Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Really...? One more month to go??!!

Okay, so I'm a tad bit jealous at all of you who are finished or just about finished with school!  I know, I know...you go back earlier than us NYers...but I'm still jealous!   We technically have school until June 21st! (And the bogus part is that our grades and such are all due 1 1/2 weeks before the last day so we can have the awards assembly, so all of the students KNOW the last week is basically a waste because their grades don't count...)

I feel like I've barely had any time to do any posting these last couple of weeks.  Last week was my art show  (and I'll have a separate page to follow in the next day or so with photos).  It was put up on Monday and taken down by Thursday.  I was camping for Memorial Day weekend and now this week and into next week I am giving all of my post-assessments for APPR.

I'm also slightly stressing because there are a few retiring teachers who have not turned in their paperwork for retirement, which means that my job is still up in the air!  It's so frustrating (and stressful!) to be told one thing when it comes to your job and then be told, "Well, until paperwork is turned in, you don't have a job next year."!  I don't feel like my blog is the right place to vent, but this stress is one of the reasons I've been absent from blogging!  It really drags down your moral. :(

Anyways, hopefully I'll have a few posts to share this week with you.  My 5th graders finished their analogous animals that I will share, I've got my art show photographs, and I'll share my post-assessments.  Eventually, when I get together with other art teachers and have them graded, I'll try to share the before and afters!

5 comments:

  1. Wow, hard to believe they can wait so long to officially hand in paperwork. In my district, the contract stipulates you need to give your retirement letter to the district by Nov 15 if you want to collect bonuses (sick day payout and/or first eligibility for retirement). That way, the district has ample time to consider your retirement for budgetary purposes. Some people put it off, if they arent eligible for either bonus, and then get the district's approval anyhow, but never this late. Anyone waiting this long will need to scurry to get their paperwork into NYSTRS! Crazy...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well two teachers were offered an early retirement incentive at the end of April after our business manager found a $600,000 deficit in this years budget. In order to keep programs and sports from being cut next year (and to not pull from the emergency funds) the union offered a retirement package. The one thing my union didn't do a good job on is putting a deadline on it...they didn't! They should have had the deadline before the budget was voted on...but here is the other part I don't get. Them retiring at the end of this year is supposed to balance this years budget....not sure how since they still need to pay them for working this school year. And, in next years budget, it is my salary that is cut, not the other art teachers salary. They keep saying they are retiring but supposidly the thing holding them back is that they don't know what official date to put down for the retirement system. Doesn't seek like a good excuse to me because the union president is supposidly working closely with the union lawyer...but what do I know?

      Delete
  2. Got your last day beat... June 27th! Unfortunately the parents in my area have voted down going back to school before Labor Day, so this year between hurricane and snow days, we've been pushed to the end of June. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, next year we go back after labor day. This year though the teachers have to go to school on mOnday the 24 after the kids are gone for staff development because our boces accidentally left one out of our calendar so they tacked it on the end.

      Delete
  3. I've been in the same boat for the last 8 years! I was actually laid off last year but here we go again wondering if I have a job next year! Seems like they would get a better system!

    ReplyDelete