Teachers must be very intelligent, responsible, morally minded individuals, just to hold a teaching job at a public school. My GPA requirements in college were higher than most other majors and if we got into trouble for underage drinking we were told that we could kiss our teaching career good bye.

Yes, many are young like myself, however, it is because we are paid a very meager salary for the amount of work that we do. Therefore, many talented teachers leave the profession because they are very capable of finding work where they are more respected, appreciated and well paid.

It makes me sad to even hear that some parents feel that teachers should not have children. It seems unfair considering all that they do for the welfare of our nation’s children. Often giving up most of their meager salary to buy learning materials to help their students meet ever challenging standards and test scores. Staying as late as six or seven in the evening. Taking time off work to visit a student whose single mother couldn’t get off work to be there for them in the emergency room.

I would not punish young, talented teachers for wanting to have children. After all, teacher’s care about children and know a lot about raising them. Chances are they will raise very successful, contributing members of society as well. What I would do, is allow teachers to take longer paid maternity leave like in Germany, or Sweden where women are allowed to take up to three years of maternity leave.

This would allow the school to recruit a more stable full time teacher. Substitutes are often young talented teachers, just out of college looking for their first classroom as well. I think the problem is that substitutes are more underpaid and often do not get the same benefits that regular teachers do. Therefore, these teachers are even less inclined to stay than full time ones.

Young teachers who have babies often think that because they love teaching so much they will be able to come back to work as soon as their nine weeks is over. However, because many of them end up in “baby world,” it is harder than they originally thought to send their child to baby day care.

I think the end result remains the same, and asking teachers to not have children is cruel and unreasonable. The result is once again, that the children suffer for a system failure.
The teacher’s baby suffers from baby day care, and the child in the teacher’s classroom suffers from not being able to attach to a stable guide in school. We need to change working conditions and show that we appreciate people who have direct contact with shaping our nation’s children. I think instead of denying rights to women and children, I think we should work towards giving ourselves more rights in this country. All women should have more maternity leave.

MAYBE, just maybe, if more money was invested in education, if teachers were acutally paid what they were worth, and if schools could invest in paying for quality long-term subs, then this would not be a problem.

I was just informed by my department head that we are having trouble finding a replacement for me later this year. She is working to find a long-term sub with English background, but everyone she is interviewing is apparently refusing to grade student work. Which leaves me with two options:

1. I can juggle staying at home with my newborn, recovering from labor, and also grading essays and other subjective high school English daily assignments (for free I might add, since my maternity leave is unpaid)

or

2. I can leave assignments and lesson plans for my sub that have answer keys and are all completely un-subjective for my sub to grade, while completely disregarding all of the routines I have set up, and eliminatinating all of the higher level thinking types of assignments that I typically try to give my students (being that it’s an English class at the high school level).

As you can see, my options are slim, and I hate it. Hence, me bawling my eyes out tonight.

I get paid about $32,000 a year. I take home more work to grade, lessons to plan, etc. than you could probably imagine. Don’t get me wrong. I do love my job, and I adore my kids. It’s why I do what I do. Believe me.

However, there does come a point when demands become unreasonable, and what you just suggested – believe me. It goes so far beyond unreasonable, I cannot even fathom it.

Oh, and one last thing. There’s a REASON that the teaching profession is flooded with young teachers. It is because education is poorly funded, teachers are grossly underpaid, the work is difficult, exhausting, and emotionally draining, and while it is also extremely rewarding, sometimes the constant hoop jumping required just to try to do the job (as well as the lack of pay) makes many, many, many amazing and wonderful teachers leave the profession and seek something else where they are more respected, appreciated, and well paid.

Thus, you have a revolving door of eager, young, bright-eyed students, many of which end up leaving the profession within the first 3-5 years. Thus your “problem” of too many young teachers starting families (Imagine how selfish that is!!!!!!) and injuring your child.

There are several – law, medicine, business, finance! I know of several professionals, outside of education, who terminated their pregnacies to keep their jobs! I don’t of any educator who has ever done so! In the business, legal and finance side, several women are terminated when they become mothers. Is it fair? No, but then again life is not fair!

Good subs are not easy to come by unless you live near a college that is turning out teachers. Most of them are stay at home moms who have great intentions but do not have the background for teaching (yes, there are skills involved) and do not already have a rapport built with the students. Can you imagine coming into a room that already has routines established and the kids already love their old teacher? Not to mention you as the substitute also have a life outside of subbing? Subbing is not very often a career choice. It is something for most people to make a little extra cash on the side.

So, now I am left to deal with the ultimate decision. Do I quit in December (I want to be a stay at home mom) and hope that my school can find a good teacher to replace me at the midpoint…still allowing my students to forge a new relationship with a new teacher before the state testing? Or do I hope I make it all of the way into the 9th month without any problems and stick it out through the test and then leave them with who knows how many substitutes for the rest of the year? No choice is an easy one. I can’t imagine trying to pace my classroom on the state testing day all day long 9 months pregnant! And I don’t want to end up having to leave my precious students in hands of someone who does not have the same abilities as a certified teacher. There really is no easy way out. So, I ask you…what is a teacher to do? How do you suggest that we proceed with all of the things we want to do without disappointing anyone? It’s impossible. And I’m sorry, but if I have to choose between my happiness with my husband and the family we want to have together, and to trust that the school district will do everything in their power to ensure your child has a successful school year than that’s what I choose. There are no guarantees in life. Be happy for your child’s teacher, go up to school and volunteer in your child’s classroom, and join the PTO/PTA. The only way to make change is to support your local teachers by being there and involved. It may not be a perfect situation, but it can definitely be a better one if EVERYONE gets involved.

Secondly, I would like to address the individual who was complaining of the teachers’ lack of skills. I would like a copy of your teaching certificate. If you don’t have one then please refrain from judging. You have NO clue the training that we have to go through AFTER we obtain our certification. The number one complaint of teachers across the nation is probably LACK OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT. Parents expect us to parent and teach their children. We would LOVE for parents to be accountable because that’s what is really wrong with education. Parents want to blame teachers because they are slackers. Sorry but it is the truth!

The issue is with substitutes. I read someplace that on any given day, 10% of all teachers are absent from school, requiring a substitute. When several teachers are out in a school, it can get very difficult. Schools need to plan ahead for these situations, but good, reliable subs can be hard to come by.

Good luck in the future schooling of your children.