year round school???

[ngt]

Re: year round school???

I'm a teacher. I'd hate to have year round school. I was off for 11 weeks straight this summer and it was fantastic. I got to spend a lot of time with my son, fish, play golf, and get my head back together after a long year of work/school. I don't want the "month here, month there". A month goes by too fast and the kids are still going to need a review week after taking a month off from school. Every year it takes about 3 weeks to get my kids back to where they were at the end of the year before. If there are three vacations per year, at a week of review each, it's still 3 weeks.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: year round school???

I'm a teacher. I'd hate to have year round school. I was off for 11 weeks straight this summer and it was fantastic. I got to spend a lot of time with my son, fish, play golf, and get my head back together after a long year of work/school.

This has to be the most amazing statement I have ever heard.

Takes 11 weeks to get your head back together?

Interesting, its not about if its better for the students! It's that the teacher doesn't want to break up his 11 week summer vacation!

 

[sam60]

Re: year round school???

Our kids (Adults) did year 'round school for several years and they/we loved it.

 

[rbh]

Re: year round school???

This has to be the most amazing statement I have ever heard.

Takes 11 weeks to get your head back together?

If I had to deal with the crap he does as a teacher, it would take me a minumum of 11 weeks to de-stressed!!

Little $%$^^%#

Atleast if you are teaching trades, they are there because they want to be, mindya autotech (Bobby T) may have a different view on that.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: year round school???

I have many friends that are teachers. Most if not all use the summer off to find other work.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: year round school???

Two reasons why there was the traditional "summer" vacation.

1. So the kids could help the parents on the farm during the growing season

2. Schools weren't air conditioned back then

The kids that help on a farm nowadays are very few and far between, and the schools are air conditioned... no excuses for not going to school year 'round now.

 

[888]

Re: year round school???

Change is a good when things don't go as planned.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: year round school???

I definitely think the education system is due for a few changes....maybe looking at year round schooling or changing up the summer holiday thing is worth looking into. It certainly couldn't hurt based on current results.
Regardless, here is something to think about......would you consider revising teachers salaries 'upwards' to deal with an extended teaching year? OR even an 'altered' teaching year.... or are they paid fairly for their trade right now? Maybe a minor tax increase to offset their extra effort..or?
...interesting thread, keep it comin'.
BP

 

[sam60]

Re: year round school???

I definitely think the education system is due for a few changes....maybe looking at year round schooling or changing up the summer holiday thing is worth looking into. It certainly couldn't hurt based on current results.
Regardless, here is something to think about......would you consider revising teachers salaries 'upwards' to deal with an extended teaching year? OR even an 'altered' teaching year.... or are they paid fairly for their trade right now? Maybe a minor tax increase to offset their extra effort..or?
...interesting thread, keep it comin'.
BP

The time off from class was the same as summers off here, just split up in phases. I know a few people that considered being an educator when they went for higher education but they were not into the vow of poverty part of it.

 

[ngt]

Re: year round school???

This has to be the most amazing statement I have ever heard.

Takes 11 weeks to get your head back together?

It's a very emotionally and mentally draining job. People who get to clock out and leave work behind don't understand what it's like.

Fun fact about my job: If you count the time I put in outside of contract hours per year, it adds up to over 11 weeks of unpaid overtime.

 

[ngt]

Re: year round school???

Two reasons why there was the traditional "summer" vacation.

2. Schools weren't air conditioned back then

Not all schools are air conditioned.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: year round school???

Keep the summers off for them..........I look forward to not seeing school buses everywhere for a while.
Our children always had certain chores to do during their school vacations. Nothing too severe but some extra contribution to the household duties.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: year round school???

Fun fact about my job: If you count the time I put in outside of contract hours per year, it adds up to over 11 weeks of unpaid overtime.

Wish I only had 11 weeks of unpaid overtime a year. That would be great!

I say that as I am on one of my late night conference calls with Asia.

It's a very emotionally and mentally draining job. People who get to clock out and leave work behind don't understand what it's like.

My friend who is a cop though this was an interesting comment. He wants to know when he gets his 11 weeks to get his head back!

