No winter break for Paulding

[Blazing Saddles]

Personally, I think this emotional response to the BoE by the teachers is going to pan out to be nothing. I don't think many will do what they are screeming about now. You know women and their emotional outrages. ) Just kidding. Remember the outrage by those who didn't want to move schools? There were over 300 people at SPHS saying "I ain't taking my kid to ______" Well, after all was said and done, only 27 people filed the papers. This will die down just like before and it won't be that big a deal. After they calm down and start realizing the consequences to their actions, you'll see that a lot of these teachers will not want to put a stain on their records. That doesn't look good at the end of the year evaluations.

Keep this in mind too, it doesn't matter what days the BOE decided to add to the year, a teacher could use that as a personal day anyway. They have that option and they can use it.

 

[Foxmeister]

I like my idea on how to prevent this from happening in the future.

 

[newsjunky]

I don't often disagree with you but I will on this one. I don't care if the money is budgeted to pay for subs. The fact still remains that money should be conserved because it is in short supply. If teachers work when school is in session then the money does not get spent. I don't know what part of that folks don't get. here I am buying paper and sending it to school and some folks think it is OK for teachers to take vacation when school is in session. The budget will be worse next year and trust me I will be looking at decisions that our BOE makes as to how money is spent. You know me well enough to know that I do that.

I don't disagree with you at all. I just think in this case, for those who TRULY have non-refundable tickets, that a compromise has to be reached. Teachers have personal days (3, I think) as a benefit. These are separate from their sick leave, and they should be able to use them as such. Again, I do not believe that this will affect too many people. We all know that very few vacations cannot be rescheduled - even up to 48 hours beforehand.

I think for those of us who don't work in education, we've all experienced canceled vacations or other plans. For us, this past week cost us money. We will be playing catch up for weeks, but it is what it is. No different than when we couldn't leave our house due to the flooding. It can't be helped, and I'm thankful for a school board who saw a problem and acted quickly to find resolution.

I want to believe that most people WILL do the right thing - for our children and our county. In our case, my youngest will still be out of school (because he's done his assignments this week.) I could be rebellious, and say we're NOT changing our plans, and our oldest will miss 2 or 3 days of school during those February days.

Of course, our children's education is the most important thing to us, so we will change our plans, and he will be at school. I think when it all comes down, most people will do the same.

I can see the campaign add now. I do disagree and I do have problems with it.

 

[Foxmeister]

I looked at the thread at the other place you were talking about nj. There's a lot of hate there.

 

[newsjunky]

I looked at the thread at the other place you were talking about nj. There's a lot of hate there.

Yes, there is. If you want to consider cost to the county between school that week and taking a waiver then you have to consider transportation as part of the equation. I still believe it will cost to hire subs too. I have a lot of respect for the BOE members and am very fond of a couple of them but this will bite and I don't care how they approach it. The only way it won't is if they try for the waiver. That is my opinion. I was shocked to see the threats coming from some of the parents and staff about what they would do that could harm AYP.

 

[Madea]

Those school district employees who are screaming for the county to apply for the waiver need to consider that if it's granted, they lose 6 days of pay. Are they willing to sacrifice EVERYONE'S pay for the special interest needs of a few?

 

[newsjunky]

Those school district employees who are screaming for the county to apply for the waiver need to consider that if it's granted, they lose 6 days of pay. Are they willing to sacrifice EVERYONE'S pay for the special interest needs of a few?

I guess they weren't aware of it. :-\\ I may disagree with the BOE about how they are handling the employees but I have never doubted that they were doing what they thought was best for the kids.

 

[unionmom]

It seems to me that the best thing for the kids is what was done. The best thing for the budget would have been to go after the waiver and save the operating costs of the week missed.

 

[newsjunky]

It seems to me that the best thing for the kids is what was done. The best thing for the budget would have been to go after the waiver and save the operating costs of the week missed.

