Wisc., Mich. And Other Teachers Hold 'Grade-Ins' At Malls To Demonstrate Workload

Amid nationwide criticism of their profession, teachers are staging "grade-ins" at local malls to demonstrate what educators do in their time off.

Teachers in Oklahoma gathered at mall food court tables last week to plan lessons, grade essays and correct tests, according to the Daily O'Collegian, the Oklahoma State University newspaper. Participating teachers said the idea was to illustrate the amount of work educators take home.

English teacher Paula Denner tells the Daily O'Collegian she got flack from her attorney friend, who said all professions work abnormal hours.

"[The attorney] may do some work at home, but you know he is running up a bill for it if he has to," Denner said. "There are few jobs like teaching. The thing with this job is, we do most of our work at a different time than we are actually at the workplace."

The Michigan Education Association has also been holding "grade-ins," WILX reports.

In Lansing, Mich., teachers are making their case as Gov. Rick Snyder has proposed to cut school funding. Franklin Mays, a Lansing School District teacher, says the bottom line is that it would set back student learning.

"Cutting budgets is going to have a big impact on the children," said Mays.

Teachers in the Milwaukee, Wisc. area have also held recent grade-ins at mall food courts. Teachers there say they need to stand their ground as they -- and other educators across the country -- have been targeted by state governments that see teachers' pay and benefit packages as budget-busters.

This has contributed to a public perception that teachers are undeserving of what they earn. Megyn Kelly of Fox News recently argued teachers don't deserve as much money because they "don't work as much."

The Milwaukee "grade-ins" were organized by WI Public Employees Against Walker's Attack on Workers Rights, according to the event's Facebook page. Wisconsin organizers credit grade-ins in New Jersey for inspiring their public display.

WATCH:

Comments

[WRP64]

12:21 AM on 04/21/2011

I prefer a bit of peace and quite for grading. This way my students get my full attention. So I feel conflicted about this demonstration. On one hand, the general population clearly doesn't understand what we do on behalf of their kids. But on the other, we could do it more effectively without at the same time having to demonstrate how we are doing what we do.

[f2900]

10:07 PM on 04/16/2011

I don't mind having papers to correct. I love seeing the progress my students are making in their work. I do mind having to then go to a second job so I can afford to send my own children to college and hope for a better lifestyle for them. The world has changed as regards teaching in America. And not for the better. Hope that answers your question ct 63. The real question is, Given the current atmosphere in America why would our "best and brightest" choose to go into this vital profession now? And maybe more importantly, What does this attitude toward teachers mean for the future of education in America?

[f2900]

10:07 PM on 04/16/2011

All of these supports are now gone. In addition to that, in my time outside of school, I am inundated with media reports that teachers are "leaches" and "bloodsuckers." My years of experience are not valued, they are seen as an unnecessary cost. My gift of connecting with students and helping them to believe in themselves again (I work with at-risk kids) is not seen as valuable unless it shows up on a standardized test (which my kids will not take seriously). When I dare send a kid to the office for wearing his pants 3 inches below his crotch and exposing his full pelvic region to the class covered only in underpants, his mother will come storming to the school screaming and threatening me. And the community I live in? I am barely lower middle class. The average house costs 10 times my yearly salary. People who don't know me assume that I must have been at the bottom of my class to have "ended up" as a teacher, when in fact I have been in the top of my class from kindergarted to grad. school. (cont.)

[novabird]

08:46 AM on 04/17/2011

God bless you, friend.
In the current Teaparty/GOP world view you are a maggot but in the eyes of your students you are a beloved and valued part of their lives (even though a few of them might not realize that until they are a bit older)

[f2900]

10:07 PM on 04/16/2011

When I went into the teaching field in 1987 in Washington state, teachers were respected. The money was not the best, but it did allow for a middle class lifestyle, especially in smaller towns. There was almost no emphasis on testing. Teachers were required to take on extra activities, but were given stipends for all extra duty work. My first year, I was assigned a mentor teacher who was paid to help me in my initiation into teaching. We were given regular, paid days off to meet, observe other teachers, and take classes together. I received a generous allowance every year for classroom supplies. All of my texts were new and I was provided with abundant support materials. There were sports teams, clubs, counselors, and extracurricular activities galore. The parents came to open house and were very supportive of my work in the classroom. When I moved to California a couple of years later, there were good opportunities for extra retirement savings. There was a program in place to help teachers obtain low cost homes and loans. I went into teaching knowing I would never be rich, but that society in general and the students (and their parents) and community valued what I did. cont.

