Haha! Don't worry about the typo. I figured it out. And thank you for your response. I do get incensed when the old "teachers get summer VACATION" shows up in the atmosphere as just about every teaching situation I've ever encountered (my father was a teacher before me) consisted of summer UNemployment. I have suffered with so little on my own the past few summers that it has been a point of stress in my life that often affects my health. I have to be frugal in August because I do with less. Yet this is the only time I can enjoy some free time to rejuvenate. Oh, the irony.

I have always been interested in advocating for the profession. The problem I face is...well...I just don't have the time outside of my regular schedule to get too involved. I am a union rep for one of my buildings, a job that is time-consuming for someone in two schools and teaching 5 grade levels. I take all issues affecting schools very seriously, but I do not have a lot of time to work on advocacy for huge change.

I do support those with the talent and the wherewithal to affect change. And I certainly do applaud you for your efforts. There are many in the private sector who would begrudge us of everything we fight for citing that they do without, so we should as well. They do not do without the salaries that make the average teacher salivate. They do not do without the perks that would make us wonder why we do our jobs some days. But we do these jobs because we love them, and we are the people who feel we can make a difference "in the trenches."

I would be interested in learning how many other school districts pay teachers for summers when they are not working. I'm sure you can get your hands on the research given your field of study. I'll PM you with thanks in advance.