. MY DD English teacher quit last month, she said quit and ain't coming back. It's a sad day in America. November can't come soon enough, I will be voting and something will be done to stop the labor shortage.

You can't force labor. People aren't slaves. That is a route to have zero teachers available to teach in the fall.

The ones who quit midyear won't be working this fall anyway. Maybe you need to rethink your route.

Yes, but forcing people into contracts they can't quit deters the already dwindling supply of teachers to not take on a new contract.

No, it doesn't. All teacher contracts require a 9 month commitment. There's nothing onerous or bad about that. It doesn't deter anyone.

There is not a clause in it that forces you not to quit. In fact, it's them telling you they are committing to you for 9 months and generally teachers are generally professionally agreeing to stay then also. But they can't do more than that like PP wants--forcing people not to quit--without creating a deterrent. If someone is at a breaking point, or needs to move, or wants out of the profession they can quit when they want. It sucks for parents, other teachers, their students, but instilling draconian 'no quit' policies would likely not survive a legal test and make a profession that is struggling to attract people at the worst rate since it's been measured in even worse shape.

You can't force people not to quit. But you can also acknowledge that quitting in the middle of the year is really bad for parents, other teachers, and students. It should not be the norm for a salaried skilled professional and should only happen under dire circumstances. You wonder why kids are detached and anxious. I guess they should recognize that the adults in their lives are only there while it works for them and should feel terrible if they are disappointed when these adults leave without any warning.

Did you not read that I wrote "it sucks for parents, other teachers, their students..." Teaching has long held to this professional norm. Quitting mid-year was exceedingly rare and was long done for only extenuating circumstances. But they've had enough. The mandated policies at the federal level lingering since NCLB have added up, piling up with special education laws with grossly inadequate support. Thrown in your state governor creating a tip line for people to report their teachers, teachers feel like the social contract is broken and they don't have to honor it anymore. I'm not saying we want this for teachers at all. I'm just telling everyone who is still tut-tutting teachers they think are bad that it's a five alarm fire in the profession. I'm not a teacher myself, I track the data in my job and it is STARTLING.

I agree with you. Reading your additional comments, I think we are in complete agreement on the fact that teaching has become an increasingly undesirable profession for a variety of reasons, and the high level of dissatisfaction has created some checked-out and ineffective teachers. The teachers in my life complain more about administrative burdens, impossible workload, and clueless administrators than they do about students and parents. Teachers are burned out, and as a result, the current level of professionalism accepted in teaching does not align with other educated professions. I'm sorry, but it is true. I don't think we are to accomplish the needed reform unless when admit that. My oldest kids are now adults, but I can say that the slide began long before the pandemic and has nothing to do with the tip line (although that's ridiculous). Regular attendance, communication, timely grading, and consistent and respectful treatment of students and parents - all of the components that command respect, are harder to find than ever in public schools. Whether there are good reasons for burnout is beside the point. The decline in professionalism hurts kids, yet we aren't allowed to talk about it because more teachers might leave the profession. It's a vicious cycle. When kids get the bare minimum from some teachers, there's no backup to get them caught up. That's not fair to anyone, but most of all, the kids.

I'm the PP. I don't agree with you that there was a longer history of decline in teacher professionalism. I think despite a lot of demands, they maintained a fairly solid standard of professionalism. In any profession there is a range of course, but I would say on the whole it has been fairly steady for decades. What I am referring to is that teachers are burnt out and feel that the social contract has been broken. Highly skilled, committed and experienced teachers who wanted to be teachers for life, that had teaching as core to their identity are leaving the profession. Less skilled and committed people are also leaving the profession. Far fewer people of any skill level are entering the profession. Some less professional ones are quitting mid-year, but far, far more have either already left or are planning to leave this spring. They don't want to teach in public schools, they don't want to teach in charter schools, they don't want to teach in private or parochial schools. They are done. I think parents have yet to wrap their heads around this reality.