[ct 63]

04:19 PM on 04/13/2011

My question for the teachers out there is this:
Did you know what you were getting in to when you went into the teaching field?
Did you realize you would go through life underpaid, overworked, needing to buy your own supplies, needing to spend evenings grading papers, and with scrutiny from others about "getting summers off"?

If yes, why did you still go in to the field? This is not said condescendingly; I sincerely am interested in why people go in to the teaching field despite the likely possibility of lower quality of life for themselves.

[pickle541]

07:20 PM on 04/13/2011

Sort of cynical to assume that people choose a profession solely for pay. First of all, not all districts are the same, ney, not all school buildings are the same. Some teachers manage to get it all in during the day, others are derailed by student needs, parent needs, promised funds that never came, promised supplies that never came, promised staff that never came. Also, you seem to be unaware of the nationwide testing standards that do a very poor job of evaluating teacher performance and pretty much rule out actual instruction. That is only getting worse and teachers are being blamed for bad administrative decisions at the top.

What else... Teachers actually love to teach. And they love their students. If they didn't like it, they WOULD get a blah job that paid better.

And, teachers don't get paid for summers off. It's a forced furlough. Actually, they spend a lot that time paying for their own development seminars and classes to stay on top of the field, and working a SUMMER JOB.

And anyway, aren't you glad that SOMEONE is dedicated and interested in teaching your kids? Don't you think they deserve work hours that are manageable and fair evaluation practices?

[vanityreloaded]

08:55 PM on 04/13/2011

Well said pickle!

[ct 63]

09:32 PM on 04/13/2011

Pickle,
I believe we have the same stance on this issue, but perhaps my post was misinterpreted. I myself am not a teacher, but am interested in learning how the education system can be improved. This is why I ask my question of what brought you in to the field, despite some unappealing aspects to the job.

My above comment did not say I think teachers get paid for a summer off. I said teachers face the scrutiny (wrongly so) of others who think they get paid for a summer.

You said it is cynical of me to assume people choose a profession soley for pay. I did not say people choose a profession soley for pay; as I mentioned, I sincerely am interested in why people chose to go in the teaching field knowing they will face such scrutiny, be overworked, and face some undesirable working conditions (such as buying own supplies, spending evenings grading papers), in addition to being underpaid.

I am very glad there are people dedicated to and interested in teaching children. And I do think they deserve work hours that are manageable and fair evaluations. My comment stated my belief that teachers are underpaid and overworked, and questioned what brought people in the the field despite this.

[ruolivert]

11:01 AM on 04/16/2011

Because they love working with children and helping them grow. That's why teachers become teachers. They don't do it for the money or the respect, they do it for the kids

[Nikki123]

08:45 PM on 04/26/2011

And if we don't start respecting people who love to work with children, then there won't be anyone left to teach them. Not everyone is cut out to be a teacher. I had many parent volunteers in my first grade classroom tell me they could not imagine doing what I did every day. I feel the same way about nurses. I can't imagine doing their jobs and yet I'm so grateful to them for the wonderful care they provide when needed.

[Alexandra Cean]

01:36 PM on 04/13/2011

What would happen if high school teachers were required to get Master's Degrees? Apart from degree mills? Would this encourage the practice of paying teachers more? Honestly, if you can take out loans it does not take very much effort to get a Bachelor's Degree.

[jourdankr]

02:56 PM on 04/13/2011

I am a teacher. I have a Master's degree. I still live from paycheck to paycheck.

[pickle541]

07:23 PM on 04/13/2011

Most do have Master's degrees, in either instruction and pedagogy or the specified field that they teach- like Math or Spanish. Bachelor's degrees are a minimum for licensure. What school district hires teachers that didn't graduate from college?

[Alexandra Cean]

11:11 AM on 04/17/2011

Most do- where you live.

[DeweyJ]

08:35 AM on 04/13/2011

What a delightful idea. I am so weary of the lie that American teachers work only from 8-2:45 when colleagues in high performing nations only TEACH 3 hours per day. These nations, that truly value education, understand that GOOD teaching takes place when teachers have ample time to plan, collaborate and grade their work.

A good source of information to counter the attacks coming from the dectractors is www.forumforeducation.org

[CarryOn]

07:27 AM on 04/13/2011

to the lawyer.. maybe teachers should get the hourly wages lawyers get...$250+ an hour...

Kudos to the teachers who have proven yet again they have the critical and creative skills that we want modeled in our classrooms.

