Bring it On!!

Okay, Here's My Deal...

Oh, it's on now.

I have been a faithful employee of my school district for 17 years. What does that mean to the central office administration? Evidently not much.

I have not missed much school yet because of my dad's cancer. I had been just going through my principal for things, but now that I am afraid that the end may be closer, I wanted to take a couple of days each week to be able to go to see him and help my mom. I was talking 5 total days since the end of the school year is June 2 for kids and the 4th for me.

I have used my personal days already to visit my husband's family over Chrsitmas. I get only 6 total family sick days--to be used for illnesses of children, spouses and parents--and I have 1/4 of a day left. Family emergency days are only for hospitalization of kids, spouses and parents. The Federal Family Medical Leave Act does not guarantee getting paid for days taken off. But I have many, many sick days for myself.

I thought I would do the right and honest thing and go to my central office administrators and explain what is going on and see what we could work out. There is an "out" clause for them in the contract that says something to the effect that they can grant additional paid leave at their disgretion but that said leaves shall not set a precedent.

Well, my superintendant is out of town, so I talked to the second in command. He was very sympathetic and said he'd see what he could do after talking to the super via phone aand he'd call me later in the day. Well, he did and what seemed so simple is a big deal.

He talked to the super, the business manager and the district attorney...anyway, he was hoping to swing emergency leave for me for the 5 whole days I was requesting. But, they looked back for the past three years to see how it had been used (even though there is no precidence...) and it had been used for car accidents, injuries, etc. but never for dying family members.

This is what they consider an event of "eventuality" meaning it would eventually happen anyway, so it is not considered an emergency. However, they would be fully supportive of me taking any time off I needed, but it would be UNPAID. I could tell in his voice that he knew it was not right and that he wished he could do something but his hands were tied.

I told him that I had been in this district for 17 years and this is the thanks I get? He said that there had been cases where people took emergency leave and it was found out that they had actually taken vacation. So, I said, I get punished for what others had done? Like I am going to lie and say my father is dying so I can go on vacation?! Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!?!

So, fine. Instead of allowing me to take time off to see my dying father and help my mother and paying for a sub for FIVE days...they are going to end up paying for a sub for the rest of the year AND paying me. See, I have been going to my doctor for several months for depression and stress and even more since my dad's diagnonsis and it is well documented, so I will get a medical excuse for the rest of the year and just be done. Am I happy about it? No. But what else can I do? I will not be forced to choose between my father and my students. But, that is what they are doing. It is crazy. It will probably honk them off because they will know why I am really leaving...but they can't do anything because I will have a written excuse from my physician and I have the sick days. If they want to mess with me, BRING IT ON.