Centrisity

Forced Vacation

Winter break begins for us educators. It is a forced vacation that we must take regardless of whether we want to or not. Don't get my wrong, the respite is welcomed, but the half paycheck isn't.

Contrary to popular belief, we are not paid for this vacation in full. It is a forced two week siesta, but one of those weeks is unpaid. The buildings are inaccessible, so I can't go in to work if I wanted. If I was going to pick a time of year I wanted to get half a paycheck, Christmas wouldn't be one of them.

So keep that in mind, as you are taking your 2, 3 or 4 week vacations throughout the year. An educator gets two weeks vacation, for 10 months work (One week paid in Winter, one week paid in Spring). Some of us are forced to take other time off without pay. We can't pick the weeks we take off, they are built into the schedule. I'm not complaining, just pointing out one of the great misnomers in public education educators pay. It's not a bowl of cherries, but it is one of the most rewarding professions there is. I'll take the tradeoff.

Flash