June 5, 201412 yr They are a safety net in case of sickness, they should only be used for the purpose intended. This is my thinking as well, not just for teachers, but for anyone that has sick days as part of their employment.
June 5, 201412 yr I'll throw out one example that sort of made me miffed. My frosh son had a final in one of his classes and the "big review day" the teacher wasn't there. I'm all for teachers taking full advantage of days off within the structure of their contract. And if the teacher is sick, I'd never begrudge someone for that. But on the review day, I happened to be off that day as well, and there's his teacher sitting across the aisle from us at lunch, yucking it up, not sick at all. Now I say that to say this, take the day before off. Take the day after off. But he came home after the test and said that the teacher not being there for the review and a sub in her place made a couple of the questions impossible to get right because they were covered (or uncovered in this case) in the review. As a parent that ticks me off. That's unacceptable. The teacher could be just taking off, with no good reason. However, consider what I mentioned earlier, about being docked a full day for taking off for the funeral of my best friend's mother. I actually taught half the day, but I was docked the whole day. That part of the system is broken. There really could be a variety of other reasons why the teacher was off. Why not ask him/her?
June 5, 201412 yr Also, I am as troubled by parents that take their kids from school or allow them to be absent when they are not sick or attending to a family emergency. I see little difference between the two. A teacher should be there to teach, but a student should be there to learn.
June 5, 201412 yr The teacher could be just taking off, with no good reason. However, consider what I mentioned earlier, about being docked a full day for taking off for the funeral of my best friend's mother. I actually taught half the day, but I was docked the whole day. That part of the system is broken. There really could be a variety of other reasons why the teacher was off. Why not ask him/her? It wasn't a concern until I heard from my son about the day's events and study stuff. Look, I'm not bashing the teaching profession at all. I respect all they do and they are crucial for our nation's success, bottom line. But this one puzzles me. And trust me, I'd have asked had I known.
June 5, 201412 yr Also, I am as troubled by parents that take their kids from school or allow them to be absent when they are not sick or attending to a family emergency. I see little difference between the two. A teacher should be there to teach, but a student should be there to learn.Apples and anvils. One student absent doesn't impede his classmates one iota, not vice versa.
June 5, 201412 yr Apples and anvils. One student absent doesn't impede his classmates one iota, not vice versa. It impedes his or her learning.
June 5, 201412 yr It wasn't a concern until I heard from my son about the day's events and study stuff. Look, I'm not bashing the teaching profession at all. I respect all they do and they are crucial for our nation's success, bottom line. But this one puzzles me. And trust me, I'd have asked had I known. What's to stop you from asking now?
June 6, 201412 yr It impedes his or her learning. I understand your point, but it's not remotely the same. And again, I think the time and affect teachers have on students is profound. I think we had a similar argument about the sweet 16 attendance.
June 6, 201412 yr Also, I am as troubled by parents that take their kids from school or allow them to be absent when they are not sick or attending to a family emergency. I see little difference between the two. A teacher should be there to teach, but a student should be there to learn. I will disagree with you here, I think there can be times, when a parent takes a kid out of school for non illness or family related issues that can be perhaps more beneficial to the kid than one days lesson in a classroom. Many life lessons can be learned sometimes outside of the classroom.
June 6, 201412 yr I understand your point, but it's not remotely the same. And again, I think the time and affect teachers have on students is profound. I think we had a similar argument about the sweet 16 attendance. The teacher can't have an impact on the student when the student isn't there.
June 6, 201412 yr I will disagree with you here, I think there can be times, when a parent takes a kid out of school for non illness or family related issues that can be perhaps more beneficial to the kid than one days lesson in a classroom. Many life lessons can be learned sometimes outside of the classroom. No doubt. That's what Saturdays, Sundays, summers, fall breaks, spring breaks and snow days are for.
June 6, 201412 yr No doubt. That's what Saturdays, Sundays, summers, fall breaks, spring breaks and snow days are for. Maybe, but also life brings moments in life that don't fall on weekends, snow days and summer breaks.
June 6, 201412 yr Maybe, but also life brings moments in life that don't fall on weekends, snow days and summer breaks. I don't think we can have it both ways, i.e., arguing that teachers are wrong for taking off but it's okay for students to do so. For the record, I am not talking about pre-arranged trips that have educational value.
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