To the “I do my 8 hours and still answer hundreds of emails” people: teaching was my 2nd career. I, too, worked a reasonable 40-45 hours a week for the same that I made working god knows how many hours a week and I came home crying at least once a week.
Especially when it comes to a right to work state like Virginia where teacher contracts mean zilch and you are expected (but it’s not in your contract and obviously you don’t get any more money) to regularly take on three - four hours of work unrelated to your actual classes at the last minute, you do not get to sit down to answer emails.

I taught in Fairfax for five years and I legitimately didn’t have time to take attendance (because I couldn’t sit down) until I got home several times a week.

Yes, there are some amazing miracle teachers who do get back to all students and parents right away. Those teachers have made cuts in other parts of their lives.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole "teachers don't have time to answer emails from students" reasoning falls apart when you find the a teacher who does. My HS child has had a precious few teachers who respond to student emails, enter grades into the grade book in a timely manner and are generally very responsive, but they do exist. These teachers have ranged from young and old, with families and not, and across subjects. These teachers prove it can be done and highlight the absurdity of some of the excuses other teachers offer up.

I used to be that teacher. I gained 80 pounds over 6 years, was on antidepressants, lost my boyfriend and most friendships, and burned out and left teaching for 10 years, making 30% more working for a “high pressure, high paced” digital startup. I worked about 25 hours less per week than when I was teaching. And I could go to the bathroom whenever I wanted. And check the morning news in my laptop. And more than occasionally go online shopping.

I’ve worked in several other fields in jobs that everyone considered high stress and fast paced. It was NOTHING compared to teaching.

I took 2 years off about 7 years off when my kids were babies/toddlers. I earned about 25% more than I do now. God, it was SO boring. Everyone else was stressed ALL THE TIME. I finished all my work in 2 hours and then listened to books on tape, shopped, read articles, etc. I dreaded going to work each day. When I quit to return to teaching, they offered me more money to stay. Hell no, I had to get out of there.