Edit: I want to be 100% open in September and most common sense teachers I know agree. Its only the far left libs who are freaking out.
A lot of ignorance about teachers here. I love you guys and will be 100% voting Trump, but the venom so many of you spit at all teachers is ridiculous. Remember, some of us conservatives are still in education trying to fight the good fight for your sake. Keep attacking teachers and we will quit...which will only leave the Dems to teach the kids.
"TEACHERS GET PAID SUMMERS OFF" - nah. We get our 50k salary for the 9 months we work. We have the option of spreading it out over 12 months so we don't have to go without a paycheck during the summer.
"TEACHERS GET TOO MUCH TIME OFF DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR TOO!" - we get winter and spring break, yes. But we don't get to choose when those are. And we only get 2 "PTO" days a year, which we can bank to a maximum of 5. So, if we want a school-year vacation with our own families, we either need to travel during the peak periods or save up vacation days for 3 years.
"TEACHERS DON'T WORK DURING ONLINE LEARNING, SO DON'T PAY THEM!" - fuck off. All the teachers I know put in more fucking work during online teaching than during the normal year. Answering constant "i can't log on" or "i don't get it" emails, dealing with bitchy parents who take their frustration out on teachers, dealing with kids who never log on or do the work, all while trying to create lessons that teach the curriculum without us being physically there to help. We were recording videos, creating presentations, building quizzes, setting aside time to video chat...it sucked. But it was hard fucking work you ungrateful shit.
"TEACHERS GET CUSHY BENEFITS!" - we get basic health insurance plans that we put a portion of our paychecks toward while our district matches a portion. I've got a high deductible plan with an HSA and my district puts about $750 a year into my HSA. The rest I put in. We also get 1 paid for dental visit per year. My wife's private plan is way better. Pension? Paid for out of pocket, with a partial district match. 403b retirement? Paid for out of pocket and district won't match more than $1000 per year. Is it awful? No. But its not some ritzy "Senate Health and Retirement" plan like some of you seem to think.
"TEACHING IS THE EASIEST THING AND YOU DON'T NEED ANY SKILL" - our teachers are literally getting punched and kicked by violent students, and even the "good kids" will refuse to listen and talk back. If you try to discipline you get parents screaming at you, you get your principals throwing you under the bus, the kids are back in the classroom with candy and a stupid grin on their face, and you get scolded later. Oh, and if the kid is black or brown? You get investigated for racism now. Even if the kid was being an absolute terror.
All the while, we have to try and take a liberal state curriculum and try to teach it while not going against our own morals and ethics. We don't like shitty Common Core math, but we could lose our jobs if we don't teach it.
"TEACHERS UNIONS!!!" - just stop you ignorant fool. Here's how the union works. They take $100 a month as their 'dues' and then use that money to lobby for whatever THEY support. I could choose not to pay my dues, but if I do, then they will not support me should my job be threatened. I could be fired for:
Not teaching the liberal curriculum with 100% fidelity
Not agreeing with liberal behavior policies
Not signing a "black lives matter" pledge
Any student falsely accusing me of hitting them
Any parent falsely accusing me of abuse
Anyone accusing me of racism
Speaking up about issues I think are facing our schools
...and basically any other reason someone would want me gone.
The union provides representation at hearings and can threaten walks outs if they believe an injustice is happening. They encourage the district to come up with "improvement plans" for teachers who violate policies. That's what they are good for. They don't and can't protect "shitty teachers" because generally those teachers have a laundry list of complaints over the last few years.
I understand that posting this will likely cause me be down voted into oblivion. Some of you are VERY passionate in your hatred of teachers. But if I can get even one of you to read this and go "huh, I never thought of it that way" then it was worth the time to write this.
Remember, hardworking teachers exist. Conservative teachers exist. When you bash all teachers, you are also bashing us. You don't want us to leave, because then only the shitty SJW liberal teachers will be left.
Edit: I want to be 100% open in September and most common sense teachers I know agree. Its only the far left libs who are freaking out.
