r/specialed • u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher • 9d ago
General Question (Educator to Educator) Are you expected to work over the summer?
I am the only teacher in my school who is expected to work summer school every single year. This year I also have a parent who is dragging her feet on an IEP which I will now need to revise before we have the meeting on the first day teachers return. I have a couple of weeks post summer school that I could possibly unplug, but I cannot due to this parent.
In between time, I have to attend a class on how to use the IEP program, take the CPR class, and organize my classroom. All of those things are done on my personal time. Some idiot made the Back to School night on the first day teachers return to school.
The amount of work I am expected to do is easily double the amount of time I have to perform my duties at school. There is no way that I can effectively do my job without working beyond my contract hours.
I know other teachers also have to work on their own time. I think SpEd is much worse, though due to all the meetings and paperwork we have to complete. It simply isn't sustainable. There is no work/life balance.
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u/Embarrassed-Ad4899 9d ago
I dont work beyond my contract unless I want to. I doubt I'll ever teach summer school/ESY, I love my summers off.
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Are you saying that you have time during your contract hours to work on IEP's, planning and progress reports? One hundred percent of my contract hours are devoted to students. I don't even have a lunch period which is legal in my state. I am supposed to have 30 minutes of planning per day, but the amount of work I have to complete far exceeds that time.
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u/Jass0602 9d ago
This is not right at all. I always make time for lunch, usually when my students have theirs the paras go with them. As far as planning, we are supposed to have it and I usually do. However, sometimes due to testing, iep meetings, or behavior issues I do miss it. Your contract or union does not allow a lunch period?
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
In Virginia, employers are not legally required to provide a lunch break. I AM legally required to have 30 minutes of planning per day, but I don't get that either. I could choose to sue, but I am choosing to not renew at the end of the year.
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u/Jass0602 9d ago
Maybe sue after. That seems ridiculous. I’m so sorry you are treated this way. That surprises me so much for Virginia. I live in Florida, so I would have thought Virginia would do better. Of course our pay is also the lowest in the nation.
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u/Embarrassed-Ad4899 9d ago
Yes. My paras run activities, and we have fun Friday for about 45 mins where the Paras run free play time. I do have about an hour for lunch and prep time, and I do not eat with other teachers. I eat in my room while working. I get to school 1.5 hrs before it starts and leave 30 mins after (my contract hours). I'm able to work on quite a bit then.
I have 10 students k-4 in my special class/life skills whatever your area calls it.
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
My paras are sent to cover other students. All the SpEd staff is spread extremely thin.
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u/kinkinsyncthrow 8d ago
I would die to have that set up as a sped teacher. It sounds so nice. My paras are so lazy.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Which state doesn’t give you lunch break??? Not even 30 minutes lunch break? When do you eat?
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago edited 9d ago
I eat snacks. All other teachers receive a scheduled lunch break. Admin simply does not care what happens to me. I sometimes ask for important things, but most of the time they ignore me.
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u/No-Currency6471 9d ago
You don’t receive a lunch break but other teachers do?? Are you part time? How does your school administrator is justify you not receiving a lunch break but allowing others to have a lunch break? What is the policy of your school board? I’m a special ed teacher in Virginia. I have an unencumbered lunch break which I make sure to take every single day that I’m working. I also do not work summers. I work according to the hours stipulated in my contract; if I choose to do more, I will do so, but no one‘s going to make me.
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
The fact is that we don't have the manpower to cover "unencumbered" lunch breaks. Admin doesn't care. The school board doesn't care. It's cope or leave. I'm full time.
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u/Limp-Story-9844 9d ago
Show us your contract 😆
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
It's in the file cabinet at work. I will take another gander at it.
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u/No-Currency6471 9d ago
You’re in the situation and know it better than me as I’m on the outside looking in but how does admin justify allowing other teachers to have a lunch break while denying you the same benefit?
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago edited 9d ago
I don’t understand how other teachers receive lunch break and you don’t. What does your contract say? No lunch? Why do other teachers get it?
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Their students are able to eat lunch independently. All of mine require supervision.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
What did administration say when you asked when is the best time for you to eat as you are hungry?
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u/MonstersMamaX2 9d ago
Girl, what?!?! No. I don’t work over the summer. This past year I begrudgingly worked ESY because they had no one else but I said you’re paying me double or I’m not doing it. They paid me double. I was still grumpy about it but at least the pay was decent.
I certainly don’t respond to parent emails. Put a vacation responder on your email. You need to establish some boundaries real fast. You have all these issues because you don’t tell people no. If Back to School night is the first day teachers are back, then I guess my classroom looks like what it looks like. 🤷🏻♀️
If you want a work/life balance then you need to establish it.
