Where did all the, planning, time go.

 Let me tell you my story first.

I didn't lose my planning period, I still have the 90 minutes I had last year. I did however since we are self-contained go from two preps to five. Now I have been sharing with my department and them with me, but it's still a lot more work.

I did lose my lunch however as the kids eat in the room. Now I guess technically I could go somewhere else, though I have no idea where that would be.

This morning a colleague asked me if they should reach out to the super (YES!!!!) because the thirty minutes they had been getting in elementary school was now being eaten up by serving breakfast in the class, and no you can't really plan around eating children. Mind you elementary school teachers already get the short stick when it comes to planning.

Then there is my high school and middle school friends who lost almost half of their planning when they went to a 6 period day. Now I actually like the 50-minute class, but the idea behind that is staff gets two of them off to plan.

Now you might be thinking well the classes are shorter so there is less to plan, but the thing is now they meet every day instead of every other so the reality is there is more.

Teachers in effect all across the board have more to do and a lot less time to do it. You would think the district would bend over backward to lighten the load, but according to the dozens of teachers across all grade levels that I have spoken to, that is sadly not the case. So if they are not going to do what it is right, it's time teachers did and that starts by them just saying no.

Want me to cover a class, you had your freebie so no.

You want me to let students into my class in non agreed upon times, no, sorry,

They want you to do just as much paperwork, no, I will give an honest day's work until the day ends, and then that's it. What's not done will go into the to-do pile and I don't care how big it gets.

I know it's hard, many of you feel like you will be letting your kids and school down if you don't work like a yoked ox, but the truth is, by doing so, you are letting them down.

The district depends on you working unpaid overtime, and they set the system up so that's what you will have to do. They didn't give a second thought to your or their well being.  The system doesn't care about kids or teachers, it cares about the system.  

Things will not improve until you say no.

Those of us that care about public ed and the teaching profession needs you to say no. I am begging you to say no.

Just say no.