Teachers’ Hours

* I was disheartened when I read a letter on Nov. 21. Jon C. Brissman claimed that teachers teach for five hours a day for 165 days a year. Can he be more wrong?

Teachers are teaching seven hours each day, for 180 days a year. He also added 50% for preparation time and other duties, and made the assumption that we are “part-timers” compared to other professionals.

I am a fourth-grade teacher with 31 students. I go to work at 6:45 each morning and leave about 5 each evening. I also take home two to three hours of work each night. My colleagues and I each work at least five to seven hours on the weekend, in addition to our weekday hours. We are by no means part-timers. We are are full-time workers, who work overtime with no extra pay.

Teaching is one of the most important jobs. When will teachers receive the respect they deserve and credit for teaching for the future of America?

I would like to see anyone who thinks we are part-timers in my job for just one day. Maybe then, he or she will understand what a difficult and trying job it really is.

BARBARA CHANG

Providencia School, Burbank