DP. I'm not sure what you think parents can or should be doing about this, besides just laying down and crying. You may blame parents 100% for the current teacher crisis. Okay. Not sure what parents can do to ameliorate it or to improve teacher conditions in the near term. Obama attempted to overturn NCLB with the ESSA but it doesn't seem to have succeeded in improving things. If I contact Richmond, should I ask for less oversight? More SOLs? Fewer SOLs but better written? Relaxing state (and federal) requirements related to sped students? What, exactly?

I think parents can help by being engaged in their kids education. I think a higher percentage of parents are checked out of what is happening at school and blames any issues with school on the Teachers and fails to look at what they are doing, or not doing, and how that effects their kids education.

For example, Distance learning saw a lot of parents complaining that their B/C kid was flunking classes and the parents blamed the Teachers. What many of those parents failed to understand is that their B/C kid was a B/C kid because the Teachers were able to get the kid to produce some work in class that could be graded. The kid learned enough by sitting in class and doing in class assignments to do ok on the tests. Teachers could track a kid down in study hall or at lunch and remind them to turn in an assignment. Many kids were not getting that B/C because the kid was making their best effort but because the Teachers could nag them in person to do their work. Teachers were not able to do that during distance learning and those B/C's turned to F/Ds.

The kids who had been working to earn those B/Cs probably had parents at home making sure that they were doing school work and making some type of effort. Those kids kept their B/Cs during distance learnings.

Too many parents are uninvolved with their kids education. They turn everything over to the school and their kids Teachers. They only get involved when the kid is failing or getting a D and then they are upset with the school/Teachers and not asking what the kid had done to earn that grade. We saw that last year as parents were bemoaning distance learning, which sucked, and were openly discussing that they didn't care if their kid was logged on. What was the point? The Teachers were in jammies and phoning it in so why should their kid log on or do the assigned work? This ignored the fact that most Teachers were not in jammies and had worked hard to translate in class learning material to virtual learning, which is a totally different skill set. And the fact that Teachers did not have the same methods available to them to encourage a kid to complete work.

A good percentage of parents forgot that education relies on team work and that they need to be working with their kid at home as well as communicating with the Teachers. Heck, there is a parent posting in the ES Age forum wondering if she should doing more for her 7 year old who is smart and ahead. But Mom doesn't like to read so she has not read to her kid. And Mom is not interested in asking abut school or talking about school with her kid. Her kid is acting up in class, it is clear the Teachers are contacting her about that, but she doesn't mention anything that she is doing to deal with the kids behavior at school, she seems to be leaving that all to the Teachers. She is missing that her lack of interest in her kids schooling is sending a message to her kid that school isn't important and that the kid can behave how they want in school. What do you think is going to happen in High School?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers who don't want to teach should quit. Bitter, burnt-out teachers are terrible for children, both academically and emotionally. I'd rather have fewer good teachers than have my child stuck with a dud.

Your kid won’t HAVE a teacher, fool, or they’ll be in a “class” of 60 kids.

You people don’t live in reality.

That's better than a bad teacher. It really is.

Every teacher becomes a "bad" teacher under these conditions.

Our school has lost several Gen Ed teachers (LCPS) again this year. Out of touch admin is the main reason.

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Anonymous wrote:That sucks, and I'm sorry. There must be something really difficult going on in that teacher's life right to make such a decision.

She probably got fed up with the a-hole parents.

Honestly, this is probably accurate.

I wouldn't blame her.

Not this late in the year. It’s unprofessional and rude. Anyone can work another 6 weeks. That’s a really $hitty thing to do to her students. Just finish the damn year and move on.

Why should she wait six weeks? Teachers don't get paid for the summer. So her leaving now for a better job means a better financial future long-term. OP doesn't like it I'm sure she knows were the sub sign-up forms are. It won't even be that long, just six weeks.

Wow, the disrespect towards teachers just doesn't stop.

DP: Why is this disrespect? Teachers are supposed to give up better financial offers just because you think they should conform to your idea of professionalism? They owe it to their students? The same teachers who routinely get pink slips every spring and often don't know if/where they are going to work the next year until mid-summer? The same teachers who have been putting up with a ton of crap from so many angles the past few years? Putting teachers on a pedestal who will suffer through anything--give up their own and their family's well-being-- for their students is not "respect" it's an unreasonable expectation. To couch it as 'respect' is just extra gaslighting. These and many other unreasonable demands are what is gutting the teacher profession. Sure, I'd prefer a teacher--or any worker-- not quit without notice but I can totally understand why someone would if they are at the breaking point. And only hr and the teacher know the actual situation, not OP. But if we don't course correct on demands on teachers, the issue is not whether you'll have the same teacher for the next month or so, but whether you'll have any at all next year.

