Anonymous wrote:Migrant workers also get paid only for the days they work picking crops....

As does my independent software consultant spouse.

Independent consultants don't even get vacation days. Granted he makes 6 times a teacher, but if he doesn't work he doesn't get paid.

PP: there is no doubt of that. I know what I do...and I have had to use vacation or take Leave without pay because of coverage gaps.

The point is, summers off is not a perk for teachers, as it is unpaid time. They might do things related to work, but it is unpaid time.

It is no different than taking leave without pay at your job.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers get paid ok stop the bs

And they get off 3 months for summer.

You obviously didn't learn math from an FCPS teacher. Teacher contracts end in late June and begin in late August. That would be 2 months, which are not only unpaid, but into which many unfunded mandates are included, such as mandatory training. Most teachers spend a good portion of their (unpaid) summer preparing for the next school year.

Listen, this is just not a winning argument. LOTS of people work uncompensated overtime. Lots of people spend time outside 9-5 preparing for work. Lots of people have mandatory training and credentials to maintain at their own expense. None of this is special to teachers.

I actually don't have a huge problem with Teacher Appreciation week as my child's teacher is awesome and plays an important role in her life/development (though I dislike the week long PTA scheduled events). There are perks to being a teacher as well. The type of justification (above) really is not persuasive.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honest Teacher, if our country had our priorities straight, you and your spouse certainly would be able to afford a home in your school's neighborhood. It's shameful that we pay our teachers so little compared to our lawyers, financiers, sports stars, etc.

I'm also embarrassed by this whole thread. Really? A full page of posts obsessing about AAP...but bringing cookies to your teacher is considered madness?

Notice the jobs you mention for the most part are in private industry. Gov. lawyers don't get paid what private practice lawyers get paid.

As though private school teachers get more? Hardly.

Wah, time for a career change then.

Anonymous wrote:We recently moved to a new state halfway across the country (I admit, I occasionally come back here to read the drama of the AAP season here.) and Fairfax County has me trained VERY well. My daughter took her teacher flowers on Monday, a great big shiny apple on Tuesday, brownies today, a letter that she made for tomorrow, and we got her a small gift card for Friday.

Well, my daughter came home yesterday and said that she was the ONLY kid in the class that gave her teacher anything. I told her we didn't have to do the other things, but she was happy to carry on. We just planned the days like we always did! Next year, she will be in middle school here, so while I am sure that we'd do something, I don't think we'll get that fancy for 5-6 different teachers!

Hope your daughter doesn't get her teeth kicked in for being the teacher's pet.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, summers...When many temporary well paying jobs become available..... Many teachers I know try to make ends meet over the summer by working as wait staff, babysitting, and tutoring. Sounds like a luxurious lifestyle.

Suggestion: Control your spending or marry rich.

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I STILL don't believe I should have to "appreciate" my kids' teachers for birthdays, holidays, end of year, AND for a week during the school year.

You don't "have to".

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honest Teacher, if our country had our priorities straight, you and your spouse certainly would be able to afford a home in your school's neighborhood. It's shameful that we pay our teachers so little compared to our lawyers, financiers, sports stars, etc.

I'm also embarrassed by this whole thread. Really? A full page of posts obsessing about AAP...but bringing cookies to your teacher is considered madness?

Notice the jobs you mention for the most part are in private industry. Gov. lawyers don't get paid what private practice lawyers get paid.

As though private school teachers get more? Hardly.

We recently moved to a new state halfway across the country (I admit, I occasionally come back here to read the drama of the AAP season here.) and Fairfax County has me trained VERY well. My daughter took her teacher flowers on Monday, a great big shiny apple on Tuesday, brownies today, a letter that she made for tomorrow, and we got her a small gift card for Friday.

Well, my daughter came home yesterday and said that she was the ONLY kid in the class that gave her teacher anything. I told her we didn't have to do the other things, but she was happy to carry on. We just planned the days like we always did! Next year, she will be in middle school here, so while I am sure that we'd do something, I don't think we'll get that fancy for 5-6 different teachers!

Anonymous wrote:I thought teachers, firefighters, and others who work for the "public good" are granted special mortgages in Fairfax County. I happen to live next to a bunch of teachers. Most of them are married to others who make a lot more money than I do.

On nice days, they are home and sitting on the deck when I return from work. I would like their schedule very much!

