Drawbacks of working in public school

amother

Mint

Wed, Mar 28 2018, 6:58 pm

I am thinking of accepting a position as a high school teacher in my local public school. I would really like to take the job, but before I do, I would like to hear from the "frum" perspective. I want to be completely prepared before I go in. What are all the bad things about teaching in public school? I know of many, many benefits, but want to hear from other PS teachers about their difficulties.

amother

Emerald

Wed, Mar 28 2018, 8:01 pm

My mother has a lot of stress from it. But once she's been there so many years she is sticking it out so that she can get her pension etc.
Sone of the staff could be extremely nasty and mean and if they are the ones in power there is nobody to talk to.
The frum teachers are treated with more scrutiny and are given a hard time if they need to attend a close family Simcha etc. There is no understanding in that regard.

octopus

Wed, Mar 28 2018, 8:14 pm

As far as my understanding of ps, you get great maternity benefits. I don't know how long you have to be working there, but you can take an extended maternity leave (think years) and they have to hold your job for you. This is in nyc. I once spoke to a ps teacher who was on maternity leave (it's probably called something else) to raise her family. She wasn't a jewish woman, and she wanted to be there for her kids when they were little.

amother

Goldenrod

Wed, Mar 28 2018, 8:16 pm

I've been teaching in public school in NJ for almost 10 years. Based on the things people write on here about not getting paid on time, etc., I actually think I have it better than many yeshiva teachers. Like any other job, you're expected to behave professionally and you work very hard, especially when you first start because it's new. But I have health benefits, annual raises based on a salary scale, and union protection. I don't get off early on erev Shabbat or chag, so on those early shabbasim I have to really rush out of there. I get 2 personal days a year, which I burn on the first couple days of chag and any other holidays I take unpaid. I have to give advanced notice and fill out paperwork for this, but it's never a problem. That being said, I'm careful not to take "extra" days--I work chol a hamoed when we have school and purim and I don't take off anything non-essential. My maternity leave is more generous than day school because I get FMLA and can use saved sick days to add on.

amother

Goldenrod

Wed, Mar 28 2018, 10:08 pm

Another thing to add--a teacher's experience really depends on the school culture, the district you work in, the administration, and the student population. My experience has been very positive but I am fortunate to work in a high-performing district that is generally supportive of its teachers. Find out whatever you can about the school, students, and administration and take that into consideration when thinking about this position.

trixx

Wed, Mar 28 2018, 11:08 pm

octopus wrote:

That's interesting bc in NYC I know of non Jewish woman who quit bc she "owed" the state so many days from her maternity leave, to which she had already applied all her saved sick days. I think it depends on your position and length in school and your administrator.

Mommyg8

Thu, Mar 29 2018, 12:23 am

Just to clarify information in earlier threads, in NYC you can take maternity leave for a few years, like someone earlier mentioned, but you don't get paid for it Sad

. They do have to keep your job open, though. Also, someone I know (who worked in a NYC public school) was not given paid maternity leave but took her maternity leave from her sick days. Maybe this is what trixx is referring to.

I've noticed that people have different experiences working in New Jersey and New York, also different districts may have different policies, I think.

The plus side of being a public school teacher - July, August, Easter week, Thanksgiving week, Xmas week, etc, etc, etc. Smile

You get a lot of days off. The downside - it's not an easy job.

nicole81

Thu, Mar 29 2018, 12:54 am

Mommyg8 wrote:

Just to clarify information in earlier threads, in NYC you can take maternity leave for a few years, like someone earlier mentioned, but you don't get paid for it Sad

You get a lot of days off. The downside - it's not an easy job.

I'm a public school administrator in NYC. There is no such thing as maternity leave, let alone paid maternity leave. I can explain in more detail the terrible policy in the NYCDOE if anyone wants information. Policies do vary by district, so the specific nyc policy isn't really relevant if the OP is not looking for a job in NY.

I have more to say about potential drawbacks, but I need to sleep for now Yawn

lfab

Thu, Mar 29 2018, 10:14 am

octopus wrote:

I don't know where OP is looking at jobs but in NYC public schools there is no paid maternity leave. You can use your sick days and get paid for those, but after that any leave is unpaid. And as a frum woman it's quite difficult to save your days up, especially if you have other kids. Also, the extended leave you are referring to is called a child care leave. This is also completely unpaid. And they are not required to hold your specific job for you, just a job. Which means when you return to work you can be placed in an entirely different school anywhere in the system.
Other downsides include having to work erev yom tov, chol hamoed succos (pesach is always spring break), isru chag, full days on Friday (depending where you work and the distance from home you can request to leave a little early but it's really only enough to ensure travel time to get home). You also don't have off when your kids do during channukah and winter break so you need to be prepared to make childcare arrangements during that time (and not be able to take them on trips etc. while they complain that all their friends are going away). There is also no flexibility to your schedule and depending on your administrators limited understanding if you need to come late/leave early for children's school performances, simchas (such as a morning bris), etc.
A lot about your work experience depends on the administrators in your school. Make sure to find out from people currently working in that school if administration is easy to work with (I've experienced both difficult and easy and it makes a world of a difference).

On the plus side you have a decent paycheck (which you know you will get on time), amazing health benefits, a pension, and there's the TDA (retirement saving plan with great interest rates).

amother

Amethyst

Thu, Mar 29 2018, 10:21 am

For maternity leave in NJ; there is some paid time off through family leave insurance from the State but it is only about $500 a week for 5-6 weeks. Many of my friends have bought private disability insurance through prudential, comes off as a paycheck deduction. May or may not be worth it for you depending on how many maternity leaves you will need. There is a 10 month waiting period from when you sign onto disability insurance until it can be used.

If you have supportive relatives nearby or good childcare arrangements, then days like erev yom tov and Chanukah will be easier for you. Also, you can take your kids on a special trip on days that you have off, instead of Chanukah. Occasionally, Ill treat some of my kids during my winter break . I found that this is the reality my kids grew up with and I try my best to make things fun and exciting without being overly apologetic about my work schedule.

what keeps me going is the knowledge that when I started my job years ago, a comparable job in the frum community was starting at $16K less with no benefits like health insurance or pension.

If you are an organized type of person, you will manage those erev yom tov challenges. Good luck with your decision!

amother

Sienna

Thu, Mar 29 2018, 10:39 am

octopus wrote:

Not in my public school. Maybe in NYC but I am in NJ and the maternity benefits stink. You take a major major paycut when you take 6 weeks after a baby. They have a private disability plan, not the states plan, and it pays pennies.

And they hold your job only up to a year. (without pay obviously)

mha3484

Thu, Mar 29 2018, 10:42 am

Also it can be a culture shock depending on your level of exposure to secular society. I dont know what subject you teach. I graduated from one of the top public highschools in my area 16 years ago and my teachers really pushed the boundaries. When I went to college and talked to professors about books I read and other ideas I was exposed to in high school they were impressed. I feel like certain frum people would be appalled. I can only imagine what its like all these years later....

amother

Sienna

Thu, Mar 29 2018, 10:42 am

amother wrote:

I am an SLP in a NJ public school district . I have a great principal currently,bh. On chol hamoed she lets me out early and every friday I take my lunch last period and leave. I love my work, the kids and staff. Bh, barely ever encountered severe nastiness.
The pension and health benefits are great. Im here almost 15 years.

Lucky you. That could all change with a new principal...by us they are always transferring principals...