<p>Miller…I was a 38 year teacher in the public schools. My husband and I raised two great kids. Re: child care. Every center in this area charges by the week, not by the hour. So the cost <em>I</em> paid was the same as for anyone else with a kiddo full time in the day care. Plus, I never got there until the place was closing anyway…between meetings and paperwork, and planning. Plus, our centers ran year round. To keep my kids’ spots in the great day care they went to, I had to pay for full time day care in the summer when I seldom used it. Ditto school vacations. Those daycares are businesses, and I fully understood this.</p>
<p>I worked in a primary school and our school day didn’t end until 3:40…and there were very often meetings for an hour after that (required). I seldom got to see any after school sports events for my kids when they were in high school. Many folks in the community had the misguided notion that I could just walk out and go…not true.</p>
<p>School vacations…you live in the town in which you work. I never did. My kids and I had the Christmas time vacation at the same time, and Thanksgiving. That was it. Every other school vacation did not coincide between the school districts. Even their summer was different. They often got out a week or so prior to me, and started a week or so prior to me.</p>
<p>Re: sick days…I would urge anyone who thinks this is a perk to come and work in a primary school.</p>
<p>What I am saying…what is happening in your town is not necessarily representative of the many thousands of school districts in this country.</p>
<p>Still, teaching can be a rewarding career. It was for me, and many of my colleagues.</p>