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Friday, February 15, 2008
Let them eat lunch
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A bill before the state legislature would give all teachers the right to a 30-minute lunch without interruption. Now only elementary school teachers get an undisturbed lunch. Many middle and high school principals require teachers to monitor lunch periods or take on other responsibilities during teachers’ lunch.
The bill didn’t make it out of a House education subcommittee Tuesday, but lawmakers say it could get another chance. Rep. Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta) sponsored HB 994, which has the backing of the Georgia Federation of Teachers.
Verdaillia Turner, president of the federation, had this to say about the bill: “Even prisoners have a duty free lunch period … Allowing teachers to eat their food uninterrupted should be a basic human right on the job.”
What do you think of this bill? Are principals expecting teachers to do too much? Many employees, regardless of what jobs they hold, work during lunch. Should the same be expected from teachers?
