Teachers deserve better. How many days do you take off of school in a year? Maybe enough to get you truancy. Enough to leave you stressfully catching up on missed classwork. Now, consider one of your teachers. I’ll bet that he or she has only missed 12 days of school throughout the entire year. I say this because I know it’s true. With the exception of a few days or a different teacher, this might not be the case. In general, though, our teachers do not miss school. Rather, they cannot miss school. I believe that our teachers need to be allotted more time off. When speaking to Rebecca Burnfin, history teacher, I learned a few things. One: In the Negotiated Agreement from 2024, teachers were allowed ten sick days and three personal days for the entire school year. Two: There is a Sick Bank that provides teachers the chance to apply and pay in return for sick days off of school (their application may not always get approved). Three: Due to district changes, they are now given 12 paid time off (PTO) days for the entirety of a school year. Four: Changes may apply to teachers with longevity in their careers (veteran teachers with built-up sick/PTO days). In my opinion, this all boils down to one thing: Teachers are responsible for the future of our society and should be treated as such. Put yourself in the shoes of a parent. As a parent who loves their child, you are aware that everything your child’s teacher tells them is a seed that will start to grow. You know that if the teacher has had ongoing family issues but cannot take work off, it could affect the way they treat and talk to your child. You know that that teacher also has a child who gets sick as often as yours, that teacher has a significant other who they have to support when they go through rough times, that teacher has parents that are getting up in their years. On the other hand, there are logistical reasons that make this a difficult topic to navigate. For example, money always plays a factor. USD 457 would not necessarily thrive if it had to pay back each of the teachers who took all of their PTO days. Also, substitutes and paras might be harder to find than we think. This is true with all other jobs though, too. Doctors are another group similar to teachers that should get some extra TLC. But I don’t see businessmen and nail technicians struggling with this problem. Granted, I have no idea how much they make or how they manage their hours, I’m simply bringing them up because I think it’s worth mentioning. With all of the factors I’ve listed in mind, I think it is feasible for our educators to be treated a little better, don’t you? I know I’m thankful for each of my elementary school teachers that built a solid foundation for me to grow from, and I’m grateful for the teachers I have now in high school that continue to foster my ability to learn. Every now and then we’ll all wind up with a teacher that leaves a sour taste in our mouth, but that one does not amount to the many that we loved. Teachers are the best, yet some of the most uncared for. I think we need to see a change.
