Employment Puzzles
Yesterday when Wesley, Norma, and I met to map out class assignments for next year, one of the challenges was to figure out what constitutes a teacher's full time course load, and what is a 3/4 time course load. Wes and Norma are full time teachers, and I am presumably a 3/4 time teacher.
Wes started by identifying what Norma had taught last year, when she was hired as a full time teacher and clearly had a full load. She taught six semesters of classes, besides some additional duties (which they were both more aware of than I am). By that measure, I should be teaching about four semesters of classes, along with some additional duties.
Some time after I was home last night, I realized that, although I have never been considered a full time teacher, I have had a six-semester course workload in the past, plus about half of the learning center duties, and other duties such as job assignments, bulletin boards, and evaluations on current events and literature written assignments.
Over supper, Hiromi and I talked about some of the assumptions and observations that are common regarding a Christian school teacher's work situation.
1. The job description does not usually include a specified number of on-duty hours.
2. Wages (if an effort is being made to be equitable) are usually based on what other people earn in a 40-hour work week.
3. Most teachers spend far more than 40 hours a week actually at school or in school-related activity.
4. A lot of what passes for "a good understanding" regarding school board expectations and teacher duties and remuneration would be considered unprofessional in the American workplace. Some of it would prove to be illegal if it were ever tested in the courts. I'm thinking specifically of gender-based wage disparity, and the absence of formal contracts. (I'm conflicted personally about this. On the side of tradition, I affirm the idea that a man's full time job should provide adequately for his family, and a woman who is teaching often does not have that same responsibility to provide financially. But still. . . equal pay for equal work seems like a sound principle, and it is what the law requires. On contracts. . . . Is anything lost when the understandings are as clear as possible--in writing, in case not everyone involved has a perfect memory?)
Hiromi has never complained about my workload at school, and I have never felt that I worked harder than anyone else. On the contrary, I was often aware that my co-teacher was working very hard, and needed relief. I provided all I could while I was at school. Because I was not a full time teacher, I felt free to go home soon after school was over, and, for the most part, I did not take work home. But my co-teacher did not have the same luxury. He actually stayed till the paces were all graded for the week, etc. --several more hours, usually. I hated seeing him put in that position.
Hiromi sees this matter in black and white. "Full time teachers should be at school 40 hours a week. When that time is up, they should go home. If that doesn't allow enough time to finish what needs doing, they should ask for more help. Three-fourths time teachers should be there 30 hours a week, and so on."
"Most teachers--especially women--are over-achievers," I told Hiromi. "They'll always feel like they should be doing more. What I'm saying is that they could easily put in 40 hours a week and still routinely feel swamped, even if their workload seems reasonable to those who are looking on. And they often like what they're doing, and want to do more." Unlike Hiromi's, my viewpoint comes out a pasty shade of gray.
What do you think?
Wes started by identifying what Norma had taught last year, when she was hired as a full time teacher and clearly had a full load. She taught six semesters of classes, besides some additional duties (which they were both more aware of than I am). By that measure, I should be teaching about four semesters of classes, along with some additional duties.
Some time after I was home last night, I realized that, although I have never been considered a full time teacher, I have had a six-semester course workload in the past, plus about half of the learning center duties, and other duties such as job assignments, bulletin boards, and evaluations on current events and literature written assignments.
Over supper, Hiromi and I talked about some of the assumptions and observations that are common regarding a Christian school teacher's work situation.
1. The job description does not usually include a specified number of on-duty hours.
2. Wages (if an effort is being made to be equitable) are usually based on what other people earn in a 40-hour work week.
3. Most teachers spend far more than 40 hours a week actually at school or in school-related activity.
4. A lot of what passes for "a good understanding" regarding school board expectations and teacher duties and remuneration would be considered unprofessional in the American workplace. Some of it would prove to be illegal if it were ever tested in the courts. I'm thinking specifically of gender-based wage disparity, and the absence of formal contracts. (I'm conflicted personally about this. On the side of tradition, I affirm the idea that a man's full time job should provide adequately for his family, and a woman who is teaching often does not have that same responsibility to provide financially. But still. . . equal pay for equal work seems like a sound principle, and it is what the law requires. On contracts. . . . Is anything lost when the understandings are as clear as possible--in writing, in case not everyone involved has a perfect memory?)