Spare us your union BS. Unprofessional behavior is unprofessional behavior in any field.

Live in denial of the growing teacher shortage then.

Devaluing professionalism will surely solve the problem!

People in the private sector job hop ALL the time. You get an offer for more pay, better benefits, you take it because the offer doesn’t lash forever. Teaching is the ONLY job where we assign some moral failure to leaving it. I’m a teacher and I enjoy it but let’s be clear, this is my job. Just like your job is your job. It is not my life. The job does not love me back. If I die tomorrow, they will list my position, fill it, and move on. My number one priority ALWAYS is my family and my own health. As it should be for everyone.

I'll add to that vets, docs, and nurses -- all of which are professions experiencing record burnout right now, after a pandemic which placed more burden on them as helping professionals and yet which so many others felt fine about dumping their frustrations and anger on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers who don't want to teach should quit. Bitter, burnt-out teachers are terrible for children, both academically and emotionally. I'd rather have fewer good teachers than have my child stuck with a dud.

Your kid won’t HAVE a teacher, fool, or they’ll be in a “class” of 60 kids.

You people don’t live in reality.

That's better than a bad teacher. It really is.

No it’s not! Overcrowded classes don’t allow anyone to learn and lead to possible behavioral issues and violence.

One thing you should all know is that this is going to be your reality whether you like it or not. Teachers are leaving the entire field in record numbers and there are not new teachers coming in. Something like 4% of college students major in education right now. Combine that with conservative takeovers of school boards to defund public schools and privatize education and the future is bleak. It doesn’t make me happy to say that, but those of is in education are the writing on the wall. Within 5 years class sizes will be much higher than you’re used to and resources cut to the bone.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That sucks, and I'm sorry. There must be something really difficult going on in that teacher's life right to make such a decision.

She probably got fed up with the a-hole parents.

Honestly, this is probably accurate.

I wouldn't blame her.

Not this late in the year. It’s unprofessional and rude. Anyone can work another 6 weeks. That’s a really $hitty thing to do to her students. Just finish the damn year and move on.

Why should she wait six weeks? Teachers don't get paid for the summer. So her leaving now for a better job means a better financial future long-term. OP doesn't like it I'm sure she knows were the sub sign-up forms are. It won't even be that long, just six weeks.

Wow, the disrespect towards teachers just doesn't stop.

DP: Why is this disrespect? Teachers are supposed to give up better financial offers just because you think they should conform to your idea of professionalism? They owe it to their students? The same teachers who routinely get pink slips every spring and often don't know if/where they are going to work the next year until mid-summer? The same teachers who have been putting up with a ton of crap from so many angles the past few years? Putting teachers on a pedestal who will suffer through anything--give up their own and their family's well-being-- for their students is not "respect" it's an unreasonable expectation. To couch it as 'respect' is just extra gaslighting. These and many other unreasonable demands are what is gutting the teacher profession. Sure, I'd prefer a teacher--or any worker-- not quit without notice but I can totally understand why someone would if they are at the breaking point. And only hr and the teacher know the actual situation, not OP. But if we don't course correct on demands on teachers, the issue is not whether you'll have the same teacher for the next month or so, but whether you'll have any at all next year.

Spare us your union BS. Unprofessional behavior is unprofessional behavior in any field.

Live in denial of the growing teacher shortage then.

Devaluing professionalism will surely solve the problem!

People in the private sector job hop ALL the time. You get an offer for more pay, better benefits, you take it because the offer doesn’t lash forever. Teaching is the ONLY job where we assign some moral failure to leaving it. I’m a teacher and I enjoy it but let’s be clear, this is my job. Just like your job is your job. It is not my life. The job does not love me back. If I die tomorrow, they will list my position, fill it, and move on. My number one priority ALWAYS is my family and my own health. As it should be for everyone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a good conversation about what is expected of teachers.

