A couple of months ago someone posted to protest faculty bathrooms being locked at one of the high schools. It brings to mind a quote from a recent book, Hand to Mouth:
"I've got my own metric to gauge the fabulosity of a job: ...am I allowed to go to the bathroom at will? It's physically uncomfortable to hold it forever, and it sucks to stand by for the okay like a dog waiting for someone to open the door. But for me, the indignity of the whole thing is less about the potential bladder infections. It's more what the requirement for that kind of notification reveals about the tone of the place. In my experience, the jobs where the boss regulates your urinary tract also tend to demand a bunch of other degrading stuff."
It is sad for teaching positions in our district to sink to this level.
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4 comments:
What about giving falcuty a swipe card for the bathrooms
At this rate you would need a swipe card to get in at all times if planning to locked falcuty bathrooms
Swipe cards are an interesting option, 5:55. But control-freak principals who now control access to the keys would probably just control access to the swipe cards as well.
Are they locked to keep kids out or another reason? There has got to be some employment law that would apply to the situation but from what I have read the union you teachers have would not get involved.
Locking of bathrooms is against Pennsylvania School Code Chapter 57. Five stalls for about 300 females, not including female staff, is definitely not right. The bathroom for males and females, staff and students, are on the first floor only.
School code states "(a) there shall be separate restroom facilities for males and females. (b) there shall be a minimum of one flush toilet for every 20 girls. (c) there shall be at least one flush toilet and two urinals for every 40 boys (d) each restroom shall have at least one washbowl for every 40 students. (PA Code of School Law, Chapter 57.2)."
Locking of the bathrooms is also an ADA and health issue. The union was made aware of all of this, but claims they know nothing of School Code and that the principal has done this before and can do what he wants.
Bathrooms should NEVER be locked. Staff are assigned a duty to monitor the restrooms during each period. Staff were instructed to LOCK the restrooms during between bells when classes are switching if there is no one there to monitor. This is usually the only time students and staff can use the restroom. So the bathrooms are even more limited.
It must be nice that the principal has a restroom in his office that he can use at any time and doesn't have to share with anyone else.
Staff must rush from the third floor to the first floor, wait in line to use the restroom, or find one that has toilet paper and pray to make it back to class in time. If the teacher is late for class, they are verbally reprimanded and they receive a letter in their file.
Many times there are too many people waiting in line to use the bathroom. Staff can use the student bathroom stalls, but many times, those stalls are full (again only five stalls for approximately 300 students). Yes, not all 300 students use the bathroom at the same time.
There is ONE faculty stall for females and ONE faculty stall for males and one unisex bathroom (only one stall) in the faculty lounge. Not enough stalls/bathrooms with approximately 65 staff members.
This is just one of many issues at this high school. The issues need to be addressed. This school is losing very good teacher who truly care about their students because of this issue and many more.
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