Community Corner
Should Teachers Work in the Summer for Free?
A group of teachers from a Lawrenceville school worked for free this summer. Was it a wise course of action?
Should Teachers Work in the Summer for Free?
According to an article posted by Huffington Post, teachers at, held free reading classes this summer. The article noted that more than 40 teachers volunteered to work three hours a week during this past June.
I do understand that it’s an educator’s responsibility to teach, but can’t students be taught during regular school hours? I do commend teachers who volunteer, but I am also aware of the cons that come along with the pros.
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Although it may benefit the students, I still feel a sense of unfairness when other teachers are put in a position to feel obligated to commit to extra work when most educators already feel that the summer is not even enough time to recuperate, with much regards for those teachers who have their own children to attend to during the summer vacation.
Don’t get me wrong, I think volunteering in most aspects is certainly a work of heart, but in a professional environment, is it not setting a standard?
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I know many applaud all efforts dealing with volunteering for our youth, and I generally would too, but does this type of free work contribute to reasons that make the economy so bad or impede on the work rights’ issues women are battling with today?
Because of extenuating circumstances, I am totally against free labor in the work place, especially for women who are often underpaid and educators, who are mostly women (which makes me wonder if that’s why the pay grade is so low for teachers in the first place, but I digress) who are without a doubt one of the lowest, if not the lowest on the pay scale, when you average in work load, and the prices they pay for degrees with their salaries.
But, educators are not the only ones having to settle, according to a study implemented by Economist’s View, the U.S. is at the top of the list with a high share of people working for low wages. Maybe I’m wrong, but tell me how does this benefit the economy?
There are plenty of people with plenty of money in this country who could help balance the economy. The question is, who should really be donating or volunteering?
Should teachers work for free in the summer? Is it a big deal?
Do labor actions, regarding accepting low to no wages, affect the economy negatively, or create addition problems in the work force?