We have people expecting teachers, despite low pay and contract employment, to stay in a job until the end of the year and only look for new employment during a 2 month window of time in the year. Is that an expectation you set for yourself?

The pandemic showed us that people don't consider teachers to be professionals. Instead, they consider them doormats. They second-guess everything teachers do and say, and the governor has created tip sheets so that people can tattle on them. They blame them for the pandemic, and blame them for making policy decisions that are way above their pay grade (virtual learning) They consider teachers to be glorified babysitters who should martyr themselves, their own health, and the health of their families (they are parents, too) so that other parents can go to work or work out at the gym.

If you are going to treat teachers this way, expect them to leave. And if they do, you have no one to blame but yourselves. Do not set expectations of them that equal those of doctors, as someone in this thread has.

Here's the thing. I'm an attorney who works in state government. My annual pay is lower that a teacher with the same years of experience, and I don't get all of the breaks that teachers get during the school year. My professional responsibilities to my clients do not change based on how much money I make. I'm either a professional or I'm not. I might have months of leave, but I am not free to use it at times when it would injury my clients. None of this is to say that some teachers don't have good reasons for absences or quitting, but that doesn't mean some don't take advantage or that their inability to fulfill their job duties doesn't have a detrimental impact on students. Which is it? Are teachers professionals who deserve to be paid much more? Or are they workers whose only obligation is to fulfill the terms of their contracts as best they can, taking every hour of leave available to them, leaving mid-year if necessary, while at the same time working in a system that punishes kids for their late work and missed assignments in order to teach students about the "real world"?

+1. Amen. Most of us would face repercussions if we quit without finishing the work our client expected. Kids are the client of the teacher. Quitting 6 weeks before the end of the year with no substitute in place is unprofessional and uncaring.

Nope. You’re delusional.

At. Will. Employment.

You mean "entitlement" and "thinking you're special because you're a teacher and the rules don't apply to you"

What “rules?” There are no “rules.” Are you 8 years old?

No rules at all. Are we all libertarians now? Anarcho-capitalists.

Stay on topic. Again, what are the “rules” about employees leaving and taking another job?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers who don't want to teach should quit. Bitter, burnt-out teachers are terrible for children, both academically and emotionally. I'd rather have fewer good teachers than have my child stuck with a dud.

Your kid won’t HAVE a teacher, fool, or they’ll be in a “class” of 60 kids.

You people don’t live in reality.

That's better than a bad teacher. It really is.

The outcry during the school shutdowns was to get any warm body to keep them open, and that would be good enough. That's not your take on it?

What if there aren't enough teachers willing to do the job to keep schools open? One teacher can manage more students virtually at the same time, if for no other reason than you can cram more kids into the same "classroom" because you aren't limited by the physical space in the four walls.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, this is just the beginning of a wave of teachers leaving. And they are correct.

Correct what?

Most of those who have quit during the Great Resignation have remained unhappy. I wonder if that applies to teachers as well.

Not what empirical data is saying. Everyone has been given permission to leave soul crushing jobs that are not worth it. They've found other work. Salary, work life balance needs to catch up to keep people. It's generational but Covid accelerated it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a good conversation about what is expected of teachers.

We have people expecting teachers, despite low pay and contract employment, to stay in a job until the end of the year and only look for new employment during a 2 month window of time in the year. Is that an expectation you set for yourself?

The pandemic showed us that people don't consider teachers to be professionals. Instead, they consider them doormats. They second-guess everything teachers do and say, and the governor has created tip sheets so that people can tattle on them. They blame them for the pandemic, and blame them for making policy decisions that are way above their pay grade (virtual learning) They consider teachers to be glorified babysitters who should martyr themselves, their own health, and the health of their families (they are parents, too) so that other parents can go to work or work out at the gym.

If you are going to treat teachers this way, expect them to leave. And if they do, you have no one to blame but yourselves. Do not set expectations of them that equal those of doctors, as someone in this thread has.

