Monday is a "Furlough Day" in our district--so no classroom prep will happen that day. It dawned on me while talking with some teacher friends this weekend just HOW MUCH free labor we give in the summer. Many of my friends are in classrooms that were being repainted this summer. They have been unable to get in their rooms due to delays in the painting schedule. Some were just moving into those rooms (a la my carpet cleaning feeling). And they are frustrated. Many wanted to really spend time just putting the room together for the kids.
Now, I wonder...will their rooms look just as beautiful and inviting come "Meet Your Teacher" next week? My guess is the answer is "yes". Because that's the kind of teachers these are. To quote Larry the Cable Guy, They "Get 'er done!" No matter what. They'll spend longer hours next week making up for lost time.
So, yeah, back to the furlough day. It's a day we're not getting paid. It's a day the campus is closed. Yet, teachers will more than work those hours in the next week alone. Free. I don't mind volunteering any more than the next person. Maybe, though, it's time for those at the state level to really see the amount of time teachers give. Could it make a difference? I don't know. At least having someone in power acknowledge it might be a start. Furlough or not.
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