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You say, "help" cover the cost of a subsititute but substitutes only get paid $50 a day! So they are paying the full cost of their own sub. I think the administration (especially in Guilford County) should all take turns subbing. It's obvious that they have been out of the classroom for FAR too long.

At Southwest Guilford Middle School, where I teach, we lost the eighth-grade math teacher on my team in November.

Losing any teacher at any school during the middle of the school year presents the challenge of finding an adequate replacement.

In some cases, you're lucky to find a warm body, even if that person is not strong in that subject.

During the search for a permanent math teacher on my team, it was arranged for two seventh-grade math teachers each to "cover" (teach) the first two class periods. To do so, they each loss close to an hour of planning time each during the approximately two months that it took to find the replacement teacher.

That still left two class periods to cover.

Jeannie Law, who has served as an assistant principal at our school for 10 years, taught these last two periods during that same two-month period.

Ms. Law taught math at Northwest Guilford Middle School before becoming an assistant principal at Southwest.

It had been 10 years since she had taught in the classrom but she was willing and more than able to accept the challenge of returning to the classroom. (I know that she was even excited to do so and that she enjoyed and benefited from the experience.)

In addition to teaching these two classes for two months, Ms. Law also continued to handle her responsibilities as an assistant principal.

Our students benefited from these three highly competent invididuals teaching those math classes until our current math teacher was found and hired. The students who had Ms. Law as their teacher had the opportunity to get to know her in a much diffent way than most students. I know that many of them have a stronger respect and appreciation for Ms. Law than they would have developed had they only known her as their assistant principal.

Ms. Law was already widely respected among our staff members but her willingness to "step down" from her position as assistant principal and teach took her to an even higher level in many people's eyes.

Unfortunately, Ms. Law is retiring at the end of this school year.

It will be a big loss for both our school and our school system.

And yes, it is appropriate to ask how many other school administrators would have done what Ms. Law did.

Brava for Ms. Law.

I agree, Allen, this is a petty business: squeezing money out of the teachers for their day or two off now and then, while any other state or city employees I know of are not beggared in such a miserly way. Often, it is to take a child to a doctor's appointment, for instance. GCS has a great reputation for such antics.

I have a close friend who has taught in GCS for over many years. We had brunch on Sunday and I asked her about this policy. This is how it works.

Teachers get so many sick days and vacation days per year. If they don't use these days, the accummulate. I have another friend who teachers and took about 6 months for maternity leave because she had so much time. Also when other teachers are new and might become seriously ill, veteran teachers have been known to donate some of their sick leave.

My friend told me teachers receive 3 personal days per year. If they go over these days, they don't get paid. This is where the "funds" come in for paying the sub. So what you have stated Allen is not exactly true. Most teachers that want a personal day simply call in sick because they have so much time. It is no big deal.

Where else in private industry can employees accummulate endless sick days, vacation leave, personal days (not used), take summers off if with pay if they choose to have their payroll 12 months a year (minus time teachers must attend summer training, plus a nice retirement package in time for one to start another career? In most jobs I know of. if you don't take your sick leave or vacation time by the end of the current year, it is lost.

In conclustion, the full-time teachers aren't paying for the sub, the funds for unpaid leave are sued for the sub. There are also many occasions where PTAs have been known to pay for subs so teachers can do grade level training on one day and the PTA provides refreshments.

I have a close friend who has taught for many years in GCS. At brunch the other day we discussed this very issue.

This is how it works. Teachers get a certain number of paid sick days per year, paid vacation days and three paid personal days. If these days aren't used, they accummulate. You can use them for maternity leave or when you retire. I have another teacher friend who took about 7 months maternity leave because of all her accummulated time.

If a teacher has used all her paid personal days, many just call in sick. It's no big deal. If a teacher is out of personal days, she simply doesn't get paid. The system pays the sub and it is certainly not at the same rate as a full-time certified teacher. The teacher doesn't "pay" the sub. She simply doesn't get paid for that day off once out of personal days.

Where else in private industry does one get to accummulate endless sick leave, vacation leave and personal days if they haven't used them and receive a nice extra lump sum when they retire? Where else can someone work nine months a year (except for some mandatory summer training and seminars) and take 12 months of pay if they spread it out that way? The jobs that I have worked and those of my spouse and most friends work in private industry simply lose their vacation days or sick days if they don't take them that year. In the case of my spouse, he is never sick, but nothing accummulates.

Where else does someone not only receive paid vacation but gets a week off for Spring Break and a week or more Christmas leave?

You are missing the true picture here, Allen. Teachers do not pay the subs, Guilford County does.

Also there have been many times when the PTA pays for subs so teachers can have a great day or two of grade level training. They also buy lunch and refreshments for the teachers.

Teachers can also retire at an early age, take their nice check for all their accummulated leave and be young enough to start another career. Accept for government jobs, most people don't have this wonderful opportunity.

Sorry to post twice. I thought the first one didn't post after preview.. Also in first post meant to type "used" not "sued"

"Accept (sic) for government jobs, most people don't have this wonderful opportunity"> The Whole Story

Public teaching is also a governmental job.

People in any job have an opportunity to retire early: they have to save smartly, just as a teacher might if they want to retire well. The pension, by the way, is hardly enough to live on by itself. Thus, as you point out, most teachers continue in another career. They also often work summers and more than a few weekends at a second joib, even as they prepare and upgrade their teaching.

You can always change careers, work 12 months a year, work 10-12 hour days, some Saturdays, receive two weeks vacation per year, no guarantee of annual raises, have no pension (just your IRA) or be self-employed and have no health insurance. There are many options out there then then you wouldn't have to work two jobs.

I teach, but not in the public school (anymore).

If you think they ought to leave and take a 9-5, some Saturdays job, who'd you want to teach the children in their place? Heck, why not make it an even less-well remunerated career, while we at it? Stop giving those crazy raises Easley started! Hey, believe me, if it weren't for decent health benefits, I'll bet a lot of teachers would leave. The pension is going to get phased out one day soon, I predict. Same for most state employees. Except political appointees. And the premiums on those health benefits aren't staying level, they are skyrocketing just like everyone else's.

Most teachers do work 10-12 hours a day, by the way.
Oh, you mean actually standing up (and constantly bending over, lifting up, etc.) in the classroom? Most teachers arrive an hour before students. Most stay an hour or two later. Than there's work and planning done at home to prepare. Don't kid yourself. This is no easy ride.

And the stress, lack of respect (in class, from administrators and often from parents, at times), discipline issues, and general mayhem along with drudgery thanks to paperwork and bureaucracy! The best teachers, surely, are in the profession mainly because they do love children and opening their minds. I can't imagine why else they'd stick with it.