That is the way I see it too. I think whether most of the teachers realize it, or not, it was the best thing for them financially too. :

 

[Blazing Saddles]

That's the way I see too.

 

[naturegirl]

I hope I'm Floored is right and people will do the right thing. I believe most will, some won't.

In all of this I have noticed that some, not all and not the majority, of teachers have such a bad attitude in general. Do we really need to wonder where that attitude our teenager gets comes from??

Keep in mind children learn by example, mostly by the adults in their lives. Who spends almost as much time with them as their parents???

 

[newsjunky]

I hope I'm Floored is right and people will do the right thing. I believe most will, some won't.

In all of this I have noticed that some, not all and not the majority, of teachers have such a bad attitude in general. Do we really need to wonder where that attitude our teenager gets comes from??

Keep in mind children learn by example, mostly by the adults in their lives. Who spends almost as much time with them as their parents???

I have wondered about the sense of responsibility that comes with showing up to work when things go wrong. If school is in session I would think most teachers would feel an obligation to be there. It would never occur to me to go on vacation with children sitting in my class who need to be taught. But what do I know? BOE is in a no win situation. Would not want to have their jobs right now.

 

[Foxmeister]

No matter what decision the BoE had made, they would be in a lose-lose situation.

 

[I'm Floored]

I hope I'm Floored is right and people will do the right thing. I believe most will, some won't.

In all of this I have noticed that some, not all and not the majority, of teachers have such a bad attitude in general. Do we really need to wonder where that attitude our teenager gets comes from??

Keep in mind children learn by example, mostly by the adults in their lives. Who spends almost as much time with them as their parents???

I have wondered about the sense of responsibility that comes with showing up to work when things go wrong. If school is in session I would think most teachers would feel an obligation to be there. It would never occur to me to go on vacation with children sitting in my class who need to be taught. But what do I know? BOE is in a no win situation. Would not want to have their jobs right now.

I have been re-energized last night and today. I have many friends (and relatives) who are educators. ALL of them I've heard from, while disappointed, have said that they understand the Board made the best decision, and ALL of then, even though they had plans, will be in school the third week in February!

I think the few "rebels" whom we have heard squeal the loudest may be very few in number, indeed. My faith in my fellow man has been restored!

Wait, I have to edit to add: one friend has a "once in a lifetime" vacation in Hawaii, and she will be going. She is a parapro, but she will take her Hawaiian vacation.

 

[I'm Floored]

No matter what decision the BoE had made, they would be in a lose-lose situation.

As far as pleasing the public goes, this is true. I do believe that in the long run, the majority of the people will come to appreciate the decision the board made.

 

[Foxmeister]

I'm sure the majority will come to see the wisdom in the decision. However, I will predict that when the next school board election comes around, this issue will be brought up by some teachers and parents.

 

[newsjunky]

I'm sure the majority will come to see the wisdom in the decision. However, I will predict that when the next school board election comes around, this issue will be brought up by some teachers and parents.

Yep! I think so too. There is plenty of fodder for campaign adds.

 

[Foxmeister]

I wouldn't be surprised to see someone run against their school board rep because of the winter break decision.

 

[Blazing Saddles]

I'm sure the majority will come to see the wisdom in the decision. However, I will predict that when the next school board election comes around, this issue will be brought up by some teachers and parents.

Yep! I think so too. There is plenty of fodder for campaign adds.

I think the Board did an excellent job. I believe after all this emotional responding has calmed down, there won't be much fallout. Come election time, this won't mean a hill a beans to anyone.

Now there's a term I haven't used in a while. ) )

 

[I'm Floored]

You know, the sad thing that this event has revealed is how few people have been paying attention over the last couple of years as our board has tried to budget and follow new state requirements. Look at how many people had NO idea that we didn't have any inclement weather days! My husband and I talked about it in December when they missed the first day of school, wondering where the make-up day would come from.

If nothing else, just as in the past when hard decisions had to be made, maybe it made a few more people pay attention.