Here's the thing. I'm an attorney who works in state government. My annual pay is lower that a teacher with the same years of experience, and I don't get all of the breaks that teachers get during the school year. My professional responsibilities to my clients do not change based on how much money I make. I'm either a professional or I'm not. I might have months of leave, but I am not free to use it at times when it would injury my clients. None of this is to say that some teachers don't have good reasons for absences or quitting, but that doesn't mean some don't take advantage or that their inability to fulfill their job duties doesn't have a detrimental impact on students. Which is it? Are teachers professionals who deserve to be paid much more? Or are they workers whose only obligation is to fulfill the terms of their contracts as best they can, taking every hour of leave available to them, leaving mid-year if necessary, while at the same time working in a system that punishes kids for their late work and missed assignments in order to teach students about the "real world"?

+1. Amen. Most of us would face repercussions if we quit without finishing the work our client expected. Kids are the client of the teacher. Quitting 6 weeks before the end of the year with no substitute in place is unprofessional and uncaring.

Nope. You’re delusional.

At. Will. Employment.

You mean "entitlement" and "thinking you're special because you're a teacher and the rules don't apply to you"

What “rules?” There are no “rules.” Are you 8 years old?

+1, what rules?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers who don't want to teach should quit. Bitter, burnt-out teachers are terrible for children, both academically and emotionally. I'd rather have fewer good teachers than have my child stuck with a dud.

Your kid won’t HAVE a teacher, fool, or they’ll be in a “class” of 60 kids.

You people don’t live in reality.

That's better than a bad teacher. It really is.

No it’s not! Overcrowded classes don’t allow anyone to learn and lead to possible behavioral issues and violence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a good conversation about what is expected of teachers.

We have people expecting teachers, despite low pay and contract employment, to stay in a job until the end of the year and only look for new employment during a 2 month window of time in the year. Is that an expectation you set for yourself?

The pandemic showed us that people don't consider teachers to be professionals. Instead, they consider them doormats. They second-guess everything teachers do and say, and the governor has created tip sheets so that people can tattle on them. They blame them for the pandemic, and blame them for making policy decisions that are way above their pay grade (virtual learning) They consider teachers to be glorified babysitters who should martyr themselves, their own health, and the health of their families (they are parents, too) so that other parents can go to work or work out at the gym.

If you are going to treat teachers this way, expect them to leave. And if they do, you have no one to blame but yourselves. Do not set expectations of them that equal those of doctors, as someone in this thread has.

Here's the thing. I'm an attorney who works in state government. My annual pay is lower that a teacher with the same years of experience, and I don't get all of the breaks that teachers get during the school year. My professional responsibilities to my clients do not change based on how much money I make. I'm either a professional or I'm not. I might have months of leave, but I am not free to use it at times when it would injury my clients. None of this is to say that some teachers don't have good reasons for absences or quitting, but that doesn't mean some don't take advantage or that their inability to fulfill their job duties doesn't have a detrimental impact on students. Which is it? Are teachers professionals who deserve to be paid much more? Or are they workers whose only obligation is to fulfill the terms of their contracts as best they can, taking every hour of leave available to them, leaving mid-year if necessary, while at the same time working in a system that punishes kids for their late work and missed assignments in order to teach students about the "real world"?

What is your point? Teachers are not indentured servants. They are free to leave whenever they want. They just never used to do so (but I get why they do now, even if I wish they didn't). You are also free to leave your position at any time.

And fwiw, I have no problem taking every single bit of leave available to me. I've earned it. It's mine to use. And you shouldn't either.

And they can quit their job as well. Unhappy? Leave.

THEY ARE. THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS THREAD. AND NO ONE IS COMING TO REPLACE THEM.

JFC, you’re dim.

The PP wasn’t talking about teachers, but the government lawyer complaining. Catch up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a good conversation about what is expected of teachers.

We have people expecting teachers, despite low pay and contract employment, to stay in a job until the end of the year and only look for new employment during a 2 month window of time in the year. Is that an expectation you set for yourself?

The pandemic showed us that people don't consider teachers to be professionals. Instead, they consider them doormats. They second-guess everything teachers do and say, and the governor has created tip sheets so that people can tattle on them. They blame them for the pandemic, and blame them for making policy decisions that are way above their pay grade (virtual learning) They consider teachers to be glorified babysitters who should martyr themselves, their own health, and the health of their families (they are parents, too) so that other parents can go to work or work out at the gym.

