Spin off: winter break

amother

OP ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 10:51 pm

For those who say, "winter break happens every year, just plan around for it!" Say the same things about every other random day off in the school calendar. Why do they need so much time off for winter break, before every chag, issru chag, random in service dates, chanukah break etc etc

What about those of us who don't get the time off? Just YT (not even chol hamoed) uses up all my paid days off.
What about those whose finances make it so we cannot just take off so many unpaid days?

Yes it happens every year. But don't forget when school randomly switches the calendar on us. Or less than 2 weeks before school starts changes pickup/drop off times.
It all has happened to me.

I work to pay tuition. Literally- almost my whole paycheck goes to pay for tuition and daycare. Oh and taxes.
(I take home such a small amount I have thought about quitting but the school won't give us enough of a discount to counteract my salary so we will be in worse shape. Plus my ethics wouldnt stand for it).

Why can't the school take into account parents who work? Make days off reasonable or offer some sort of camp for the kids? (The only winter break camps here are super expensive, coed, and not frum. We wont do them).

Yes I would love to spend time with my kids. I like my job and get satisfaction from it but I would much rather be able to take time off and be with my kids. I would so much rather have a pajama morning, do gem art, paint and even deal with the mess! But I risk my job taking off all these days off.
And then I won't be able to pay tuition anyways...

Hashem_Yaazor

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 11:17 pm

School is there to provide chinuch, childcare is a side benefit. It's not their responsibility to make a camp. (And if they did, I can just predict the posts protesting additional tuition... But if someone else makes the camp, no one would think twice)

If they're making last minute changes, that's an issue specific to your school and you should bring it up with them, but it's not a global, societal issue.

I get you, I really do. I worked full time not in a school setting for years and would watch all the teachers go on their midwinter breaks to relatives and take a summer family vacation and a couple vacation while I was scrambling for sitters and camps that actually covered my working hours. But that was reality, as frustrating as it was.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 12:33 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

Except that they shouldn't make it impossible to work to pay tuition!!
They aren't childcare but this is ridiculous how much time they are off...

amother

Fuchsia ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 12:59 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

To clarify, school is there to provide an education. Chinuch primarily comes from the home.

amother

↑ Fuchsia

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 1:02 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

Regardless, they do need to consider the impact to working parents when the majority of their parent body are working parents.

The only reason they get to play this tone-deaf game is because we are at their mercy. If there would be sufficient schools to go around and parents would have options, they wouldnt be taking advantage like this.

It is quite hypocritical to tell mothers they need to go to work to afford tuition and then turn around and totally ignore the needs of working parents.

amother

↑ OP

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 3:49 am

amother RosePink wrote:

This is why I quit my job and now work for a school😂

Unfortunately the school only hires relatives of current teachers or people with "pull". Pure nepotism in terms of who gets hired or gets put in administrative positions. Yes I like the school, appreciate all they do. And they do provide a good education. But I could never get a job there, I am a "nobody" in the community. (And some of those administrators are worthless but get nice paychecks.)