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LOL. My wife told many similar stories to me before she retired. "Her posse" is spot on. Once while waiting for a staff meeting to start, a fellow teacher mentioned to my wife that she heard she had been "written up". The teacher asked for what. My wife replied for using the word "crap", as in "don't turn in crap work". A certain minority parent had complained.
Sure, it's trivial to penalize someone for using the word "crap" but I'm not sure what the complaining parent's race had to do with it.
A teacher in South Carolina has filed suit, making part of it eligible for class action, over mandated hours working ball games concessions, being persurred to purchase items with own money, and being required to write lesson plans while on extended medical leave.
I hope she wins and I hope this happens in more states, mainly because of attitudes like the underlined. If schools demand hours beyond the contracted ones they need to pay the teachers for it.
It isn’t an obstacle, they just aren’t willing to pay for it.
I was very fortunate to be in Fairfax County, Virginia, where -- over time -- the school system realized more and more than teachers did need to be paid for work beyond the contract. This was particularly true with some clubs and extra-curricular activities, although that did not mean that if every teacher wanted to start a club that every club sponsor would be remunerated.
I think the issue really came to a head when the community pressed the school system to take on the responsibility of babysitting kids from after school until 6 p.m. in the evening, and to fill those 2.5 hours with interesting activities and learning experiences. Finally, after being put down strongly by the three principal's groups, they came back with a plan for hiring staff to operate the program, and school staff would get first crack at taking the positions. In our school it ended up about 50% regular staff taking the jobs.
I remember well, when working in Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland, that for 2 years I was asked (rather strongly by the principal) to co-sponsor the wrestling team. A truly out of contract hours activity, especially when it came to actual matches. I was the assistant who attended to things like transportation, supervision, scheduling, while the other sponsor did the actual teaching of wrestling skills. After two years I decided I had done my share and told the principal I wouldn't do it a third year. He was very disappointed, and said, "But you're getting paid for it". I told him I had figured out my hourly remuneration -- 8 cents an hour. He surrendered the point.
I was very fortunate to be in Fairfax County, Virginia, where -- over time -- the school system realized more and more than teachers did need to be paid for work beyond the contract. This was particularly true with some clubs and extra-curricular activities, although that did not mean that if every teacher wanted to start a club that every club sponsor would be remunerated.
I think the issue really came to a head when the community pressed the school system to take on the responsibility of babysitting kids from after school until 6 p.m. in the evening, and to fill those 2.5 hours with interesting activities and learning experiences. Finally, after being put down strongly by the three principal's groups, they came back with a plan for hiring staff to operate the program, and school staff would get first crack at taking the positions. In our school it ended up about 50% regular staff taking the jobs.
Is that mainly at the MS and HS level? I don’t know of any extra pay at the elementary level for work performed beyond the contract. My wife is a math lead and does quite a bit after hours preparing PD, purchase orders, etc.
When did they start the after school program? I assume that too is at the MS and HS level, although I don’t recall anything like that when my son went through. He graduated in ‘18. At the elementary level we have SACC, but that’s run by the county, not the school district.
There are school board regulations that limit the number of before/after school meetings and their length. Principals at some schools will disregard those refs unless they are called out on it.
Is that mainly at the MS and HS level? I don’t know of any extra pay at the elementary level for work performed beyond the contract. My wife is a math lead and does quite a bit after hours preparing PD, purchase orders, etc.
When did they start the after school program? I assume that too is at the MS and HS level, although I don’t recall anything like that when my son went through. He graduated in ‘18. At the elementary level we have SACC, but that’s run by the county, not the school district.
There are school board regulations that limit the number of before/after school meetings and their length. Principals at some schools will disregard those refs unless they are called out on it.
The after-after school program started...I'm trying to work backwards here...about 15 years ago...give or take.
But remember I'm not talking about the after school program which was pretty much within the teacher workday. I was talking about an after after-school program that didn't start until after the late buses left.
There are principals who abuse faculty meetings. No question about it. I was criticized by teachers for having too many faculty meetings AND for having too few faculty meetings.
Is that mainly at the MS and HS level? I don’t know of any extra pay at the elementary level for work performed beyond the contract. My wife is a math lead and does quite a bit after hours preparing PD, purchase orders, etc.
That is pretty true in the districts where I worked, too (MS & HS teacher were paid for out-of-contract work, but elementary teachers were just expected to do it for free).
For decades our district used to have a district wide music program. All of the tryouts, numerous rehearsals and multiple shows were held in the evening, all in all many hours of work. One year, when the teachers did not have a contract, we were working the actual hours that we were paid to work.
The elementary music teachers were not sure what to do (as this program was a long standing tradition in the community). The elementary music teachers asked the MS and HS teachers what they were planning to do. The elementary music teachers were told, "We have to do it as we have mini-contracts for those hours."
The elementary music teachers discovered that for decades the middle school & high school music teachers were paid extra for putting on this program and they were not. It never came up because the elementary teachers just assumed that all the music teachers did it for free and the MS & HS teachers just assumed that all of the participating teachers had mini-contracts and were paid for their time.
I think in the future as we live in an internet world, more class activities should be available online, including all homework. That way, if we have to get a sub for a length of time while on leave, students can continue to do required work. There are online websites that even do videos and such for required material for all types of classes. We never know, even if we spend time clearly writing lesson plans, if the particular sub is willing to teach or understands the material enough to teach the class. I mean if we have a chemistry class and the sub is an art teacher, and let's assume this is the only sub available, it's unlikely that this sub could go with the plans anyway.
The after-after school program started...I'm trying to work backwards here...about 15 years ago...give or take.
But remember I'm not talking about the after school program which was pretty much within the teacher workday. I was talking about an after after-school program that didn't start until after the late buses left.
There are principals who abuse faculty meetings. No question about it. I was criticized by teachers for having too many faculty meetings AND for having too few faculty meetings.
I understood. I’m just not aware of those programs.
That is pretty true in the districts where I worked, too (MS & HS teacher were paid for out-of-contract work, but elementary teachers were just expected to do it for free).
For decades our district used to have a district wide music program. All of the tryouts, numerous rehearsals and multiple shows were held in the evening, all in all many hours of work. One year, when the teachers did not have a contract, we were working the actual hours that we were paid to work.
The elementary music teachers were not sure what to do (as this program was a long standing tradition in the community). The elementary music teachers asked the MS and HS teachers what they were planning to do. The elementary music teachers were told, "We have to do it as we have mini-contracts for those hours."
The elementary music teachers discovered that for decades the middle school & high school music teachers were paid extra for putting on this program and they were not. It never came up because the elementary teachers just assumed that all the music teachers did it for free and the MS & HS teachers just assumed that all of the participating teachers had mini-contracts and were paid for their time.
The same happens for SCA (student council) and yearbook positions.
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