I think 3 day weekends should be mandatory. Work hard for 4 days, get 3 days off. We all know that at least 2 of those days will be jam packed with family commitments, half days of worship for those who participate, household “honey dos”, etc. That would leave 1 day for actual slowing down, chilling out, enjoying the family, etc. Anyway, that’s my suggestion to slow the rate of stress-related diseases. But nobody has asked me yet 😉
This year, the State of Alabama, in their wisdom, decided that in order to boost the coastal economy they needed to delay the start of school by 10 days so people could enjoy longer vacations and spend more cash at the beaches. However, in their lack of wisdom, they did not realize that most counties are locked into contracts with teachers that specify the length of the school day and the number of days. So we had to cram 180 days into a shorter year. The coastal economy did not get the benefit of Labor Day weekend because the kids were in school on Labor Day. They will not get the economic benefit of a 4 day weekend Fall Break because we do not have that either. We have Thanksgiving and the day after. Now, this is why teachers get 2 paid personal days and 3 non-paid days. You can bet your chalk dust I will be using all 5. Fall and the weeks leading to Christmas are my favorite times of the year and I plan to use them! Hey, we’ve got to let our hair down at some point!
So in the spirit of people complaining that teachers get paid 12 months even though they only work 9 (so incorrect on so many levels**), I’m getting out of dodge and using a paid personal day.
We are going to the Alabama-Tennessee football game in Knoxville. We are also using it as a family vacation with Stephen’s family. One of the things I loved about Tennessee was the earlier fall season than we get in MS/AL. They are usually a few degrees cooler, get the frost earlier, and the leaves start changing sooner. Not to mention, there are some gorgeous mountain views where we will be staying. After I spend half the night packing and cleaning, we will get on the road before daylight and I can’t wait! I love road trips. I really do. I look forward to getting Sassy all fixed up in Alabama decals and flags. I love getting her all cleaned and waxed and then loading the back with a ridiculous amount of clothes, food, magazines, camera gear, and travel mugs.
See y’all on the other side!
*** Teachers get paid for the actual number of working days, in my case, 187. We work 10 months of the year (First week of August to last week of May with 10 Holidays and 1 spring break). Our pay for those 187 days is divided into 12 pay days so we get a paycheck on the last day of every month. We are not getting paid for summers. It’s ridiculous how many people really believe we get paid for summers.