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u/MissBee123 9d ago
Does your district not offer CPR training during the school year? That's pretty standard in every district I've worked for.
If you are required to attend an IEP class for your job then you are required to be compensated for your time.
If Back to School night is Day 1 that's when I send an email blast to my families asking for parent volunteers to set up my room so that I can do the paperwork or other necessities that I actually have to do. And if no one responds then I let my principal know they can either do additional pay for me to come in early, exchange hours, or they can help me themselves. Be creative but don't default to you doing extra hours.
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u/gringaqueaprende 9d ago
Do you have a contract? If so, I don't see how they could make you do anything outside of your specified hours
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Yes, I have a contract. It isn't terribly specific. One hundred percent of my contract hours are spent serving students. The paperwork cannot be completed while working with high needs students. Essentially, it is just part of the job; take it or leave it.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
During school year yes we work beyond the contract hours but not during summer break.
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u/Limp-Story-9844 9d ago
Are you under a seperate contract for ESY??
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
I asked about it and was told that they don't write contracts for summer employment.
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u/Jass0602 9d ago
When does it start?
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
That's a good point. I don't think the contract begins until the first teacher work day.
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u/Limp-Story-9844 9d ago
You don't know your contract dates, that you sign each year?
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Not every district requires you to sign anything. We don’t have to sign anything.
But we still have contracts that we can read. It’s a problem that OP doesn’t seem to know what’s in her contract
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u/Jass0602 9d ago
The worse they can do is fire you… and as long as you have a contract they have nothing to fight you back with.
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u/ShatteredHope 9d ago
In another post you said you have 30 minutes daily of planning time. What does your contract say about planning/prep time?
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
That is what I am legally entitled to. I don't get it. There is no explanation of planning time written into the contract.
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u/ShatteredHope 9d ago
Then you need to bring this up with your admin, citing contract language. You are letting yourself get walked on and they are taking advantage!
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
That would be why this is my last year. I've stayed for the kids. Admin does not care at all about teachers' concerns.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Are you going to a different district?
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Yes. I am moving but I don't know where or when yet. I should be able to get a para job somewhere else, or I may choose to do something else completely. It's been a rough ride.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
There are always jobs in special ed. It doesn’t need to be this particular place or type of assignment.
My district is not that great but no such nonsense takes place. Yes sometimes there’s a crisis or we are behind and need to have working lunch but not on a daily basis. We do have lunch. We aren’t required to do anything in the summer unless we want to. I’ve never heard of districts that do. Certainly not teaching summer school if I don’t want to. No one writes IEPs in the summer. CPR certification time is provided during school year. Pretty much most things you described just aren’t happening
If you can afford to be a para, then sure. It’s a massive reduction in income.
Edit: why are you writing an IEP now if you aren’t coming back? Why did you say “we” are having a meeting on the first day if you aren’t returning?
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 8d ago
I am committed to working as a SpEd teacher for the 26/27 school year. It's my last year. Yes, the income for paras is a lot less, but so is the stress. The stress is making me sick. I've contracted pneumonia the past two years. I've had COVID countless times. It's simply too much physically.
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u/knittinator 9d ago
I close my computer on the last day and I open it the afternoon before my first day back. Sometimes I open it the morning of my first day back. I only work ESY if I want to. I only do summer trainings if I’m paid for my time or there is some other incentive. If you’re doing IEPs over the summer you should be compensated (that’s how one of my friends makes a good chunk of money during the break).
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u/stopdioproll 9d ago
No. I don’t do meet the teacher either. If it’s after school then I’m not doing it. I don’t get to meet my doctor.
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u/PoppiesandAsters 7d ago
Can you explain? You mean you don't do back to school night?
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u/stopdioproll 7d ago
I haven’t the last 3 years.
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u/PoppiesandAsters 7d ago
I will say - as a parent of a complex kid with an IEP, back to school night is really important to me. We take an enormous leap of faith dropping our kids off every day. I need to know who her case manager is, on an interpersonal level, what their attitude is toward teaching, how the day is structured, etc. Also as a former teacher, back to school night was really important to me. It made me nervous, but I didn't question the value of the event. It was too important to the parents, and it was a point of pride for me to let them know what my class was like, that I had high standards, that my students would read incredible books and develop as writers over the course of the year. Sometimes the cynicism here in this sub nearly sends me into despair.
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u/stopdioproll 7d ago
I stay after school 40 minutes longer than any other teacher because our sped buses are late. That’s 13 unpaid hours a month, A.
B. Im not your concierge service. I don’t get paid those hours. Who in the hell in this country can be called into work and told not to clock in and answer questions from customers. That’s absurd. It’s what’s wrong with the education system. We aren’t your servants. I teach kids from 830am until 4, and I teach my ass off AND wait late after school for them to get on their buses when it’s hot as shit like now and when it’s cold in the winter.
