1. My school district has high schools operating on an alternating-day block schedule with four class periods per day. Teachers have three classes and one planning period each day, so we're teaching six classes total. (Technically, I have eight, as I have two periods that mix Theatre 2 and Theatre 3.) Since my total load is Theatre 1, Theatre 2, Theatre 3, and Theatrical Direction and Stage Management 1, I have four preps for every two-day cycle.
2. My district offers a drama stipend, but there is only one per school. My school has two theatre teachers. The district will not divide the stipend between us, telling us that if one of us wants to give half of it to the other, we can work that out ourselves. (Of course, the person who actually receives the stipend is taxed on its full amount, so ...) I signed off years ago on allowing the other teacher to receive the stipend because I'm already higher up our salary scale than she is, and because she directs most of our musicals, which is a much more complicated job than my direction of most of our straight plays. The stipend is a fixed amount for the year, divided up in equal installments in the recipient's biweekly salary payments. It is not tied to a specific number of shows or hours; it's simply for sponsoring and leading theatre activities after school.
3. Teachers at my school are not required to proctor lunch. This is a district contract point - we are guaranteed a duty-free lunch lasting at least 30 minutes. Our (four) administrators, school resource officer, and (three) security staff (at a school with an enrollment of 1,600) keep eyes on students during lunch.
4. Teachers at my school are not
required to proctor for absent teachers. Our district provides substitute teachers for those who are absent. However, sometimes teachers need to miss a period or two in ways where a normal substitute would not be feasible, and we are allowed to work out coverage between ourselves. One teacher might need to leave school a period early for a medical appointment, for example, and might arrange for a colleague who has planning time that period to cover that class. A lot of us trade favors like this.
5. Teachers at my school are not required to proctor for school dances and events. We are encouraged to volunteer to chaperone at such events as the Homecoming dance, the prom, Grad Bash at Universal Studios, etc., but there is no reward for those who do nor punishment for those who don't. Our teachers are involved enough in the life of the school that enough volunteers usually surface for almost any event. We
are required to proctor certain things during the school day, such as administration of the PSAT, and we all take turns proctoring AP and IB exams where allowable and practical.
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Jeff Grove
Theatre Teacher, Aesthetics Department Chair
Stanton College Preparatory School
Jacksonville FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-18-2017 18:20
From: Ted Curry
Subject: 5 Fifth - work load
Our school is in the process of assessing our work load. I would love to know:
1) How many classes do you teach (what is a full time load)?
2) Do you receive stipends for directing shows (what is that based on (hours, number of students)?
3) Are you required to proctor lunch
4) Are you required to proctor for absentee teachers
5) Are you required to proctor school dances or events?
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Ted Curry
St. Ignatius College Preparatory
2001 37th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94116