 

[rockyrude]

Re: year round school???

I have to side a little bit with NGT, my sister is a teacher. Those 11 weeks aren't a true 11 weeks, she is closing up after the school year then prepping for the next year, all on her time. The school system in general has changed dramatically since we were in school. She was held a knife point several times and the student(s) involved got off with a slap on the wrist.

 

[ngt]

Re: year round school???

**Edited to try and avoid a thread closure...

I don't think year round schooling will help children's education

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: year round school???

Uh Oh, I smell a thread closure possibly coming up
I will comment no further with my thoughts and feelings so as not to contribute to it.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: year round school???

I have to side a little bit with NGT, my sister is a teacher. Those 11 weeks aren't a true 11 weeks, she is closing up after the school year then prepping for the next year, all on her time. The school system in general has changed dramatically since we were in school. She was held a knife point several times and the student(s) involved got off with a slap on the wrist.

Today, that would even land a teacher in jail. Thankfully, we live out in the boonies and my daughters school is run like when I was a kid. We don't have all the issues that a city(for lack of a better term) school may have. Heck, they even have Christmas trees and actually call them Christmas trees. They even sing some religious songs during their "Christmas" concert. I suppose that could end if someone complains...

I agree, those 11 weeks aren't 11 weeks. Since one of my accounts is the school grounds, I see teachers there well into summer.....

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: year round school???

.........................but they were not into the vow of poverty part of it.

I'm not sure its a poverty profession, although portrayed as one by the teachers unions.
Approximate wage numbers for teachers in our neck of the woods are:
Starting salary for a university 'fresh' teacher: High $40's (ie: $48,000/yr)
Average salary for a 10 year teacher: Mid $70's (ie: $74,000+/yr)
Top salary is still an open book...but certainly starts to tickle $90-100k a year...depending on their specific position within the school or school board.
Now....those salaries are for a 9 month year based on a work day that starts at 8:00 (+) and usually ends around 3:30-4:00 and sometimes earlier. The debate of course includes the idea that the teachers go home....then do all their marking and prepping for the next day.
However, this is always hotly debated....for instance, why not simply mandate staying at work (the school) until 5:00 or 5:30 in order to do the marking/prepping? Needless to say the teachers (and the teachers union) heavily pushes back on this....so its a no go.
The idea of the time and effort needed for classroom prep usually holds fairly well for the first 5+ years of work experience. After that the teacher is relatively free to simply re-administer previous years exams, assignments, etc....thus cutting down on the new/needed 'homework' and preparation.
The summers off....well, the teachers say they are very busy updating their teaching skills...like on the Pro-D days (ie: Professional Development days) where up until recently it was up to the teacher as to how they spent those frequent days off. However, after media results showed a lot of teachers went golfing, to the beach, etc...they have been trying to clamp down on how to police this 'day off' to get value from the teachers but again....big pushback from the unions.
Regardless, its pretty difficult to fully resolve because someone will always trot out a personal experience that contradicts the trend, which is good but unfortunately unionization does not lend itself to individual endeavor and accomplishment generally (and accurately) speaking.
Interesting thread tho' guys....keep the feedback rollin'.
My two bits.
BP

 

[bruceb58]

Re: year round school???

I'm not sure its a poverty profession, although portrayed as one by the teachers unions.

Average teacher salary in California is close to $70K and can reach to almost $90K in the bay area. This is for a job that is only for 9 months so that is equivalent to $100K/year.
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/99...hool-district.html?appSession=653323162887995

In California, the teachers pensions are so great that the pension system is $65 Billion underfunded. You can retire as early as age 50 depending on your years of service.

California needs to do what Wisconsin did.

 

[rbh]

Re: year round school???

Estimated Working days for BC teachers???

52 weeks in the year x 5 days per week = 260 possible working days before holidays ETC

now minus-

7 days spring break (working days)
10 days christmas break (working days)
8 days extra stat holidays (working days)
8 days pro D (no work truly gets done on these days)
40 days summer vacation (working days)

EST possible working time, 187 days per year.