If you are wondering why education is going down the tubes…(long post)

[KrisM]

That is a state policy decision, intended to promote tourism and generate revenue.

The start date is. The end date is not in the state law. Other schools got out earlier and some later. The law dictates starting after Labor Day and how many hours and days of school there must be. It doesn't say when you end. That's done by district. In any case, in my district kids are off 3 months and teachers 2.5 months and that was the question I was answering .

I think this thread has been interesting. I had assumed we were in a typical district overall. I now think we are better than average. I want to see if I can find out from teachers in our schools what they think about their workload, etc. I'm sure they work hard (and have not said they didn't) but I wonder what they think of us compared to others, etc.

[ahisma]

The start date is. The end date is not in the state law. Other schools got out earlier and some later. The law dictates starting after Labor Day and how many hours and days of school there must be. It doesn't say when you end. That's done by district. In any case, in my district kids are off 3 months and teachers 2.5 months and that was the question I was answering .

I think this thread has been interesting. I had assumed we were in a typical district overall. I now think we are better than average. I want to see if I can find out from teachers in our schools what they think about their workload, etc. I'm sure they work hard (and have not said they didn't) but I wonder what they think of us compared to others, etc.

True. However, by mandating the start date and the annual hours the state essentially regulates the end time, give or take a few days. Some schools handle mid-winter break, conference days, etc. differently but in the end there is not a ton of variance. I get what you are saying though

The Michigan education trends are interesting. Michigan used to be considered one of the best states to teach in. I readily acknowledge that 7-ish years ago it was a completely different story. From our personal perspective, DH's salary was going to be capped at a comfortable middle class level. We were fine with that. He was doing something that he loved, had a family friendly schedule, and had good benefits. We were trading salary for job satisfaction, personal accomplishment, and the ability for him to be home with the kids. (My career will ultimately not be family friendly, he's often the go-to guy for the kids).

Over the past few years that has radically changed, most specifically the past two years. Last summer I postponed the Bar exam because we were worried that he would get pink slipped. Tenure is gone. Paychecks are shrinking, big time. His responsibilities are growing exponentially. His student body is becoming increasingly challenging, and frankly, violent. Class sizes are growing rapidly. That's a rough combination.

Now, slash the paycheck, cram as many kids as possible into the classroom and lengthen the working hours. Add in some media coverage that basically villainizes teachers and a legislature that has been passing bill after bill targeting teachers. It's tough.

This weekend, he's required to be at attendance at his school's homecoming football game. Fine. FWIW, that's not contracted, or paid for. The problem? It's also DD's school's homecoming game and she will be marching drumline for the first time ever. Guess where he will be.

Anyway, my point is that I think the perception in Michigan is that teachers have a pretty good gig. That used to be true. It's not true anymore, at least in the districts around here. We have friends and family teaching in about 10 districts on the west side of the state They're all struggling.

This fall, his district kicked off the school year with a speaker who told teachers that if they are under 45 they won't retire from public education and won't have a pension. Way to build morale. There's nothing like kicking off a hard year with a kick in the teeth.

[jse107]

The Michigan education trends are interesting. Michigan used to be considered one of the best states to teach in. I readily acknowledge that 7-ish years ago it was a completely different story. From our personal perspective, DH's salary was going to be capped at a comfortable middle class level. We were fine with that. He was doing something that he loved, had a family friendly schedule, and had good benefits. We were trading salary for job satisfaction, personal accomplishment, and the ability for him to be home with the kids. (My career will ultimately not be family friendly, he's often the go-to guy for the kids).

Over the past few years that has radically changed, most specifically the past two years. Last summer I postponed the Bar exam because we were worried that he would get pink slipped. Tenure is gone. Paychecks are shrinking, big time. His responsibilities are growing exponentially. His student body is becoming increasingly challenging, and frankly, violent. Class sizes are growing rapidly. That's a rough combination.

Now, slash the paycheck, cram as many kids as possible into the classroom and lengthen the working hours. Add in some media coverage that basically villainizes teachers and a legislature that has been passing bill after bill targeting teachers. It's tough.

This weekend, he's required to be at attendance at his school's homecoming football game. Fine. FWIW, that's not contracted, or paid for. The problem? It's also DD's school's homecoming game and she will be marching drumline for the first time ever. Guess where he will be.

Anyway, my point is that I think the perception in Michigan is that teachers have a pretty good gig. That used to be true. It's not true anymore, at least in the districts around here. We have friends and family teaching in about 10 districts on the west side of the state They're all struggling.

This fall, his district kicked off the school year with a speaker who told teachers that if they are under 45 they won't retire from public education and won't have a pension. Way to build morale. There's nothing like kicking off a hard year with a kick in the teeth.

This scenario is true in many places. Morale is LOW. To be honest, I wouldn't let my kids go into teaching (well, I would strongly recommend against it.).

And, for the record, I'm for year-round schooling.