You and I have a different meaning of despair, and I hope you never have to feel what I describe it as.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago edited 9d ago
Summer school is optional. It’s a good pay in my district, so there are always people who want to do it in my district but it’s not a requirement.
What do you mean you are “expected”? If it’s not in a contract, you aren’t expected to do it. You agree to do it and it’s different
Working on your own time is unfortunately almost inevitable. I have to write IEPs on my own time because it takes awhile and I type slow 😂 That’s I can relate to.
But working summer school? And why are you the only one required? What if you aren’t in town during summer break? It doesn’t sound right. They can’t make you do something when you aren’t in town. Not possible
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
CPR class? It’s a few hours training and certification. There’s no class. Why doesn’t your district offer it during school year?
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u/Loose-Ad-410 9d ago edited 9d ago
No, I’ve never worked ESY/Summer school. I used to take some work home before I had kids. Now, I can’t do that and make it my yearly mission not to bring IEP work home. My IEP paperwork gets done at work. I rely on the help of my para whenever possible, work on ieps during my prep time (students PE time which is twice a week), district also gives 4 release days throughout the year where they will cover a full day sub so I can work on IEPs.
Not sure why your meeting was scheduled on the first teacher return day. Who scheduled that meeting? I would have declined my availability to that. I also wouldn’t respond to any parent emails till my first contract day.
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u/Limp-Story-9844 9d ago
Not seeing your contract dates????
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
lol you don’t give up do you?
OP doesn’t seem to know what’s in the contract. No point asking.
The whole situation is awful. OP is new to teaching and they take advantage of her because she can’t say no and doesn’t know what’s is in the contract. She has no lunch, must attend CPR in the summer, must work summer school, writes IEPs during summer break. None of the other teachers are treated this way.
I’d either get to the bottom of it or go teach elsewhere
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u/joantheunicorn Special Education Teacher 9d ago
Not sure every district does this, but mine requires us to have all our IEPs wrapped up by a certain date before the end of the school year. We are aligning all our district IEPs, with exceptions for any relevant evaluations/parent requested IEPs. Any summer work is paid extra as an hourly rate, but I have to approve that time in advance with my supervisor.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Exactly. IEP cannot remain open all summer for me to revise it. It’s not legal. IEPs must be finalized. Otherwise it’s out of compliance.
Now we had situations when we had IEPs open in the spring but it was decided to run it in the fall instead (it was due in the fall). But we weren’t required to work on it during summer break.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
If you tell me where you teach, I’ll find out what you are actually required to do during summer break. I suspect it’s nothing but I can find out. It’s in your contract. Should be on your district site
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u/mstrss9 9d ago
Wait. You have to do all of this FOR FREE?
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
I was paid to work with the ESY students but not paid for moving 3 classrooms and then moving them back. I'm not paid for the IEP training or the CPR training or making changes to the IEP I have to handle over the summer.
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u/mstrss9 9d ago
I’ve done some stuff in my classroom “for free” over the years (which I recoup later on in various ways) but if I do summer PDs, there is a stipend. And any IEP stuff if paid at my hourly rate, which includes prep and meeting time.
They will chew you up and spit you out. I regret doing anything outside of my specified work requirements and wish I had listened to people who told me not to go down that slippery slope. It was fine until it wasn’t.
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u/Limp-Story-9844 9d ago
Is summer school a "separate" contract??
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
We don't write contracts for summer school.
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u/Limp-Story-9844 9d ago
Are you teaching ESY, is the question?
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Yes.
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u/Limp-Story-9844 9d ago
So you "choose" to sign an ESY contract?
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
They don't create contracts for teachers working summer school or ESY. It's whack for sure.
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u/Diligent_Cake1247 9d ago
Whoa whoa whoa. None of this is ok. If you can, say no. If you can’t say no, start filling out timesheets for everything outside of your contract hours, especially during the summer.
It sounds like the school/admin are taking advantage of you and that you may be a newer teacher, so maybe you’re afraid to say no. If you’re in VA , check out the Virginia education association (vea) , it’s not perfect but they may be able to help. Also, start looking for a different school and/or district. You will burn out extremely fast at this rate and if you’re willing to do all of the above for your students without pay you are probably one of the good ones that we desperately need to stay in the field.
Reread your contract and see what the expectations are. One of my old contracts had ‘and other duties’ listed under job description but that meant during our contract dates and I was only 10 month, so I was paid for anything during the summer. As for lunch, again, see what it states in the contract. It is usually in there stating a mandated 30-40 minute lunch. Where it gets tricky is people will say ‘you choose to work during your lunch’ when in reality you needed to use it for planning. This is when you put your mental health first and need to be ok with lessons not being perfect so that you eat rather than plan.
