You'd think...

[ny biker]

We used to get "Personal Time Off" which was for both vacation and sick days. I got 4 weeks per year, due to the fact that I've been at my job for a long time.

Last year they changed the policy, and gave us "unlimited" sick days, with the qualification that you went on short-term disability after 5 consecutive sick days and your manager could require a note from a doctor after 3 consecutive days. They also reduced our vacation time -- I still managed to qualify for 3 weeks, but many of my coworkers were cut to 2.

This year they changed the policy again, and we are limited to a total of 5 sick days per year.

As for substitute teachers, I was unemployed for almost a year back in 1998-99, and it never occurred to me to look into that. I worked temp jobs at various offices while taking classes part-time at a local university. Since I don't know anything about teaching and would rather not deal with a room full of kids, I think being a substitute would be a last resort for me as a job.

[solobiker]

I know how you feel V. I work in health care and I am the only OT in the building so I can't call in if "i feel like it". I have to plan months in advance for a day off and sometimes that does not work either. I also get to work all holidays at straight time...no time 1/2. Hope you can fine some subs for your next training day.

[Veronica]

They managed to find someone about an hour into the training.

We can request subs. I'm out so little that I really don't know very many of them. The one I do usually request has been put on special assignment. Good for her, it's regular income! Bad for me.

The training was good - it was part of this math grant that I have been participating in for the last three years. I do wish I could have gone last week when I was suppose to go. That was with the 5th, 6th and 7th grade teachers. Today was mainly with third and fourth. I like hearing from the middle school teachers and what their expectations are.

I've got mainly the same group of kids I had last year - 24 stayed with me and I got 8 new ones. They are mostly a good group of kids, love to learn, are curious and interested. They can't shut up to save their lives! I don't know what they have to talk about, but they really NEED to talk and talk and talk and talk some more! Really... can we talk?!

I gotta pour test taking strategies down their throats because it's REALLY important that we do well on the state test and they want to chitchat. Where are their priorities?

Veronica

[zoom-zoom]

I really enjoyed the 2.5 years that I subbed. Unfortunately there are so many teachers out of work in MI that they get first dibs on sub jobs, so I haven't bothered registering to do it now that DS is in school. That's how it should be, really. Makes me sad that so many quality teachers have to settle for subbing or remain unemployed. 10+ years ago the situation was reversed and there was a huge sub shortage. I could have subbed full-time, had I wanted to.

[OakLeaf]

I don't want to complain to my PT for coming to work with a cold and I don't want to get her in trouble, but I really want to write her boss. Black elderberry extract to the rescue (ta-da-da-DA-da-ta!), but I was to the point of coughing and congestion the night before Sunday's half marathon, and she was the only one I'd been in contact with who was sick...

[Jolt]

I don't want to complain to my PT for coming to work with a cold and I don't want to get her in trouble, but I really want to write her boss. Black elderberry extract to the rescue (ta-da-da-DA-da-ta!), but I was to the point of coughing and congestion the night before Sunday's half marathon, and she was the only one I'd been in contact with who was sick...

Yuck. I know we in healthcare are some of the worst when it comes to working sick...I can remember a couple of times when I was working in the nursing homes and had a horrible cold but there was nobody to cover my shift so I was walking around passing meds while coughing my head off.

[jessmarimba]

I'd love to substitute teach for you Except for that living several states away and having an office job at the moment...I'd eventually like to teach, but I'd have to do the "alternate certification" program for whatever state I ended up in, so I'd have to research where the math/science teacher shortages are before switching.

Our sick time has - I think - been set at 5 days a year and doesn't roll over. But I've only been out sick for two days since I've worked here, and both times I was called all day long with work-related problems. I was out for two weeks with my back (one week over the max) and they had no problem with that (thankfully!), but I still had my work notebook and email and phone calls at the hospital. I couldn't afford to go on disability after that (can't pay hospital bills on a temporary pay cut) so I worked at home for 3 weeks. They are flexible, obviously, but it may depend on how trustworthy they employee is.

[Koronin]

I'm also a bit surprised by the sub shortage. Although I do wonder if this has something to do with budget cuts? One of my sisters is a sub in Ohio. This year she got an assignment as a building sub. Apparently each school has maybe 2 or 3 subs assigned to them for the entire school year. So the first three teachers that need a day off any given day would get one of those three subs, then any more the principal has to call the sub coordinator to get someone into the building. Also the building subs work rather or not they are actually needed as a sub. Apparently they are assigned different duties (sometimes office work, sometimes helping a teacher, just depends) on days they are not needed as subs. So that is good for my sister.

[Pax]

Holy cow, this thread has been a kick in the "be grateful" butt! I get four weeks of vacation and 12 sick days a year. I am one lucky individual, if I'm sick I stay home, if I need a mental health day I check in with my supervisor and she says "sure, we'll see you tomorrow". Wow.

[Crankin]

We always had a building sub in the last 2 districts I worked in. But, I think what has happened is that for a good part of my teaching career, there was a teacher surplus. You had good, qualified people working as subs, in the hope it would get them a job. Sometimes you had neighborhood moms who subbed a couple of days a week. Now, and in the last few years of my career, there's a teacher shortage. Good people get jobs and not many of the unemployed want to work as a sub.
This never stopped me from taking a day. I didn't miss much school in my last few years of teaching, but I left copious plans and went. We got 10 sick days a year and 3 personal days. Our sick days accrued and you got paid at a partial rate when you retired (I quit, not retired). Hey, I used a personal day to go on my first bike tour to Vt.