As if it isn’t bad enough, teachers aren’t getting paid well enough, and there’s been this strange assumption over summer break. Everyone knows teachers get the summer off, too, and can still get paid. Many are under the impression that this means teachers are getting paid to do nothing. One teacher from Florida wants to clear this up because all it has done is add insult to injury. And unfortunately, not enough teachers are aware of it, either.
TikToker Niqteaches Ms. S. shares in her video of another teacher ruminating over the difficulty of finding a job outside of teaching. Not many jobs would “pay her to be on a break,” and that is where Ms. S. has a problem. What’s actually happening, according to Ms. S., is the school will “withhold” money you “technically” worked for, only to “pay it out to you during the break.” How? Well, it comes down to the wording in your contract.
Once the contract is signed, you’ve agreed to allow the school “to ‘save’ the money for you,” in order to have a paycheck over the summer. You’re taking a portion of your salary and having it set aside. This usually applies to teachers on a 12-month contract, as opposed to a 10-month contract.
The difference between the two is what trips people up. When a teacher is getting paid over the summer, people assume it’s paid-time-off, adding fuel to the fire that teachers are somehow ungrateful. Mimicking unserious people, “Teachers should stop complaining. They should be happy. You’re getting paid throughout the summer. You’re getting paid during your breaks!”
After all, they get paid to do nothing, right? In reality, the same amount of work is being done, but the pay structure is different. Unsurprisingly, Ms. S. also shares the school is “making money” when a teacher opts for summer paychecks. If a school’s bank account looks better when it’s withholding a teacher’s salary, the school earns interest.
One commenter stated that a 12-month contract was to “prevent teachers from filing for unemployment” during summer break.
Another teacher shared she personally enjoys having “time off when my kids do,” to which Ms. S. agreed. After all, daycare isn’t exactly cheap.
One teacher admitted, “I like to remind people on our “breaks” I’m actually unemployed and just getting money I already worked for.”
By the end, Ms. S. makes it clear this wasn’t meant to “discourage anybody from being a teacher,” but a warning. Pay attention to your contract. More importantly, Ms. S. stresses anyone in education to not be “brainwashed” into thinking the school hands out summer paychecks out of the kindness of their heart. That’s your money!