[pickle541]

07:24 PM on 04/13/2011

Yes, they should bill out every instructional hour for EVERY student. And they should tack on all incidentals, including pencils, copies, art supplies, stickers. That really would be funny.

[Helen Rome Meager]

12:46 AM on 04/13/2011

When is the last time you spent your own money to buy supplies for your job? Pencils, erasers, paper, glue sticks? If your boss said sorry our budget is gone - no copies or pencils for the next 3 months would you pay for it? Teachers do everyday!

[AmigaMan]

01:09 PM on 04/20/2011

Don't forget that some teachers even have to buy their own toilet paper to wipe their @sses, because the school district is so bloody cheap.

[Prometeo]

08:43 PM on 04/12/2011

This is a teachable moment in history. Teachers using their profession to teach people about what we endure year long. Most people don't realize that we often dedicate most of our off-school time to prepare for our classes. We don't have the time to go to sit-ins and other demonstrations because we are dedicated to our students. That doesn't mean we don't feel the unfair criticism and the attempts to demonize us made by politicians who want to justify unfair cuts to the educational programs to use the money on some other matters.

My congratulations to those exemplary teachers. They really are an inspiration for the rest of us. May God bless them.

[Soraya Pailin]

07:33 PM on 04/12/2011

ESE teachers easily spend 2-3 hours during the week doing extra work and during the weekend 4-5 hours each day, depending on how many IEP meetings they have coming up, or the student is matriculating. And that is still not enough time to finish the work. The Republican lawmaker in these states must perceive teachers as being overpaid babysitters (read: "uppity women") who are always in the middle of the target of their budget-slashing ire.

[reader110]

03:42 PM on 04/12/2011

Are you sick of highly paid teachers?

http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/meredith-menden/are-you-sick-of-highly-paid-teachers/666995678863

[LPH]

09:00 PM on 04/12/2011

Try the following table to see average teacher salaries.

http://teacherportal.com/teacher-salaries-by-state

[eceresa]

09:17 PM on 04/12/2011

Yep. For college-educated people putting in long hours, those are pretty poor salaries.

[jourdankr]

03:00 PM on 04/13/2011

These are terrible salaries.

[Linda Voegler Granite]

10:03 AM on 04/13/2011

I'm only sick of people complaining about teachers who make high pay.

[reader110]

10:27 AM on 04/13/2011

Exactly.

[poeticjustice4all]

02:43 PM on 04/12/2011

I guess AOL doesn't like my comments. That's okay. I don't like AOL. So we're even.

[mlaiuppa]

01:07 PM on 04/12/2011

I love this idea of a grade in. People have no idea how many extra hours teachers put in without pay outside of the contract day.

I would urge the teachers of Wisconsin and Michigan to also "work to the rule". That means you don't do any work outside of your contract and your job description. Forget those letters of recommendation. If papers don't get graded at school, leave them there and go home. After school clubs or conferences? Sorry, my contract day is over and go home. Don't chaperone those after school dances, school plays or athletic events. No more free rides. If they don't pay you for your time, whatever it is doesn't happen.

When lawyers take work home they are paid. Billable hours.

The cashier at Walmart doesn't take work home. And the cashier doesn't have to buy supplies to do their job. I don't think you'll find the lawyer buying kleenex or copy paper for the office unless he is self-employed.

So stop buying stuff. Stop buying tissue, pencils, erasers, pens, notebook paper, binders, white out, post it notes, markers, posters, bulletin board borders, stickers, books, manipulatives and anything else the school does not supply. Strip your classrooms bare of all of your personal stuff. Cover the boards with construction paper if there is any, leave them bare if there isn't. But don't stay after school to do it.

And no more working during lunch!

[7777777777777777]

01:32 PM on 04/12/2011

Teachers in my neck of the woods make enough as a typical full time (40hour/wk) job. Teachers work 180days/year. So based on a typical full time job as 2000 hours/year, a teacher would need to work 11.11 hour days just to equal a typical 40hour/wk job. Are teachers working 11 hour days? Hmmm

[mlaiuppa]

02:06 PM on 04/12/2011

Teachers typical work 50-60 hours a week so....yes. It is not unuslay to spend an additonal 3-4 hours in the evening grading papers and preparing lesson for the next day. Some teachers put in a half day on Saturday. A friend of mine even goes in on Sundays.

Teachers should be compensated for their education experience (many hold masters degrees) and the value of their service to society (educating future wage earners who will contribute to the economy).

