Time to rethink teachers' convention
School districts throughout the state were closed Thursday and Friday last week for the annual teachers convention in Atlantic City. According to the NJEA Web site, "nearly 29,000 members" attended. There are more than 175,000 public school teachers in New Jersey. That means 83.5 percent of the teachers who were given two days off for professional and career development were off doing something else.
A state statute dating back to 1920 requires that school districts give teachers permission to attend the annual convention at full pay. But it does not mandate that schools be closed those two days. If the NJEA convention is that valuable, everyone should go - preferably after school lets out for the summer. If it isn't - and judging from the attendance figures, that is the perception among teachers - it should be canceled altogether.
A state statute dating back to 1920 requires that school districts give teachers permission to attend the annual convention at full pay. But it does not mandate that schools be closed those two days. If the NJEA convention is that valuable, everyone should go - preferably after school lets out for the summer. If it isn't - and judging from the attendance figures, that is the perception among teachers - it should be canceled altogether.
posted by Randy Bergmann at 11:20 AM
9 Comments:
That argument for has gotten old, old as the 97 years of having these days off. We looked forward to it as students and parents. We've gotten over it and so should you.
That's right, we had prohibition in the 1920's I don't see anything wrong in continuing that law either.
As far as I'm concerned, I'd like to see school in session year round. Break up the quarters with 3 weeks between and have teachers convention during one of those 3 week periods. Or even have two sessions a year with 6 weeks off between.
I've noted that all my kids teachers coast through the week of convention knowing that they only have 2 days normaly to do anything because election day seems to always fall in the same week.
29K out of 175K went so that would mean 83.5% were off doing someting else not 16.5% right Randy?
Years ago teachers would have to go and bring back a signed attendance slip or report to school. But the NJEA brought it to court and the courts decided if teachers were forced to go that the school districts had to pay for travel and lodging. With parent conferences and Thanksgiving also in November does any learning take place ?
You state that nearly 29,000 teachers attended out of more than 175,000. "That means 16.5 percent of the teachers who were given two days off for professional and career development were off doing something else." No that means that 83.5 percent of the teachers were off doing something else, only 16.5 percent of the teachers were there. Perhaps you need a lesson in mathematics from one of the 16.5 percent of the teachers that attended.
ck,
thanks for pointing out my math error; it has been corrected.
It is true that school is not in session for 2 days so that those teachers who choose to do so may go to the convention. There is no teacher in the state of nj who is paid for those two days. They are not included in the school year, and as such are unpaid days. May I also point out that teachers are not paid for any holiday? Salaries are contracted for 180 days of work. I noted on the editiorial page today that some misinformed individual thinks that the convention costs the taxpayer money. The convention days are built into the school calendar, teachers are not paid for those days, and teachers attend at their personal expense. Professional development is supported by NJEA dues and not taxpayer dollars.
get a life
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