A lot of ignorance about teachers here. I love you guys and will be 100% voting Trump, but the venom so many of you spit at all teachers is ridiculous. Remember, some of us conservatives are still in education trying to fight the good fight for your sake. Keep attacking teachers and we will quit...which will only leave the Dems to teach the kids.
"TEACHERS GET PAID SUMMERS OFF" - nah. We get our 50k salary for the 9 months we work. We have the option of spreading it out over 12 months so we don't have to go without a paycheck during the summer.
"TEACHERS GET TOO MUCH TIME OFF DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR TOO!" - we get winter and spring break, yes. But we don't get to choose when those are. And we only get 2 "PTO" days a year, which we can bank to a maximum of 5. So, if we want a school-year vacation with our own families, we either need to travel during the peak periods or save up vacation days for 3 years.
"TEACHERS DON'T WORK DURING ONLINE LEARNING, SO DON'T PAY THEM!" - fuck off. All the teachers I know put in more fucking work during online teaching than during the normal year. Answering constant "i can't log on" or "i don't get it" emails, dealing with bitchy parents who take their frustration out on teachers, dealing with kids who never log on or do the work, all while trying to create lessons that teach the curriculum without us being physically there to help. We were recording videos, creating presentations, building quizzes, setting aside time to video chat...it sucked. But it was hard fucking work you ungrateful shit.
"TEACHERS GET CUSHY BENEFITS!" - we get basic health insurance plans that we put a portion of our paychecks toward while our district matches a portion. I've got a high deductible plan with an HSA and my district puts about $750 a year into my HSA. The rest I put in. We also get 1 paid for dental visit per year. My wife's private plan is way better. Pension? Paid for out of pocket, with a partial district match. 403b retirement? Paid for out of pocket and district won't match more than $1000 per year. Is it awful? No. But its not some ritzy "Senate Health and Retirement" plan like some of you seem to think.
"TEACHING IS THE EASIEST THING AND YOU DON'T NEED ANY SKILL" - our teachers are literally getting punched and kicked by violent students, and even the "good kids" will refuse to listen and talk back. If you try to discipline you get parents screaming at you, you get your principals throwing you under the bus, the kids are back in the classroom with candy and a stupid grin on their face, and you get scolded later. Oh, and if the kid is black or brown? You get investigated for racism now. Even if the kid was being an absolute terror.
All the while, we have to try and take a liberal state curriculum and try to teach it while not going against our own morals and ethics. We don't like shitty Common Core math, but we could lose our jobs if we don't teach it.
"TEACHERS UNIONS!!!" - just stop you ignorant fool. Here's how the union works. They take $100 a month as their 'dues' and then use that money to lobby for whatever THEY support. I could choose not to pay my dues, but if I do, then they will not support me should my job be threatened. I could be fired for:
Not teaching the liberal curriculum with 100% fidelity Not agreeing with liberal behavior policies Not signing a "black lives matter" pledge Any student falsely accusing me of hitting them Any parent falsely accusing me of abuse Anyone accusing me of racism Speaking up about issues I think are facing our schools ...and basically any other reason someone would want me gone.
The union provides representation at hearings and can threaten walks outs if they believe an injustice is happening. They encourage the district to come up with "improvement plans" for teachers who violate policies. That's what they are good for. They don't and can't protect "shitty teachers" because generally those teachers have a laundry list of complaints over the last few years.
I understand that posting this will likely cause me be down voted into oblivion. Some of you are VERY passionate in your hatred of teachers. But if I can get even one of you to read this and go "huh, I never thought of it that way" then it was worth the time to write this.
Remember, hardworking teachers exist. Conservative teachers exist. When you bash all teachers, you are also bashing us. You don't want us to leave, because then only the shitty SJW liberal teachers will be left.
What's the benefit of going back to school right now?
I know that some parents can't WFH, so need kids to go back to school for daycare essentially.
I know that some kids don't learn as well remotely, so being in-person helps.
But otherwise, I don't see the harm in keeping school remote for a while longer.