Let's be conservative and say teacher's work a 10 hour day for 184 days. That doesn't even include weekends or extra training and classes over breaks and vacations. That's 1, 840 hours. Now divide that by 8 and you get 230 days. That's 46 five day weeks. Teachers are not cashiers at WalMart so they would get what other white collar professionals get for holidays. Many white collar professionals also get paid vacations. Teachers do not. They do not get paid for the 10 weeks of summer they do not work. So we have 52 weeks in a year and teachers are working the equivalent of 46 weeks. Take away a week for holidays. 51-46. That leaves a difference of 5 weeks. Teachers work way beyond the time they are actually paid.

If I take my computer to be repaired I pay $75 an hour. The technician doesn't have a master's degree. And what he contributes to the future economy of this country is hardly invaluable.

[cmr86]

02:37 PM on 04/12/2011

Instruction is 180 days. That doesn't factor in all the meetings, the lesson planning, teacher enrichment courses, continual workshops, grading.

Good attempt, though.

[baybeebluz]

03:50 PM on 04/12/2011

There are a multitude of professions where people work 50-80 hours a week, and they aren't billable hours. They don't get overtime just their salary. Teachers aren't special because of this. Plus, they don't get 1-2 months off in the summer, fall break, spring break, etc.

[Linda Voegler Granite]

09:04 PM on 04/12/2011

Could you please gives examples of these professions?

[eceresa]

09:19 PM on 04/12/2011

But for the people I know who work those hours, the salaries are much larger than teachers' salaries.

[7777777777777777]

12:21 PM on 04/12/2011

I feel for the teachers that are not paid well. I'm sure there are plenty of districts in this country where that is true.
However, here in the northeast, where you hear some of the biggest complaining, teachers are extremely well compensated. Their salary and benefits are awesome.

The root problem is that teachers are not rated on performance. The socialistic system of raises does not encourage teachers to try harder or do more. Fix the incentive problem and I think our education system would be better off. Good teachers would agree, and bad teachers will want the status quo.

[carmenalex]

12:58 PM on 04/12/2011

As a good teacher with good evals (and even a couple of thanks from parents) I would have to disagree with you a bit. You are basing this on the belief that only teachers are responsible for the outcome of a student, totally underestimating a whole gamma of factors that decide how well a student will do at school. And this kind of thinking takes away the concept of personal accountability from the part of the student. I've actually heard this conversation among teenagers in the mall, where one was saying to the other how he didn't have to study anymore cause if he failed his mom would just blame the teacher. (And apparently said mom went to the school and screamed at the teacher for this). The kid ACTUALLY HIGH-FIVED the other kid because of this. Other factors can be hunger, poverty, violence and drug-use and abuse in the home. But this would mean tackling social issues. And that apparently makes one a "socialist". Already your incentive issue has been experimented, and it has failed. Students in the same social situation did not fair better with highly-payed, well prepared experienced teachers that where evaluated on "merit" alone. because even with an excellent teacher...the kids go home to poverty, hunger and abuse, and with parents not being there to help because they themselves are addicts, or work so many jobs they are to exhausted to even check their child's homework.

[7777777777777777]

01:21 PM on 04/12/2011

Sure teachers are not the whole problem. Too bad you can't fire the parents.
I just don't get the argument that teachers aren't any of the problem either. There are bad teachers. Ive had some when I was a kid, and my kids now have had some that are really don't care. There has to be a compromise, but teacher's unions refuse to do anything to ensure their members are of the highest caliber.

I think that parents should be allowed to choose the teachers for their kids. They should be allowed to give first, second and third choice. Teachers most requested will get a bonus and teachers least requested will get put on notice. If you are in the bottom two years in a row, you get the pink slip. This works as long as parents want the best for their kids. If not, well then there's not much hope for the education system in general.

[HopeLiesBleeding]

03:50 PM on 04/12/2011

Exactly. Fanned & faved.

[fozzi58]

01:08 PM on 04/12/2011

You need to be highly compensated in the north east cause the cost of living is outrageous.

I know plenty of teachers making $45k~$55k a year and have to live home with their parents because a mountain of school loans left them in debt and a decent apartment is $1200+ a month.

[7777777777777777]

01:24 PM on 04/12/2011

I also know of plenty of teachers making over six figures, don't contribute to their healthcare (well 1%, but that's almost nothing) or retirement. Funny to go out to the Hamptons and find these summer homes owned by teachers. They can afford them and they have the time off to enjoy them.