Once again, the rug has been pulled out from under our educators, further emphasizing their struggles with pay and benefits.
In a recent parent/teacher conference with my son's fourth-grade teacher, we found out that we both had volunteered for the Olympics in 2002. We were very excited about the possibility of participating in this once-in-a-lifetime event. I saw her at school the other day, and we talked about the Volunteer Kick-off that we both attended at Weber State University where Mitt Romney and other local celebrities addressed 1,700 volunteers about their importance to the Olympics coming to Utah.
However, she then informed me that the Davis County School District would not be paying the teachers if they volunteer. While it is understandable that someone would have to use vacation time for this opportunity, teachers do not receive vacation days because of their schedule. They are allowed just three personal days a year (that is after 20 years of teaching) and can use those when volunteering, but after that, they have no vacation to use toward their volunteering efforts. When I asked if she could use sick days, she said that the school district had also prohibited this. I have checked with the Granite, Jordan and Salt Lake City school districts and their policies mirror the Davis policy.
This teacher has been an incredible influence on my son. His academic performance has excelled while in her class, and his self-esteem has been lifted to another level because of her kind words, encouragement and understanding. I would hate to think that visitors to Utah would miss out on interacting with her because she could not afford to volunteer. I would invite Utah school districts to revisit their policy on teachers who have volunteered for the Olympics. The private sector is offering incentives and perks to people that volunteer. Teachers deserve better than what they are getting.
Melanie St. Clair
Layton