It’s a snow day here. Three inches of snow with an expected couple of inches of ice on top.
And yes, I am home today. My daughter is with me and so are the neighbor’s children. I am not child free on a snow day.
My dog loves the snow. Seriously, she’s like a snow plow on paws.
But let’s talk about how teachers are paid.
I am contracted to work for 7 hours and 15 minutes a day. That’s what my salary is based on.
Sounds great doesn’t it?
But if I only worked those 7 hours and 15 minutes I would show up only a few minutes before the first students arrive at my door, and then I would be leaving as soon as I dropped the last one off on the bus.
But that’s not how my job works. AT MINIMUM I work an eight hour day. And on those days I leave with a feeling that I still have a ton of work to do.
Most days I work 9 hours. And on those days I still leave with the dreaded feeling I have a ton to do.
Some days I am at school 10 hours. On those days I leave exhausted, with the dreaded feeling I still have a ton to do.
So everyday, I work unpaid hours.
Everyday.
No overtime. None.
IF I worked only eight hours a day, that would work out to three hours and 45 minutes of unpaid time every week.
Multiply 3.75 hours a week out to a school year of 38 weeks equals 142.5 hours of unpaid time.
Now I realize that a salary really means work as along as you have to in order to complete the job.
But still.
Snow days I consider nature’s way of giving teacher’s comp time.
Now, I have to go enter more grades.
