Over the course of the school year, teachers and students alike get breaks sporadically throughout the school year. Breaks can last up to two weeks or be as little as two days. But a teacher contract day is different; students get the day off, but teachers still have to show up to work. Students always enjoy a day off, and, while the students get to sleep in, teachers still have to work a little differently from a normal school day.
When asked about what happens on these teacher contract days, Taylor Williams, a teacher at Skyline, said, “A teacher contract day is a day that teachers have to be at work for their contract time. Sometimes we have trainings and meetings, but often it is a chance for us to work and get caught up before the next quarter.” Because teacher contract days give teachers time to get caught up, it can benefit students by having their grades in that class come quicker and helping them see what they can do to receive a better grade. Teacher contract days also—as Williams said, give teachers time where they can grade, so they don’t have to do it at home.
When asked if any changes should be made to the current teacher contract day system, Williams said, “I would love to not have to do training, but we usually only do half day training.” Because most of the training that teachers have to do on teacher contract days is only half of a day, even when teachers have training, there is still time for teachers to work and get caught up on assignments and tests.
Teacher contract days are a welcome break for students, but how do teachers feel about them? When asked, Williams said, “I like the contract days as long as we have time to work, because that lets me get caught up in grading and not have to do it outside of contract hours.”
Teacher contract days are part of the school’s schedule and offer a break for students and more time for teachers to get caught up, so they don’t have to do as much work outside of school. Teacher contract days have been around for years at Skyline, and, if the past is any indication, they are not leaving any time soon.
