It's 2 am and I'm awake. As in "I know that I have to be out the door at 7am, but every time I close my eyes I can't fall asleep" awake. So I'm baking cookies for my Lit class tomorrow, and rebought Doc his Xmas present after his hint that I am getting something from Tiffany's made my gift of a GorillaPod tripod seem measly.
I know that I've been neglecting this blog and my wonderful readers lately. It's not that I feel like my life is perfect or all that, but that time seems to slip away from me these days. For example, I lost a few days of not tracking my points because one thing turned into another the past few days. Finally put pen to paper today, but i know the past few days will not be forgotten on the scale. Take the weekend for instance, I planned on grading a HUGE stack of PowerPoint projects for my 7th graders. Somewhere between the blizzard and starting to feel a sinus infection brewing, I forgot all about those papers. In fact, I seem to have misplaced them, but is not a good sign. I also have been keeping myself productive during my prep periods, which are normally the time I update my blog, because I know that I will be out the week before grades are due to attend my residency for grad school. I'd like to go away with a light heart knowing that the majority of my grades are done.
Which brings me to what really has been bothering me. I am going away to my grad school residency in January. Knowing that there was a precedent in my school to use professional development time to attend grad school classes, I applied for it. It was denied on the grounds that the school cannot afford to pay for it, as they are already over budget due to being forced to outplace a child to a rather expensive private school. After talking with the superintendent, he agreed to let me take my personal days to go there and take the other two unpaid. So, I filed the necessary paperwork, thinking it was a done deal.
Imagine my suprise when my personal day requests were denied on the grounds that grad school does not count as a "personal or professional obligation". The Superintendent's opinion: I CHOSE to go to this grad school with this requirement, therefore I need to suffer the consequences of it. However, for me to take SIX unpaid days to go to grad school would be a financial blow I don't think I can or should handle, especially with all the time that is given to me.
The union has a big, big problem with this. First off, according to our contract, we do not have to tell what we use our personal days for. Secondly, if grad school is not a "professional obligation" in a state that requires new teachers to reach Master's level in a certain amount of time, I'm not sure what is. Thirdly, allowing the superintendent to deny personal days due to financial hardship in the district is setting a very dangerous precedent.
So, the union has filed a grievence against the district citing breach of contract. It is currently in the superintendents office and he has until 3 pm tomorrow before we bring the matter up to the Board of Education. I, for one, am petrified of this happening. I'm scared of being pegged as a "troublemaker," though I'm simply asking for what is contractually given to me. In a world where nontenured teachers can simply not be offered a contract at the end of the year with no reason given, that is a very scary idea indeed.
Supposedly I will be having a meeting tomorrow afternoon with the Superintendent about all this. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I'm really scared.
Trying to sleep now.
Monday, December 21, 2009
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3 comments:
Oh honey! *praying now*
I can't believe they are being so blatantly ridiculous with these few days you have to take off. I could MAYBE understand having you use personal days, but then to deny personal days is just wrong. They are PERSONAL days! You have the right to do with them what you wish and I think it's great that you are standing up for yourself and not letting them walk all over you! I can see how it is scary though. Our jobs are no longer "secure" and it can be daunting to know your actions might cause some bad consequences later on. The way I see it, you have to do what's right and best for you, which sounds like what you're doing.
Good Luck and I hope you got some rest and that the meeting went well!
Yikes. Well in our area we have teachers taking time off to keep going to conferences, seminars, etc and then complain about the possibility of losing your job if your kids' grades aren't up to state par. Which I agree that if a teacher's pay and job retention should be based on student success levels- keeping in mind some kids come into a class below grade level, with special needs, etc and all that needs to be taken into account. BUT, in your case- it's grad school. And if you are mandated to go? Then you should get the time off. Fight for your right, girl! :)
that's ridiculous! i can't believe the superintendent changed his mind after specifically saying using the days would be fine. i hope everything works out for you. good luck and try to keep calm
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