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Originally Posted by #-3
I think I somewhat agree with Mr Coffee line of thought, without agreeing with his anger about it.
I think it is well agreed even among teachers that they are relatively fairly compensated financially for the type of work they do.
It's been posted in this thread, teachers have 900 hours of classroom time and 300 hours of non classroom time on their schedule. A typical and comparable job is going to have 1650 -1900 hours depending on vacation time offered.
With their 190-200 working days annually, they would need to work 2-4 additional hours every single working day to have the equivalent of a full time job, I am certain that many if not most teachers do put in 3 or 4 hours of extra perp / marking work on a regular basis, but knowing the teachers I know I find it very hard to believe they are doing that 5 days / week. So the constant comments about how much extra time do ring pretty hallow, and the seeming lack of understanding that any white-collar job in the $90K+ range is going to demand that you are basically always on call for phone/email during your waking hours.
I'm not really angry about it as Mr Coffee seems to be, I understand they have the contract they have, they are generally fairly compensated, and like any strong union they are going to drive a hard bargain at negotiations, I just don't think the demanding work schedule is a fruitful argument with most people who face equal or larger challenges in their work schedules.
In many ways it reminds me of the constant drum beat about safety you hear during police negotiation, when I doubt their jobs would make the top 20 for the personal dangers scale, and they are more highly paid that basically every job above them on that list. It ends up ringing hallow to a segment of society with experience around dangerous jobs, and the police don't understand why. Part of a public sector negotiation is the publicity campaign and sometimes there is a disconnect between what the union members find to be a fruitful argument and what the general public interprets regarding their jobs. I think the "extra" hours is generally this area with teachers, as most of the public would back the side that is for staffing, infrastructure and supply improvements most of the time, but to parents specifically it feels like teachers have clawed back every inch possible in terms of hours worked.
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Anecdotal only, but I live with someone who easily puts 3 to 4 hours additional a day 5 days a week plus at least that on weekends. More during report card time. I know it sounds hyperbolic, but she logs 70 hours a week, at least.
How can that be, you may ask? I think the best analogy is if you imagine an office job. You start at say 8:00, prepping for the day. Very much the same as a teacher, no one should have any complaints. But then the day takes a very different tone. No coffee breaks, no pee breaks (my wife has an iron bladder, apparently). Just full day meetings, and you are the only presenter. You aren't checking messages, you aren't grabbing coffee, you aren't shooting the #### on CP. Finally at 3:30, your meetings are over. Still need to clean up though. Then it is actual meetings with admin or parents. Lucky to be leaving by 5:00.
All of that might still look like a bad, but not totally unheard of day downtown. But do that everyday. And then prep for those all day meetings, because again, you are doing this solo. Very easy to bang out 3 to 4 hours prepping, not counting the extra-curricular activities you might be running, or dealing with the problem kids and parents. There is a lot there.
There are perks, no doubt, and summer is one of them. I would contend that most teachers put in a full year's work in the other 10 months and have earned it. And as nice as summer is, it would also be nice to take advantage of a cheap flight in May, or check out the kid's recital during school time, but that is a luxury that is mostly not available for teachers.