If you are going to treat teachers this way, expect them to leave. And if they do, you have no one to blame but yourselves. Do not set expectations of them that equal those of doctors, as someone in this thread has.

Here's the thing. I'm an attorney who works in state government. My annual pay is lower that a teacher with the same years of experience, and I don't get all of the breaks that teachers get during the school year. My professional responsibilities to my clients do not change based on how much money I make. I'm either a professional or I'm not. I might have months of leave, but I am not free to use it at times when it would injury my clients. None of this is to say that some teachers don't have good reasons for absences or quitting, but that doesn't mean some don't take advantage or that their inability to fulfill their job duties doesn't have a detrimental impact on students. Which is it? Are teachers professionals who deserve to be paid much more? Or are they workers whose only obligation is to fulfill the terms of their contracts as best they can, taking every hour of leave available to them, leaving mid-year if necessary, while at the same time working in a system that punishes kids for their late work and missed assignments in order to teach students about the "real world"?

+1. Amen. Most of us would face repercussions if we quit without finishing the work our client expected. Kids are the client of the teacher. Quitting 6 weeks before the end of the year with no substitute in place is unprofessional and uncaring.

Nope. You’re delusional.

At. Will. Employment.

You mean "entitlement" and "thinking you're special because you're a teacher and the rules don't apply to you"

What “rules?” There are no “rules.” Are you 8 years old?

No rules at all. Are we all libertarians now? Anarcho-capitalists.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers who don't want to teach should quit. Bitter, burnt-out teachers are terrible for children, both academically and emotionally. I'd rather have fewer good teachers than have my child stuck with a dud.

Your kid won’t HAVE a teacher, fool, or they’ll be in a “class” of 60 kids.

You people don’t live in reality.

That's better than a bad teacher. It really is.

Good luck with that attitude. You’ll need it. Your poor kids.

Thanks for the good wishes! Appreciate it! Maybe you can send some good wishes to our teachers, for your kids and mine. Not for OP's kid, though. That kid is out of luck.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a good conversation about what is expected of teachers.

We have people expecting teachers, despite low pay and contract employment, to stay in a job until the end of the year and only look for new employment during a 2 month window of time in the year. Is that an expectation you set for yourself?

The pandemic showed us that people don't consider teachers to be professionals. Instead, they consider them doormats. They second-guess everything teachers do and say, and the governor has created tip sheets so that people can tattle on them. They blame them for the pandemic, and blame them for making policy decisions that are way above their pay grade (virtual learning) They consider teachers to be glorified babysitters who should martyr themselves, their own health, and the health of their families (they are parents, too) so that other parents can go to work or work out at the gym.

If you are going to treat teachers this way, expect them to leave. And if they do, you have no one to blame but yourselves. Do not set expectations of them that equal those of doctors, as someone in this thread has.

Here's the thing. I'm an attorney who works in state government. My annual pay is lower that a teacher with the same years of experience, and I don't get all of the breaks that teachers get during the school year. My professional responsibilities to my clients do not change based on how much money I make. I'm either a professional or I'm not. I might have months of leave, but I am not free to use it at times when it would injury my clients. None of this is to say that some teachers don't have good reasons for absences or quitting, but that doesn't mean some don't take advantage or that their inability to fulfill their job duties doesn't have a detrimental impact on students. Which is it? Are teachers professionals who deserve to be paid much more? Or are they workers whose only obligation is to fulfill the terms of their contracts as best they can, taking every hour of leave available to them, leaving mid-year if necessary, while at the same time working in a system that punishes kids for their late work and missed assignments in order to teach students about the "real world"?

+1. Amen. Most of us would face repercussions if we quit without finishing the work our client expected. Kids are the client of the teacher. Quitting 6 weeks before the end of the year with no substitute in place is unprofessional and uncaring.

Nope. You’re delusional.

At. Will. Employment.

You mean "entitlement" and "thinking you're special because you're a teacher and the rules don't apply to you"

What “rules?” There are no “rules.” Are you 8 years old?