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Teacher absences up 35 percent from last year, records show
Union president attributes tougher working conditions in wake of school levy failure.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
DAYTON — Compared to this point last school year, there has been a 35 percent increase in teacher absences in the city schools, a hike the teachers' union president attributes to jam-packed schedules and tougher working conditions.
But school officials said it is unclear what has caused the spike.
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Pat Lynch, teachers' union president, said at the Dayton Board of Education meeting on Tuesday night, March 18, that she requested the data on absences because she suspected teachers were breaking down under the pressure of changes caused by $30 million in budget cuts this school year.
Those cuts were necessitated by the defeat of a 15.17-mill tax levy last May.
Lynch said the district instituted changes that are hard on teachers, such as shortening the school day while at the same time cutting back on music, art and gym and moving planning periods to the beginning and end of the day.
Those moves eliminated natural break times when teachers had a chance to catch their breath between classes, Lynch said.
"Teachers are operating this year under very stressful conditions," she said. "It lowers immunity. Illnesses are more serious and lasting longer due to the stress."
Ed Sweetnich, who heads human resources for the district, said there could be many factors raising the teacher absence rate.
For instance, he said, teachers who miss months of work because of serious illnesses are counted as absent and the number of teachers out for those reasons fluctuates from year to year.
Last year there were very few long-term illnesses and this year an unusually large number of such cases that could account for much of the change, he said.
Sweetnich said without further analysis, it is impossible to know what is driving the numbers.