Also, teachers around here are paid much more than teachers in other parts of the country. My good friend (with a Masters) started in Fairfax County at $45k. Not a truckload of money but much more than my sister (who also has a Masters) started at in Massachusetts.

There are no special mortgages for teachers in Fairfax County.

Teachers in Fairfax County make more than teachers in some municipalities in Massachusetts because our cost of living is higher here. Just like teachers in Fairfax County make more than teachers in Goochland County and Stafford County.

I live next door to a teacher who gets home around 4PM. She also leaves the house around 6:30AM, and I know she brings home tons of work every night and weekend. What's your point? If you don't want to show appreciation for what they do, don't. It's also Nurse's Appreciation Week. My cousin is a nurse and only works 3 days a week in 12 hour shifts with 3 45 minute breaks throughout the shift. That sounds pretty great to me - 4 days off a week. It doesn't mean I don't appreciate her hard work. But I'm also not sending gift cards in to my local hospital to thank random nurses. If you don't feel like showing appreciation for a teacher, don't.

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Oh, so this is teacher appreciation WEEK!

Why are the kids/families extorted into bringing in gifts?

Isn't their gift their weekly paychecks and/or every holiday off including the entire summer?

Enough already.

Wow, such a nasty individual. I dare you to say that publicly.

I have said this publicly - minus the weekly paychecks/holiday/summer comment because I know they only get paid for the school year. Think about it - how many do most families acknowledge teachers already on their own? holidays, end of year. Now they're adding birthdays and an entire week. This is getting a little out of control. No adult really needs to be "acknowledged" at work 8 times in a year.

So, I am choosing to not participate this year. We gave a nice gift and a card for the holidays and will do the same at the end of the year. We did not contribute for the teacher's birthday and we will not be contributing this week.

Hello?

They get a year's salary for working 198 days.

This is my 20th year teaching elementary students in FCPS. I have never known classes to celebrate teachers' birthdays beyond the "happy birthday" wish and maybe some cards, and that's fine. Teacher Appreciation week is fairly low key. I hope nobody feels they have to bring in something. We are having a lunch at 1:00 which is provided by our PTA. Honestly, some of the best ways to show appreciation is to send a letter. Be specific about how the teacher has helped your child. We can add those to our local files or you can copy the principal in an email.

I confused about the "weekly paychecks" part of your statement. We get paid once a month, but either way, why does it matter?

For teacher's birthdays in our school they ask a parent to bring in coffee in the morning to the teacher, a parent to pick up and deliver lunch from the teacher's favorite lunch spot, and then someone provide a cupcakes/cake for the snack time, and then everyone else to contribute money for a gift card. Plus the same thing happens at the holidays with money for a gift card, then 5 days of expected gifs/food for teacher appreciation week. It's a little ridiculous.

As for the weekly paycheck I was just quoting the pp. Doesn't matter how often you get paid, but I was saying that I don't agree with the "teachers get summers off" comment because while you have it off you aren't get paid for it. Your contracted to work a specific timeframe during the year and that's what you are paid for.

They get a year's salary for working 198 days.

PP you are responding to...as other have just said - teachers get paid for the months/days they work and not over the summer. We opt to spread my DH's paychecks (a teacher/faculty at a local private school) out over the year, but his contract is negotiated for a salary that covers 10 months of the year. He doesn't get paid for the other 2 months and he doesn't work for them for those 2 months. So, it's ludicrous to act like they "get" paid leave over the summer.

I STILL don't believe I should have to "appreciate" my kids' teachers for birthdays, holidays, end of year, AND for a week during the school year. My DH recieves very heartfelt notes from parents and students and sometimes they have gift cards or gifts that are much appreciated. He, and I, however appreciate the notes of thanks more than anything else. I keep everyone of them in a file. I'm glad to hear that it sounds like celebrating the teacher's birthday with coordinated gifts is a rare occasion but I guess I'm not surprised based on my neighborhood full of bored SAHMs.

Migrant workers also get paid only for the days they work picking crops....

20:03 here. I was not saying teachers have a luxurious lifestyle. Rather, they they are paid for 198 days, not a year. They get their summers off because they do not work -- and they are not paid.

Yes, summers...When many temporary well paying jobs become available..... Many teachers I know try to make ends meet over the summer by working as wait staff, babysitting, and tutoring. Sounds like a luxurious lifestyle.

They get a 198 day salary for working 198 days. They are free to do other work for the summer.