Hiromi has never complained about my workload at school, and I have never felt that I worked harder than anyone else. On the contrary, I was often aware that my co-teacher was working very hard, and needed relief. I provided all I could while I was at school. Because I was not a full time teacher, I felt free to go home soon after school was over, and, for the most part, I did not take work home. But my co-teacher did not have the same luxury. He actually stayed till the paces were all graded for the week, etc. --several more hours, usually. I hated seeing him put in that position.
Hiromi sees this matter in black and white. "Full time teachers should be at school 40 hours a week. When that time is up, they should go home. If that doesn't allow enough time to finish what needs doing, they should ask for more help. Three-fourths time teachers should be there 30 hours a week, and so on."
"Most teachers--especially women--are over-achievers," I told Hiromi. "They'll always feel like they should be doing more. What I'm saying is that they could easily put in 40 hours a week and still routinely feel swamped, even if their workload seems reasonable to those who are looking on. And they often like what they're doing, and want to do more." Unlike Hiromi's, my viewpoint comes out a pasty shade of gray.
What do you think?
posted by Mrs. I at
12:56 PM
4 Comments:
I'm mildly surprised that you had the courage to address this in such a public place.
I have always had the vague idea that teachers are underpaid, but I haven't seriously considered this enough to comment.
By
Benji Mast, at 6/03/2009
Benji, I should probably have made more clear that I have no idea how much other people are being paid, and I'm not complaining about what I've been paid. My wistfulness relates more directly to unclear/unrealistic expectations, the lack of a uniform standard for defining things, and a shortage of mechanisms for addressing needed changes.
Your "surprise" reminds me of the saying "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." The aura of anonymity I can imagine when I post here is not really that at all, I'm afraid, despite my illusions. You've called it a public place, and so it is.
I'm not quite ready to apologize for broaching this subject. I have the conviction that most things are best kicked out in the open where they can be examined in the light of day. But I do want to avoid needlessly stirring up controversy or contention.
By
Mrs. I, at 6/03/2009
I concur that teachers work very long hours and traditionally have been underpaid. However, school runs for 9 months out of the year. A teacher would need to work more than 40 hours a week during the school year for it to be equivalent to a full-time job.
For example, a normal forty-hour/week worker receiving 2 weeks vacation plus 7 paid holidays will work about 1940 hours. This is equivalent to a teacher averaging 50 hours/week, 9 months a year.
Several proposals:
1. Base salaries scales on the average wage for the supporting community. If anything it should be above the average wage, because it is a professional job training our most valuable assets.
2. Give teachers the option of working less than full-time (1940 hours) in exchange for a proportional pay adjustment.
3. Enforce "equal-wage-for-equal-pay".
4. Reward teachers who make this a career. Pay according to experience and educational background. Set starting wages low, but be clear that longevity will be significantly rewarded.
5. Consider other ways to encourage longevity. Our company offers one-month sabbatical at 10 years and then every 5 years after that. Perhaps something similar could be done for teachers so that every fifth summer, full wages would be paid for summer months so that they can focus on continuing education, family travel, etc.
I'd love to hear others' thoughts. Hats off to all the teachers out there!
By
FavoringCurry, at 6/03/2009
I finally set hours for myself when I was teaching. I decided that what didn't get done between 8:00 to 6:00 could wait. I tried very hard to stay out of the classroom on Saturday as well. Of course, there were exceptions. I found I got just as much done as when I burned the midnight oil because I was so burned out.
As far as pay--I can't complain as to what I got paid. I signed the contract and agreed to it. Ironically, the pay was better after I got married. Then it was our second income. Things did get very tight at times as a single person, but to me, it was a calling. That was kept me going.
By
Dorcas Byler, at 6/04/2009
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