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#Post#: 48605--------------------------------------------------
Is this a good letter to my superintendent?
By: kittyfan43 Date: March 13, 2020, 11:04 am
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Dear Superintendent
I am a long term substitute teacher working with an AP music
class that is ongoing over the hiatus due to the Corona virus. I
was told that it is necessary as this is a college course and
there are AP exams in May that the students must get ready for.
I have just sent my students a quiz through google classroom
that were going to be working on today.
I meet with these students 3 days a week.
I unfortunately have financial concerns about the current
situation. Last summer, I found out that unemployment in
Connecticut would pay me for time off over the summer if I
worked directly for a school system. I could only get
unemployment if I worked for an agency.
My experience last summer made me very uncomfortable relying on
unemployment for substitute teachers here in CT. What will my
compensation be while I am working with this class?I worry that
unemployment will not be forth coming as this has been an issue
in the recent past for me but I do not work to look for another
full time job either in another school system or elsewhere that
might make me unavailable for coming back to this school system.
I would prefer to continue to work with my AP students and seek
only part time temporary work elsewhere.
What would my compensation offer be for continuing to work with
AP students? We meet normally 3 days a week and they are a
significant part of my lesson plans and grading for the week. I
also plan to continue to build my online resources for the 2
high school choruses during the time out from school so that
there are listening resources for students so that students may
continue to work with the music over the break.
Unfortunately, I have bills to pay so I am forced to ask about
this. I do worry that at some point in the near future I will be
unable to pay my rent if there is no resolution shortly.
Will I be paid for 3 full days a week or is there another
compensation package that you would like to offer me?
It is my very strong desire to see this job through to the end
of the school year and I have put everything that I can into
making this school year as successful as possible for all of my
students.
#Post#: 48612--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is this a good letter to my superintendent?
By: QueenFaninCA Date: March 13, 2020, 1:05 pm
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I think you need to describe in clearer terms what your current
situation with this class is. Is the regular teacher out for a
longer period and you are covering the class? Or are you
assisting the regular teacher?
Also, what exactly is you school district doing as a hiatus? My
son's district is closing schools for three week. The last week
of that is done by moving spring break up one week. For the
remaining two weeks the teacher post material in google
classroom and collect classwork and homework electronically. All
students have a school-issued tablet they can take home and if
they do not have internet at home they are getting a device
using cell phone signal so that they can have an internet
connection at home (urban district, so cell phone coverage not
an issue). The teachers are expected to plan lessons and grade
home- and classwork. They need to be available via email for
questions. They will get paid as they would normally.
#Post#: 48615--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is this a good letter to my superintendent?
By: Jem Date: March 13, 2020, 2:05 pm
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I think the letter is way too long and includes way too much
information that the superintendent does not need to know and
that does not paint you in a good light. It is not the
superintendent or school district's fault or business whether
you get unemployment or have other jobs. Stick to the terms of
whatever contract you signed, and simply ask for clarification
of those terms without getting into your bills and inability to
pay rent and plans to build your online resources, for example.
I am not really following why you think your compensation will
be affected by the coronavirus, and if I were the superintendent
reading this letter I would not understand what you are asking
and why.
#Post#: 48624--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is this a good letter to my superintendent?
By: gramma dishes Date: March 13, 2020, 3:53 pm
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I got lost.
#Post#: 48626--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is this a good letter to my superintendent?
By: jpcher Date: March 13, 2020, 4:11 pm
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[quote author=Jem link=topic=1657.msg48615#msg48615
date=1584126346]
I think the letter is way too long and includes way too much
information that the superintendent does not need to know and
that does not paint you in a good light. It is not the
superintendent or school district's fault or business whether
you get unemployment or have other jobs. Stick to the terms of
whatever contract you signed, and simply ask for clarification
of those terms without getting into your bills and inability to
pay rent and plans to build your online resources, for example.
I am not really following why you think your compensation will
be affected by the coronavirus, and if I were the superintendent
reading this letter I would not understand what you are asking
and why.
[/quote]
Bold above is a strong point. No need to get into personal
finances, etc.
[quote author=kittyfan43 link=topic=1657.msg48605#msg48605
date=1584115444]
(snip)
Unfortunately, I have bills to pay so I am forced to ask about
this. I do worry that at some point in the near future I will be
unable to pay my rent if there is no resolution shortly.
(snip)
It is my very strong desire to see this job through to the end
of the school year and I [s]have put everything that I can[/s]
into making this school year as successful as possible for all
of my students.
[/quote]
Unfortunately, we all have bills to pay. Sorry if that sounds a
bit snarky, but That paragraph is an excellent example for what
to omit.
Bold above is a good ending. The strike-out sounds a bit too "oh
pity me. SOB" if that makes sense.
I'm not a writer but maybe something like "I take pride in my
work ethic and have made this school year a success for all of
my students."
Or maybe that paragraph shouldn't be included either. Maybe
that, too, is cutting into personal information. I get the
voting yourself up thought, but what you're actually doing is
seeking information.
#Post#: 48630--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is this a good letter to my superintendent?
By: TootsNYC Date: March 13, 2020, 4:49 pm
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I'll be honest--my eyes glazed over. It's too long, it's too
wordy, sentences are too long, tht's all kinds of "argument" and
"Logical steps" that frankly he knows if he's got half a brain.
I think you should start over, and you should FIRST just write
down in two sentences, what do you want to know?
'Will I qualify for unemployment?" is the core, right?
And then maybe "If X, I will not qualify for unemployment. I
want to persuade you that you should give me X."
Then you can add just a little more framing. But really this is
a simple question.
Two paragraphs, each 'graph only about 6 sentences.
#Post#: 48638--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is this a good letter to my superintendent?
By: Rose Red Date: March 13, 2020, 6:50 pm
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Maybe it's because I'm not in academic but I found it too long,
too detailed, and I only skimmed it after the first few
sentences.
I think it's best to just come right out (in a polite and
professional way) and ask what the salary situation is since
this is unexpected and unprecedented.
#Post#: 49036--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is this a good letter to my superintendent?
By: kittyfan43 Date: March 22, 2020, 4:54 pm
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Sorry, I haven't had time to reply but things are being worked
out with the school system. I never sent this letter or anything
like it. They sent me a letter telling me not to work until
further notice after having told all the AP teachers to keep
teaching so I will get paid for my time.
Stay safe everyone!
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