Education

is definitely an element.

If every last teacher in the nation stopped working for free, the system would crash.

There is, though, in every contract I've ever worked, always language presenting a conflict. Specific hours that we must be at school are set, but somewhere in there it also says that we have to fulfill all the duties we are assigned.

And there isn't any way to fulfill those duties without working beyond the set hours. At least, there never has been in the decades, states, districts, and schools I've worked in. Districts know this. That's why the language is always there. If they actually paid us for everything we do, we'd be paid much closer to what we're worth. When there is language saying that we will be paid additional compensation for specific duties, that additional compensation is usually less than half of what you'd get dividing our daily rate by 8 hours for an hourly rate; usually it's not hourly, but a "stipend" that pays us that much no matter how much time it takes. Regardless of how it's worded, it sure as hell doesn't come out to time and a half for overtime. It's more like half time for over time.

Working the set hours and no more feeds the insidious anti-teacher propaganda that the general public laps up. Teachers are lazy; they only work 6 hours a day (even though their set hours are generally an 8 hour day like everyone else.) They only work 9 months of the year; who wouldn't like all those vacations?!?! They just don't work "smart," that's why it takes them so long to do the job. If they were smarter, more efficient, etc., they could get it done in 8 hours. Teachers must be available to meet or talk on the phone at the drop of a hat, regardless how much work there is to be done during that time. AND teachers must be available to meet outside those set hours, in person or on the phone, when needed.

"Great" teachers stay late into the evening, make home visits in their free time, meet with students for free on weekends, etc., etc., etc.. Erin Gruwell, for example, did so for a few years before she made a name for herself that guaranteed that she would be movin' on up and could have a more reasonable work life.

It doesn't matter what the truth of the matter is when the propaganda machine is turning.

There are many pressures brought to bear that keep teachers working for free. Generally, it's about feeling like we are ready to give our students a productive day of learning each day; if we're not keeping up because we didn't work outside of the day, we can't do that. We don't like to let students down like that.

When a teacher DOES leave on time, no matter how much work is going home for the evening, everyone takes note, and he or she gains a reputation as a "clock puncher" who doesn't put students first.

Finally, using test scores to evaluate and pay teachers puts them in competition with their peers, which is never healthy for the state of learning over-all, and increases the pressure to put in the extra time exponentially.

For the record: school has been in session for 3 weeks now. I put in free hours equivalent to 10 contract days before school started setting up the room, setting schedules, organizing the supplies, half of which I bought myself, planning the year, etc.. I've spent no less than 10 hours, and most days more, at school since the day students showed up. And I'm still behind. Last week I had 6 meetings to attend before and after school, which left me not much time for other responsibilities. We also have converted to a new SIS which includes a grade book that is mandated by our district that took us until last Wednesday to get working properly; most of the time we would have spent grading and entering scores and giving students feedback have been spent fighting with the new system. I'm hoping to get caught up this week, no matter how long it takes me, but on Friday I was given 2 Monday meetings to attend, before school and after school, so we'll see how it goes.

I hope you aren't inferring that I'm "stupid."