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Sunday, June 8, 2014

Teachers Commit to the Full Year.

Teachers please don’t plan on taking a teaching job unless you can commit to the full year.


I get it unexpected things can happen and sometimes you have no control over having to leave or take an absence. I am not talking about those moments. I am talking about the teacher who is actively trying to get another job while teaching. The teacher who is well aware they will be having a baby and take a 3 month absence during the school year.


I get you want to be promoted, change locations, or be a mom. These are all great goals to have but as a mom who has seen my son struggle more than he needs to I feel these have to stop.


All kids need structure, all kids need a routine, and all kids need a teacher they can count on to be there all year. A sub on occasion is not a bad thing and just fine but we are talking about changing teachers, dealing with subs for more than a month waiting to find that replacement teacher.


My son’s first year of kindergarten his teacher left teaching to be a Vice Principal. He had a substitute for almost 2 months and then another different teacher to finish the school year. ALL of the kids struggled with this so imagine the child dealing with other delays and learning disabilities on top of that.


So what did we do? We made the VERY hard choice to have him do kindergarten again. Hoping he could have a chance to not be so behind all of his classmates. Only to find out his teacher was pregnant and would have a substitute for 3 months in the middle of the year.


I wish I would have at least been told before the school year started but more than that I wish some planning or just deciding to not be a full time teacher that year could have happened.


You need money and a career but my child needs a good education so one day he can grow up and be a well educated man and have a career.


I was in 9th grade and in my math class my teacher transferred to a different school. The rest of the year (probably a good 6 months) we had a substitute and we just goofed off in that class. You can blame me a kid or you can blame the school system for dropping the ball. Since then I have struggled in math, that once was my favorite subject, because I was behind and confused working twice as hard to keep up.


One year may not seem like much but it can make all the difference. It can shake a foundation or as a kindergarten teacher it can stop that strong foundation from even being built properly.


I shouldn't have to ask if my child’s teacher is planning on being committed and present throughout the whole school year.

I love teachers and I think what they do is amazing and  

important, that is why I know a sub can never replace them.

That is why I want them there all year.


For those who say this is ridiculous and offensive: 


To expect me as a parent to not want a teacher that is there

all year is ridiculous and offensive.


5 comments:

  1. My sons first time going through kindergarten his teacher stopped teaching and became vice principle. The second time he was in kindergarten his teacher left for 3 months in the middle of the year because she had her baby. Having a child with ADHD is hard enough let alone to disrupt their learning with going through multiple teachers in one school year. Next year I am going to remember this is sadly one of those tough questions we now have to ask, "is my child's teacher planning on being available as a teacher all year?" Granted unexpected things can happen but schooling can be hard enough on my child without having an inconsistent teacher.

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  2. I think blaming a teacher for maternity leave is tough. You can't control when you get pregnant (for the most part). Also, there should not be an apostrophe in "Teacher's." There is no possessive there.

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    1. I think teachers who know they are pregnant can tell parents or not take the job knowing they can't commit to the full year.

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  3. Not fair when it comes to maternity leave. Fertility issues and family planning are the business of the teacher only and no one else. Speak to the unions who make the rules regarding maternity leave pay. Many teachers (as other professionals) have loads of student debt and can't just not teach in a year where they might find themselves expecting-its hard enough financially as it is. In Canada they get a paid year off (one of the perks of "socialism"). Inevitably it will hit part of the school year. In order to encourage and support women in the workplace, maternity leave has to be fair and just and cannot affect career prospects. I can't wait for academia to catch up to the wonderful supportive leave arrangements that teachers have! That being said my son's kindergarten teacher went off to have a baby after March Break, and let me tell you, I am SOOOOO happy with the new teacher. My son (who has severe ADHD and prior to starting meds at Christmas was not doing well in school socially or academically) is thriving under his new teacher. I'm sad she won't be back next year. The pregnant teacher's heart was not in it, and my son made no academic progress the 3/4 of the school year she taught. With his new teacher, he's advanced leaps and bounds! I know our ADHD bubs do not handle transition well, but unfortunately its a reality and they will have to learn about uncertainty and flexibility. In your case, I suspect it is the school who dropped the ball, no fault of the teacher. Before our teacher went on leave, the new teacher was there with her for a week to familiarize herself with the kids. There were no substitutes. From what I hear, teachers in the US get a raw deal as it is in terms of benefits and pay (in Canada so many people want to teach because of the pay and benefits that most new grads are out of work for years). Blaming them for family planning isn't going to solve anything. It is the job of the administration to make the transition as smooth as possible.

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    1. I see your points and they are all good but no amount of planning and one week with the sub with the teacher is going to make everything perfect. It will be a struggle either way and I would prefer a teacher who can be committed to the full year.

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