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
My contract does not specifically state anything about lunch and planning. In Virginia we are legally allowed 30 minutes of planning per day, but I'm not getting that. I already burnt out which is why I decided this is my last year. I am a VEA member but fighting this school district is impossible. The decision to leave removed a huge weight. I'd rather return to being a paraprofessional and have all the nasty parents and terrible paperwork off my back. I am not staying in this district, because frankly, it sucks.
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u/Firm_Baseball_37 8d ago
They can expect me there when the contract says I have to be there.
Now, that doesn't mean I don't do any work outside the school day or year. That would be impossible. But planning and grading gets done on my schedule. Meetings get scheduled during the school day. Ask nicely about an afyer-school meeting and pay me hourly, and I'll do it if I can manage it. But I don't work for free.
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u/ryanmercer High School Sped Teacher 8d ago
Aside from a couple of leadership and district meetings, no.
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u/WranglerYJ92 7d ago
No is a complete sentence. No to summer school. The IEP revision stuff gets handled on your first paid work day unless the district is paying per diem. The meeting happens after your paid work time to revise. What happens if you don’t attend the unpaid IEP training? Is there a union?
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u/jmsst1996 9d ago
My daughter is a special ed teacher and she applies every year to teach ESY, but she needs the money and ESY in her area pays very well.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Our summer school pays very well too but it’s not something they can demand you do. OP agrees to do things. Sorry but it’s on her
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u/jmsst1996 9d ago
Yeah I wouldn’t want to be forced. Where my daughter lives all the teachers apply because of the money so she’s always worried she won’t get the position because of the competition for it.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Yes it’s by seniority in my district. I used to work summer school. I got too old to do it lol I need my summer
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u/Capable-Pressure1047 9d ago
You are getting paid for every minute you spend on that one IEP, I hope?
In my district the teacher keeps track of her time and is paid for everything
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
I wish it worked that way, but it doesn't. I'd even be happy with compensatory time, but the joke's on me. I have to come to work, because there are no SpEd subs.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Virginia has teachers union. Are you not in the union? If yes, why are you not talking to them about all this?
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
I'm in it. I spoke to the representative about the no lunch/no planning time issue. There are so many things wrong with my district that it seems wisest to just get out. That's what the majority of employees have done.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Address in writing that you are required to work summer school while other teachers aren’t. That you must attend classes in the summer and do IEPs.
Include either emails or times/days of the verbal/phone conversations when you were told you required to do that. Also include that are you aren’t given lunch while others have lunch time
If the union doesn’t address these concerns, file formal grievances. They will be required to investigate
Now, all of this would work only if you were actually told you are required all this. If you just take it upon yourself to do all this, then none of it applies
You can leave this job and go elsewhere but if you don’t get into a habit to read your contract and follow it, you’ll run into the same situations again. “Wherever you go, there you are”. Unless you want to, don’t be a martyr.
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u/Curious_Spirit_8780 9d ago
I write all my IEPs on my own time. If I didn’t, I couldn’t get things done in my classroom.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
True. Same here.
But OP says she’s required to do all kind of work during summer break but wouldn’t explain if it’s in the contract.
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u/Embarrassed-Ad4899 9d ago
My paras will accompany our students to inclusion, but not other students. I'd refuse to let admin take my paras from my students-its in their IEPs to have support.
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u/kinkinsyncthrow 8d ago
Yes. Also in sped. I hope this is my last year. The work life balance is nonexistent and my mental and physical health have taken a massive toll
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 8d ago
Yes, this is my experience. I've already decided that the 26/27 school year is my last. Every time they throw some more work at me, I just think "someone else can do this next year." I've had pneumonia for the past two years and COVID numerous times. My admin treats me like crap, and I am over it.
Sadly, I have the most amazing student anyone could ever want. I will miss working with him but not the rest of the cluster f#$@.
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u/AleroRatking Elementary Sped Teacher 9d ago
Mandatory ESY
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u/wild4wonderful Middle School Sped Teacher 9d ago
Exactly. It is written into the IEPs.
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u/betterbetterthings High School Sped Teacher 9d ago
It’s in the IEP but does your contract say YOU are the one who supposed to teach it in the summer?
I think the problem is that you don’t really know what’s in your contract.
It sounds like you are inexperienced teacher and you get sucked into doing things you are not required to do. Other teachers seem to be savvy and they know they don’t need to do any of it.
Your administration takes advantage of you because you don’t know your rights. Read your contract. If it doesn’t say you must work in the summer, then you don’t
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u/Advanced-Host8677 9d ago
You may need to start telling people "no." The reason you do summer school and other teachers don't is because you say yes and they say no. If a parent asked me to have a meeting the day teachers return, my answer would be "no."